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Coke on the C&ED by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

South-bound coke loads, running as B425, roll by the siding at "Wro" on the old C&ED near Newport, IN. This train comes off the UP at Proviso, IL and ultimately winds up at Madisonville, KY. A Union Pacific ES44AC leads a rebuilt SD70MAC. 4/3/2022

Winter Park Station by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

MP32PH-Q #110 leads an evening north-bound SunRail train into the station at Winter Park. 4/28/2022

Toledo's Central Union Terminal - May 7 2016

Bloomfield Runaround by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

After pulling a loaded centerbeam from the lumber yard, Indiana Railroad's HWSZT crew prepares to run around their train for the trip back to Jasonville. 4/3/2022

NS GP38-2 #5274 by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

A former Conrail GP38-2 catches the evening sun as it switches some autoracks at Conrail's Sterling Yard in Sterling Heights, MI. This engine was later rebuilt with an Admiral Cab and subsequently sold, and is now Indiana Harbor Belt #3800. 9/17/2010

Fisher Body by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Grand Elk’s time switching GM’s Fisher Body plant in Wyoming was very short-lived. Grand Elk took over in the spring of 2009, and the plant would close for good later that year. Until that point, however, the body panels built here still needed to be moved. Here is WAMX 3829 pulling 4 hi-cube boxcars out of the plant. These cars were interchanged to CSX daily and added to the Canadian Pacific run-through train X500, which would take them to Oshawa in Canada. The impending closure of this plant played a big part in Norfolk Southern’s decision to sell this line, I’m sure. 6/19/2009

Q335 @ Alto by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

An SD40-2 leads a Union Pacific AC4400 across the 4-way intersection of 60th ST and Timpson Ave with train Q335 from Toledo. 10/15/2006

Welkom to Holland by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Amtrak NPCU #90368 brings up the rear of P371, the west-bound "Pere Marquette", as the train leaves Holland on National Train Day 2008. The tulips were in full bloom as the annual Tulip Time Festival was in full swing as it is every May. Featuring JT's SPOC 5/10/2008

Lafayette by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

19K leaves Lafayette for Decatur, IL with a pair of DC Gevos leading a high hood GP38-2. 4/3/2022

Rantoul by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

M396 momentarily bisects the town of Rantoul, IL, as the train heads north for Chicago. The Amtrak depot here sees several daily Carbondale service trains as well as the City of New Orleans. 4/2/2022

UP Transfer by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

A quartet of UP SD40s prepare to leave Bensenville yard with a Proviso-bound transfer as a former SOO GP38-2 idles on a cold January morning in 2008. 1/3/2008

GEs in Durand by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Huron & Eastern's 702 arrives in Durand with B30-7 #5492 leading C30-7 #5175 and GP38-2 #3867. 9/10/2010

PREX GP16 #1601 by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Sitting all by itself just outside of town, this former Seaboard GP16 is the sole unit on this outpost of Pioneer's Elkhart & Western. Operating what remains of the former Monon east of its namesake, the line has but one customer, a fertilizer dealer, and is only served seasonally. 4/3/2022

Bloomfield, IN by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Indiana Railroad's HWSZT job pauses momentarily on an interesting overpass as the crew pulls a lumber load from a customer in Bloomfield. 4/3/2022

SunRail Meet by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

North and south-bound SunRail trains meet in Winter Park, FL, each powered by the agency's unique MP32PH-Q locomotives. 4/28/2022

Since It’s railroad days at Durand, I figured I’d share my latest slide in my collection.


A GTW crewman pulls down on the water spout at Durand for what is more than likely a 4-6-2 pacific In November of 1958. Note: the gold and red lettered herald logo used for passenger locomotives.


Unknown photographer, GJW Collection.

