Video of 765 & new CVSR Zephyr cars 9/20/2018

VistaDomeScott posted:

I caught the 765 southbound on CSX just miles north of CVSR rails and the new home of Silver Solarium,  Silver Lariat, Silver Rapids, and Silver Peak. This location is in Cleveland at the Harvard Road CSX crossing near Jennings, just south of the Steelyard Commons shopping area.  The guy on a bike crossing behind the train was the one with the air horn 

https://youtu.be/GGd_hVF_mnU

Can you detail for me the route from the former Nickel Plate to NS's Rockport Yard, and then from Rockport to this location? Did she have to make backup moves along this routing? Also do I understand correctly that the trackage in your video is owned by CSX and that they are permitting a steam locomotive to operate over it?

Thank you in advance.

A co-worker saw the train on its way to the valley and asked me about it. The track he saw it on was along Interstate 71 near the Cleveland Zoo. That leaves only one routing as a possibility.

Coming out of Bellevue the train ran the former NKP to Vermillion. Used a post Conrail merger connecting track near that city to get on the former NYC. Ran on it to Rockport Yard on the west side of Cleveland. All this is NS track. At this point the train would be facing east as it arrived in Rockport. But the next move would have required them to be facing west. So they would have had to turn on NS to be facing west. Then leave NS track and enter CSX backing east on the former NYC belt line (part of this is the CSX mainline through Cleveland!) to the interchange with the former B&O/NYC Parma yard. Then head graphically south on it until they enter the former B&O proper south of the yard. Then proceed geographically north on this line, backing, until it joins the former B&O valley line at a junction called RD. There used to be (30 yrs ago) a ramshackle operators shed here. Then after clearing the junction switches, the train would proceed geographically south to join the CVSR. The video at Harvard Rd. is CSX tracks.

I find this to be a significant advancement from past practice. When they came to the valley from the north and CSX, they formerly ran NS tracks to Campbell Rd yard, interchanged to the Cleveland Works Railroad (steel mill line), and finally to CSX. At that point the CVSR sent a diesel up to "escort" the 765 over CSX. I didn't see any diesel in the video. I don't know if they had one when they ran from Parma to RD. My co-worker when he saw it along I-71, only knew the steam engine was going backwards and they had silver cars that said CALIFORNIA SOMETHING on them. He couldn't answer if a diesel was present.

This is only my opinion. I think this is just another example of the high professional standards that the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society follows producing results and respect from yet another railroad. I say job well done FWRHS.

Thanks to both of you. I'm going to follow the route using Google Earth. Glad to see that CSX is cooperating in allowing the engine to traverse a part of their railroad. The 765 crew appears to have a well-earned reputation for running a first class operation. Kudos to them.

Steve Heister posted:

A co-worker saw the train on its way to the valley and asked me about it. The track he saw it on was along Interstate 71 near the Cleveland Zoo. That leaves only one routing as a possibility.

Coming out of Bellevue the train ran the former NKP to Vermillion. Used a post Conrail merger connecting track near that city to get on the former NYC. Ran on it to Rockport Yard on the west side of Cleveland. All this is NS track. At this point the train would be facing east as it arrived in Rockport. But the next move would have required them to be facing west. So they would have had to turn on NS to be facing west. Then leave NS track and enter CSX backing east on the former NYC belt line (part of this is the CSX mainline through Cleveland!) to the interchange with the former B&O/NYC Parma yard. Then head graphically south on it until they enter the former B&O proper south of the yard. Then proceed geographically north on this line, backing, until it joins the former B&O valley line at a junction called RD. There used to be (30 yrs ago) a ramshackle operators shed here. Then after clearing the junction switches, the train would proceed geographically south to join the CVSR. The video at Harvard Rd. is CSX tracks.

I find this to be a significant advancement from past practice. When they came to the valley from the north and CSX, they formerly ran NS tracks to Campbell Rd yard, interchanged to the Cleveland Works Railroad (steel mill line), and finally to CSX. At that point the CVSR sent a diesel up to "escort" the 765 over CSX. I didn't see any diesel in the video. I don't know if they had one when they ran from Parma to RD. My co-worker when he saw it along I-71, only knew the steam engine was going backwards and they had silver cars that said CALIFORNIA SOMETHING on them. He couldn't answer if a diesel was present.

This is only my opinion. I think this is just another example of the high professional standards that the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society follows producing results and respect from yet another railroad. I say job well done FWRHS.

 

Steve, is this the interchange between the former NYC Belt and the old B&O that you're speaking about? 

Google Map Link

If it is, I am able to piece together the rest of it. 

I take it that this is RD, correct?

Thanks.

Yes on both. It has been along time since I shot anything by Parma Yard. The interconnection has been moved to the north end. The south end connection is gone, but I can see the scar in the aerial photo where it used to be.

Steve Heister posted:

Yes on both. It has been along time since I shot anything by Parma Yard. The interconnection has been moved to the north end. The south end connection is gone, but I can see the scar in the aerial photo where it used to be.

Thanks again, Steve.  I found this 1934 map on Rails and Trails.com that puts all of it in perspective. This will give me lots of pleasure, seeing what remains and who owns what today.