Had the chance to do a little flying a few weekends back. Focus of this trip was to check out how the scene had changed at North Baltimore with the yard. We also flew north toward Toledo as well to take in some sights...here are a few photos.
CSX's Robb Avenue yard in Lima as we climb to our cruising altitude. We had to go a little higher this time as the turbulence below 4000' was very challenging.
Photo 2, 3, and 4: The now open yard at North Baltimore, Ohio.
Looking east:
Looking west:
Overall:
Eastbound train ready to leave:
Northward to Toledo we see the CSX docks at Presque Isle:
Someone thought that it is a good idea to run the power both facing foward, instead of back to back. This requires a place to spin the power like a wye. And if you have the space, you build one close by as to not waste time looking for a place to get the power headed in the right direction.
I enjoy your aerial pictures CG Tower. Thanks for taking the time to post them.
I still have a hard time getting used to these new large railroad terminals being built in the middle of nowhere because for a multitude of reasons they cannot build them closer vto city limits.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
They are built in the middle of nowhere for reasons other then being near towns but being near other transportation, namely I-75 in the case of NoBalto. Not that anywhere between Akron and Chicago is any real city on the B&O anyway. the two largest towns are Tiffin and Defiance which are both between a population of 15,000 and 20,000.
As mentioned in a previous post, the proximity to I-75 was a large factor that the facility ended up there. Being located between 3 north-south routes on the CSX system was a benefit as well. Having a majority of the land that they ended up using being owned by a single "absentee landlord" made the purchasing a bit easier as well. It's cheaper & less hassle for the RR both during construction & operation compared to attempting to buld in urban areas. (Think of "greenfield vs. Brownfield" for manufacturing - same applies there)
As for the Toledo yards (Stanley & Walbridge) they are located in Wood County while Toledo itself is in Lucas county. For a variety of reasons Toledo has expanded westward out toward the airport instead of eastward.
