Another 24 Hour Count in Goshen IN

Trains Magazine Trackside Guides
1

Hello everybody,

I just got back from my little railfan adventure a few days ago, and here is
the first of my postings. This is Goshen IN, where the NS Marion
branch diverges from the main a little east of Elkhart. Time of visit
was Thursday, 8-28-08.

I know my notes are pretty messy, and probably different kind of
notes than what some are used to. No locomotive makes and #'s! That
is way to much for someone alone to write down, especially in the
middle of the night, when trains are passing at 60per.

  1. 9:20am WB 11M Columbus - Elkhart freight
  2. 9:25 WB 667 Monroe MI - Chicago BNSF coal mts
  3. 9:31 WB 23N Columbus - Chi/BNSF all import/export cons.
    (ie)
  4. 9:37 EB 38E Elkhart - Detroit many autos, steel
  5. 10:08 EB 680 Chicago/BNSF - Michigan coal lds DEEX
  6. 10:34 EB 84W Coal lds from UP in Chicago, KGLX, EXEX
    reporting marks
  7. 11:09 WB 69T steel lds from Detroit
  8. 11:45 WB 205 Ayer - Chicago 47th 150+ domestic cons. (few
    i/e) and a few truckers trailers
  9. 12:35 EB 16E BRC - Conway 69 cars, 2 reefers, mostly c.
    hoppers and tanks
  10. 12:42 WB 31M Detroit - IHB 48 auto lds.
  11. 1:02 SB 19K Elkhart - Decatur big, BNSF units, autos up
    front.
  12. 1:35 WB 19A Conway - Proviso Mostly c. hoppers
  13. 2:35 SB B32 Local, push pull locos, 4 c. hoppers
  14. 3:04 EB 24W 47th. - Croxton 30 ie cons.
  15. 3:16 WB 23K Buffalo - 47th 20 pigs (ups and schnieder), 100
    cons, some ie
  16. 3:36 NB 18K St. Louis (?) - Elkhart 50 cars, mostly autos
  17. 4:35 EB 861 mt coal from Chicago area?
  18. 4:47 NB M44 Birmingham (?) - Elkhart extra. 142 cars, mainly
    tanks
  19. 5:17 EB 14Q Elkhart - Bellevue big, steel, boxes and gons.
  20. 5:34 WB 17M Linwood NC - Elkhart 108 cars boxes, c. hoppers
  21. 5:52 WB 23T CP Intermodal. 115 ie cons, many refridge.
  22. 6:23 WB 572 NORX lds (headed to Wheatfield? Or M
2

Did you stay up all 24hrs yourself, or did you tag team it with a friend?

That looks like a typical day.

3

I am by myself. It gets pretty rough sometimes…but most definately worth it.

If there is anybody crazy enough to want to do a 24 hour count let me know! As far as I know, I am as extreme as it gets… [:(]

4

I forgot to post these other videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbUBFL4zmQI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-WAccrJP24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h76CYMUMIrU

5

There is a junction near my house that I’d like to do a 24 hr count, but for now, I’ll sit in my living room and watch them go by.

6

Roger that Mike. Thanks for the comments [:)]

7

You must go through a lot of crew packs on your trips.

I’m also curious where you can sit for 24hrs without incident.

8

In Goshen I have sat at 2 places. The one I like most is a little parking lot right off 5th St. Unfortunately, this last weekend at Goshen I had a bad experience with one of the locals, and the police told me the area was kinda ruff. The police and the scary local ruffled me up and I ended up leaving around midnight (for Nappanee) so I wouldn’t have to worry about it all night. I had stayed the night at this spot 2 previous times and felt very comfortable however.

My favorite spot to watch trains is at the big curve where the Marion branch veers south around a 10mph curve. If there would be an area to sit comfortably there it would easily be my favorite spot east of Chicago. I sit in a little gravel area that some semis use. It is legal and safe at this spot, but there is so much street traffic and a big street light that I just have the feeling that everybody is watching me. And everyone is…Surprisingly, the two times police have checked me out there they couldn’t believe that anyone would want to watch trains, and thought I was crazy for driving there just for the trains. Nobody railfans here!

I’m gettin tired of being called crazy…

9

i found the info you posted very interesting lots of trains i have a question for you these 70 trains what railroad company locos did you see were they mainly ns or did you see runthru locos anything unusual for example an old paint job

regarding the security it sounds like it is not safe to be out at night when watching trains would it not be safer to go there with a couple of friends or would this cause other problems ps liked your movies peter

10

I am glad you enjoyed my report Peter. There is definately lots of foriegn power on this line. Most of the coal trains have BNSF power (7 of the 9), and I did see 1 (84W) with UP power. Many of the intermodals and freights also have foriegn power, usually BNSF. Trains 10R, 20N, 21N, 23N, 26N, 20G, and 21G pretty consistently run with BNSF power, and Ethanol trains like 68Q always have UP power. The manifest trains on this side of Elkhart aren’t near as regular with their power as the trains to the west of Elkhart, but there are always some with foreign power.

And of course there are the CP trains.

I felt unsafe the first night ever being alone at night in the car, but I have become very comfortable doing so. And I don’t know any friends that would stay up with me.

11

thanks for the info tyler… i model csx and ns however i do like to have western roads running ( love the variety) so your info was most wellcome thanks peter

12

your welcome Peter. anytime… [:)]