Fostoria, OH is one of those rare places on this planet where three double track lines cross each other. Well known for the railway history the small town in the middle of the Midwest is still a busy place when it comes to train traffic. In 2009 I came down here to watch trains for the very first time. Back then the abandoned Amtrak depot still had its platforms but the rail park has not been developed. In the meantime…
continuing my train watching experience in the Midwest I follow the CSX line from NWI East towards Ohio. Today was pretty wet and chilly. But that does not stop the avid rail fan from following the trains. At another favorite hotspot of mine near Kimmel, IN I encountered a long merchant freight train. It featured an (at least for me) unusual consist of only one locomotive at the spot and another one in the middle of the train. Kind of…
This year”s vacation takes me bak to the US Midwest. The goal is to meet old friends, visit familiar places as well as watch some American Trains in action. When I lived in Northwest Indiana (NWI), Chesterton, IN was one of my favorite train watching spots. When I returned I found out that a train watching platform has been installed. They have even a caboose on display as well as an old box car converted to restrooms and painted in…
It was a pretty busy summer for me this year. I relocated to Vienna and moving took quite some efforts with merging all the belongings into one place. Luckily I finally settled in and now it is time for watching some trains this fall. One of my favorite lines in Austria is Semmering pass. Not only is this stretch of track famous for being the oldest train line crossing the Alps but it also features gorgeous scenery! Add fall colors…
The British are well known for their restored heritage rail lines. The early advent of the steam engine as well as the general interest in preserving historical artifacts led to a vibrant collection of steam operated railways all over the U.K. The Bluebell Railway is maybe on of the best known featuring big, mainline steam action. Having seen this line featured on clips on Youtube, I decided to make it a destination on my tour. A little bit of history The Bluebell Railway…
This summer”s train watching tour takes me to England. Having visited the island last time in 2004, a trip to the homeland of railroading was overdue indeed. For the seven days I will travel to mostly train related places near London as well as check out a museum further up north. London Like most capitals, London is a major hub for railways and a good place for rail enthusiast to be. My favorite spot is Clapham Junction– the busiest station in Britain…
The line heading westward from Vienna all the way across Austria is called “Westbahn” and so to say my “home road”. Living in Linz, some 120 miles from the capital, I traveled that route numerous times and, until recently, Vienna Western Station or “Wien Westbahnhof” was the terminal of the trip. This changed in December 2015 when all long distance trains got rerouted towards the brand new Vienna Main Station (Wien Hbf.). Beside of being a hub for ÖBB commuter…
Being back in the Bay Area for business briefly, I took the chance to visit old friends as well as one of my favorite live steam operations. The Redwood Valley Railway is a miniature park railway running on 15 in. (381mm) track. The scale of the rolling stock is approximately 1:2.4 or 5″ (to the foot). The railway was started in the early 1950s by a fellow called Erich Thomson and reached a total length of track of about 1…
Watching Trains in North West Indiana. Traditionally the Holiday Season is a time to go home. This year I took the chance to visit friends in North West Indiana and Michigan, areas where I spent the last seven years before moving to Europe last Fall. Besides of cheerful get-togethers I for sure took the chance for railroad related activities while in NWI. Chesterton, IN Since I moved to Porter County in 2013, Chesterton is one of my favorite hotspots. Nearby is famous Porter…
Positioned just one hill “behind” the famous loop on the Tehachapi line, I encountered a BNSF intermodal train battling the stiff grade uphill. As the lead engines pop out of tunnel #10, the train’s tail is still navigation the loop in the background. When I visited the area during my US train watching tour in August 2016, construction crews made good progress on putting down the second track. Modern technology led to excavating a cut for the right of way rather…