We get a lot of visitors to our town because the Burlington Northern and Union Pacific lines cross each other in town. I’ve heard there are very few places where main lines cross each other. Does anyone know about how many places this happens? (We average 1 train every 18 minutes through our town)
I’m sure that it’s not as uncommon as you may think. Fostoria OH gets a lot of visitors for the same reason and members of this forum are probably aware of other places.
here in ohio not only do you have class 1’s cross each other,they cross themselves.some of the shortlines crossing the class ones are good too.some places to check out…
fostoria,DESHLER(personal preference),marion,hamler,leipsic,attica,greenwhich,Berera,sidney,lima just to name a few.another couple of spots near us are st joe indiana and butler indiana also the ft wayne new haven area.
stay safe
joe
What town do you live in Sparky?
Colton CA is one of the more famous ones. The UP Sunset Route crosses the BNSF San Bernardino Sub (which also handles the UP Los Angeles Sub trains).
I don’t have an accurate train count for you, but I would imagine it’s one of the heaviest spots for freight action in the country, if not the world.
Sparky’s home town almost sounds like Rochelle.
Heavy mainline crossings, eh?
At Sidney, Nebr. the BNSF Powder River Basin coal corridor to Denver (and points south) flys over the Union Pacific Overland Route mainline.
At Grand Island the BNSF Powder River Basin coal corridor to Lincoln (and points east) flys over the U.P.'s Nebraska mainline; but U.P.'s Gibbon cutoff bridges over the BNSF’s Chicago-Denver mainline at Hastings, Nebr.
Do the diamonds built by the Chicago Union Loop Company (?) and held-up by a century old steel structure above the intersection of Lake and Wells Streets still claim to be the busiest railroad intersection in the world?
I’ll wager Sparky lives in Rochelle, IL…oh, by the way, WELCOME SPARKY! [#welcome]
Crossings aren’t that uncommon. Busy crossings are another story. I have been to many that are busy, Tower 55, Colton, Grand Island, Saginaw(TX), Texarkana, Shreveport, Houston, Waycross (GA), Rosenberg(TX) and I have been to some that are not Plant City(FL), Flatonia(TX), Mulberry(FL), etc. Some are obviously more rewarding to watch than others. The smaller ones don’t always seem worth watching (low volume) but you never know what you will see. I have seen WC SD45s in mulberry, a WC SD45-CNW 8572 combo at Big Sandy, TX, and the Louisana & North West shops at Gibsland, LA the KCS crossing. It all depends how patient you are and what you are more intent to see, lots of trains or the more unique smaller operations. I once went for sheer numbers now I go for the shortlines and rare locos.
Vickers in Toledo, Marion, OH, Muncie, IN, and Tuscola, IL, are just a few locations that come to mind where busy Class 1 routes cross others.
Rochelle, IL
Duplainville, WI where the CN (Soo line, WC) crosses the CP (Soo line, Milwaukee).
Wauwatosa, the UP (C & NW) goes over the CP (MILW).
Watertown, UP (CNW) crosses CP (MILW), and WSOR comes in from the west.
I’m sure there are others.
Waukesha used to have 5 crossings. North end, Soo crossed MILW (PDC Jct). Grand Ave., CNW crossed Soo. Prairie Ave., CNW crossed MILW. By Soo depot, TMER&L crossed Soo. By MILW depot, TMER&L crossed MILW. With current consolidations through town, I enter Waukesha from the west, on the MILW. At the MILW-CNW xing, veer onto the CNW alignment. At Grand Ave, connect to Soo. PDC spur connects on the north end, under I94.
I am overwhelmingly impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of all the members.
Now it is time to start building an HO layout with my sons, ages 4 and 6.
Quote by: Bob
I don’t know if the Lake/Wells crossing every was the busiest in the world, but I do know that it’s not even the busiest in the Chicago area now… The title now goes to Western Ave (A2), the crossing for all three Metra/UP commuter line operations, Metra Milwaukee District North / West, Metra North Central Service, Amtrak, local CP freights & local NS freights (rights for the old Panhandle). Rough guess says train counts exceed 200 movements through the plant each weekday.
CC
Not for long will this be a busy diamond; design work on a grade separation has begun.
S. Hadid