Classic by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

To me, nothing says "CSX" more than a nose headlight SD40-2 with blanked-out class lights, fading yellow and blue paint, and a cab-mounted K5LA. #8070 and a C40-8W have a short Q326 in tow as they work east through the dip between 32nd and 36th Streets in Kentwood. The 8070 was a frequent visitor to west Michigan during this time period. 5/3/2009

Replacement by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Following the old IC branch west of Rantoul, IL, my friends and I were hoping to find the rare GP28 owned by the elevator here in Dewey. We were a bit surprised to see this ex CNW GP50 instead. The Co-Op still owns the GP28, which is parked in the barn with mechanical issues and from what we understand, is for sale. 4/2/2022

Rebuilt 40 by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Q327 rolls west near Elmdale on a hot and humid August afternoon in 2010. Leading the trailing GP38-2 is SD40-2 #8440, rebuilt from an ex Union Pacific SD40 in the early 90s by MKM for CSX. I'm not certain, but I think all of the 8400 series SD40s (and maybe even some of the 8300s) on CSX were rebuilds like this one. 8/8/2010

P371 With Amtubes by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

NPCU #90368 leads an atypical Pere Marquette consist in the form of 4 Amfleets near Michigan City. The PM normally operates with 3 or 4 Superliners. 4/17/2016

Creamsicle by David R. Collins, on Flickr

After 6+ failed attempts over the last 4 years, NS 8105 is finally checked off of my heritage unit bucket list as it ducks under an overpass while leading 60T by the Toledo Union Station on National Train Day.

Showing off by David R. Collins, on Flickr

This engineer on 15N was, well... excited to see the crowds at National Train Day in Toledo, I legit lost count at horn blast #17 and he was also giving big waves!

Brand new by David R. Collins, on Flickr

Brand new NS AC44C6M #4550 leads a westbound sand train by Toledo.

Splitting the Towers by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

A408 heads south past the old Illinois Central coaling towers at Gilman, IL behind 2 SD70s and 2 GP38-2s. Would've been nice if the leader had been in IC paint, but an SD70 is an SD70 at this point in time. 4/2/2022

Rare Unit by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

CSX 8708 was one of ten SD60s purchased new by the railroad in 1989. Their bad experiences with the SD50 a few years prior had left CSX with a poor opinion of EMD during that time period, and they wouldn't go back to EMD for more locomotives again until the introduction of the SD70MAC. #8708 is seen here with ex Conrail SD40-2 #8800 and GP38-2 #2615 slogging up the hill at Fox with Q335. 4/19/2007

Orlando-Bound by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Yet another south-bound SunRail train departs the Winter Park station for Orlando and points beyond. 4/28/2022

Two For One by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Back then, it was rare to see A: Marquette Rail's Z151 running to Grand Rapids in the daylight and B: to see only Geeps on Z151. On this day I was lucky enough to see both as GMTX #2676 and #2648 roll north across the Grand River with the Z train. 3/15/2008

Late-for-sure limited by David R. Collins, on Flickr


Amtrak 49 is running roughly an hour and a half late as it makes it's station stop in Toledo.

Maiden Voyage by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

GLLX GP18 #921 "Miss Scarlett" and SW1200 #1512 are on their way back east from the CSX interchange with about a dozen hoppers in tow on the West Michigan RR. This was Miss Scarlett's first trip as a leader after being in storage for about 5 years. 5/15/2022

Thanks, CSX by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Some recent brush cutting by CSX has opened up a bunch of new angles on the western-most part of the Plymouth Sub. Y106 heads east for Alto along the newly cleared corridor. 5/16/2022

Northbound Conrail & Eastbound CSX meet at Oakland Ave in Lansing. May 20 1987

GMTX GP38-2 #2635 by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

The original pride of the Marquette Rail fleet was leased GATX GP38-2 #2635. Having been freshly repainted before being leased to the railroad, the MQT boys decided to nicely letter and logo the unit. Here it is pausing between switching moves in the yard at Manistee. 6/15/2007

Geometry by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

The conductor is spooked at the sight of me (I don't blame him) as W001 heads west into Grand Rapids. 5/2/2022

SD80MAC wrote: ↑

Mon May 16, 2022 10:56 am

Leading the trailing GP38-2 is SD40-2 #8440, rebuilt from an ex Union Pacific SD40 in the early 90s by MKM for CSX. I'm not certain, but I think all of the 8400 series SD40s (and maybe even some of the 8300s) on CSX were rebuilds like this one.

Correct, the 8300s and 8400s are all rebuilt from SD40s, mostly from UP/SP/MP, etc

Ashkum Tower by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Z195 rolls by the old interlocking tower at Ashkum, IL. I would guess there was once a complicated set of crossovers here, can't really think of any other reason why there would be tower in basically the middle of nowhere with no other intersecting lines. 4/2/2022

Riverside by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

It's a very hot and humid summer evening as the eastbound Pere Marquette barrels through Riverside with an NPCU leading 3 Horizon coaches and a P42. 6/12/2008