Uploaded August 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After a busy day in Fostoria, we again headed west, following the old B&O Chicago Line back through Bloomdale, Bardstown, and Galatea (again) with no activity to be found.
We continued through North Baltimore and past the intermodal facility there, where we finally saw some activity but were unable to photograph it.
Finally, we reached Hoytville just as a westbound intermodal cleared the grade crossing. The train was traveling slowly but accelerating, and we raced it to Deshler, reaching the Ketser Avenue grade crossing just ahead of the BNSF power.
We spent about an hour at Crossroads Park in Deshler while both the B&O Chicago Line and the old B&O Toledo Division remained quiet. Low clouds in the west were making the light fade faster than normal so we decided to continue our journey just as the scanner awoke and informed us of an approaching eastbound with a DPU.
Leaving Deshler, we followed the Toledo Division southward. As we reached the crossing with NS's ex-Nickel Plate line (the same one that goes through Fostoria), a headlight told us an eastbound was approaching. It turned out to be SD-40-2 #3550, which we had seen earlier in Fostoria.
We continued to follow the Toledo Division south through Ottawa, Columbus Grove, and south to Lima, still with no activity on the Toledo Division.
Reaching Lima, we took a detour to Lincoln Park, where the last NKP 2-8-4 Berkshire produced in Lima is displayed. Despite many visits to Lima, Dad had never visited the park before. Fighting our way through road construction, we finally arrived at the park just as the light faded away for good.
It was an awesome trip!
After a busy day in Fostoria, we again headed west, following the old B&O Chicago Line back through Bloomdale, Bardstown, and Galatea (again) with no activity to be found.
We continued through North Baltimore and past the intermodal facility there, where we finally saw some activity but were unable to photograph it.
Finally, we reached Hoytville just as a westbound intermodal cleared the grade crossing. The train was traveling slowly but accelerating, and we raced it to Deshler, reaching the Ketser Avenue grade crossing just ahead of the BNSF power.
We spent about an hour at Crossroads Park in Deshler while both the B&O Chicago Line and the old B&O Toledo Division remained quiet. Low clouds in the west were making the light fade faster than normal so we decided to continue our journey just as the scanner awoke and informed us of an approaching eastbound with a DPU.
Leaving Deshler, we followed the Toledo Division southward. As we reached the crossing with NS's ex-Nickel Plate line (the same one that goes through Fostoria), a headlight told us an eastbound was approaching. It turned out to be SD-40-2 #3550, which we had seen earlier in Fostoria.
We continued to follow the Toledo Division south through Ottawa, Columbus Grove, and south to Lima, still with no activity on the Toledo Division.
Reaching Lima, we took a detour to Lincoln Park, where the last NKP 2-8-4 Berkshire produced in Lima is displayed. Despite many visits to Lima, Dad had never visited the park before. Fighting our way through road construction, we finally arrived at the park just as the light faded away for good.
It was an awesome trip!
![CSX SD40-3 Square Cab, GP40-2 and 8-Axle Flatcar Load! [11/5/2020]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rAcZRVKE_1k/mqdefault.jpg "CSX SD40-3 Square Cab, GP40-2 and 8-Axle Flatcar Load! [11/5/2020]
CSX SD40-3 Square Cab #4001 (Ex-L&N SD40-2 #8142) and GP40-2 #6900 (Ex-C&O #4392) lead a manifest freight with an 8-axle, 16-wheel flatcar load at the front at New River Yard in New Miami, Ohio on Thursday, November 5, 2020.")
![An Evening @ Dolton - 6 Trains! [July 18, 2004]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tYon4Zt0j2A/mqdefault.jpg "An Evening @ Dolton - 6 Trains! [July 18, 2004]
Evening at Dolton Junction
Dolton, Illinois
July 18, 2004
Here is the lineup:
00:17 Northbound CSX manifest on the C&EI led by CSX AC4400CW #4 and FURX SD40-2 #8133 (Ex- Burlington Northern)
01:00 Southbound CSX intermodal on the C&EI led by AC4400CW #441 and AC4400CW #100.
01:56 Westbound Norfolk Southern on the IHB led by GP40-2 #3006 (Ex-Conrail #3283) and Operation Lifesaver GP59 #4630.
03:56 A westbound CSX led by a pair of CW40-8’s sneaks by on the B&OCT.
04:57 A northbound CSX manifest runs from the C&EI to the B&OCT led by SD70MAC #718 and SD50 #8555 (ex-C&O).
07:34 Westbound Indiana Harbor Belt led by SD20 #2923 (originally Southern SD24 #2508).
***Note: This video was taken from the southwest quadrant of the Dolton Junction diamonds. This location is NO LONGER RECOMMENDED for safe and legal railfanning. Instead, safe and legal access is available just east of this location in the Municipal Building parking lot, or from the baseball fields in the northwest quadrant of the diamond. For those who are a bit more adventurous, shots can be taken from “Mt. Dolton”, a large, steep, man-made hill just southwest of the diamonds.
**Originally recorded on VHS-C videotape.")
![American Freedom Train #1 - 1975 [Super 8 Home Movies]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tzX1R4OJBy8/mqdefault.jpg "American Freedom Train #1 - 1975 [Super 8 Home Movies]
Railfanning the American Freedom Train, led by Reading T-1 4-8-4 #2101 (AFT#1), on the Penn Central from Middletown, Ohio to Sharonville, Ohio in June 1975.
In early June 1975, the American Freedom Train heads south on the Penn Central (NYC) between Middletown, Ohio and Sharonville, Ohio in preparation for display in Cincinnati near Riverfront Stadium.
The train is led by #1, ex reading T-1 class 4-8-4 #2101.
The train pulls a display train filled with artifacts of American history, as well as crew cars, supplies, and portable concession carts.
In the final still photo, taken during the display in Cincinnati, I am the one on the left - age 5.
This footage, captured by my father, was originally recorded on Super 8 movie film. In the mid-1980s it was transferred to VHS tape. This version was digitized from the VHS version.
Enjoy!")
