Besides checking out some “short lines” like the Evansville Western, I’d like to catch some mainline action as well so my question is which is the busier line during daylight hours the former SR main from Louisville to St Louis or the former B&O Cincy to St Louis line. Ric, I know you must have an opinion on the B&O since i believe it goes just about right thru your backyard !
hanks guys,
Fred
Fred, out here, the old B&O and the old SR lines are only about 10-12 miles apart… Ric is closer to the old B&O line, but he’s also out of town this weekend… I know the old B&O used to run about 28-32 trains a day, but most ran in the evenings and nighttime hours… Not sure what kind of a schedule is on the old SR line… NS had picked up some additional coal trains from the new mines located along the Evansville Western and with thier new interchange link at Mount Vernon, illinois… However, since the initial opening of that interchange, traffic has seemed to have slowed down some… This end of the NS line has new ties placed along the tracks, so there will be trackwork going on the line shortly…
Sorry I can’t be of more help to you…
Track work, good for the railroad but bad for a railfan, thanks Andy. Good to know that at least the NS line is still pretty much active. Will be spending some time on that Evansville Western hoping to get in a good chase.
Fred, Evansville Western usually runs their MCL1 train (McLeansboro-Okawville) trip during the week… usually on Mon-wed-fri, however, a few weeks ago, they also ran it on Thursday too, for a couple of weeks but, not this past week… EVWR also had dropped ties along the line from McLeansboro, west, tho not all way to Okawville, and I believe as far as Mount Vernon, Illinois… If you get to Mount Vernon, Illinois, there’s an engine rebuild/repair facility, where the EVWR crosses the NS and UP a lil southeast from the center of town… A lil to the east of the engine rebuild/repair facility is the new interchange between NS and EVWR… Woodlawn, illinois also has an interchange with the BNSF… Ashley, Illinois only has a crossing diamond at the CN mainline… The EVWR is really getting to be an interesting lil shortline to railfan… There’s so much being built and increased rail traffic… New coal mines, new coal rail-barge loading facilities, ethonal plants, etc, etc…
Andy,
Either you’re at Friar Fred’s, or you’re both partaking in the same spirits 
Ralph
Ralph, not sure what’s going on… I’m only clicking once to post…
Some kind of glitch in the software. The posts aren’t showing up twice on the front page or index.
Ralph
Andy, thanks agan for the added info. Is there a crew based out of McLeansboro? Any idea about the operation east of McLeansboro toward Mt. Vernon, Indiana?
Appreciate any & all info I rfeceive,
Thanks, Fred
l
Fred, your welcome… MCL1 used to run Mcleansboro, illinois to Mount Vernon, Indiana on Tues- Thurs-Sat… I’m not sure how they are working it now… I usually only get over to the east side about 3 times a year. or so… Yes, there is a crew that works out of McLeansboro… Tracks are just north of the center of town, and a small shed is their home base, just west of the main north-south road that comes down from Interstate 64… Engines are usually parked at the shack, overnight…
Fred,
The guided tours won’t cost you a penny. We have maps, pictures and early O&M/B&O/Chessie/CSX buildings still in use. Trackage built in 1851 is 2 blocks from our house.