I will be making a railfanning trip to Fostoria this Saturday and was wondering if anybody knew of the line that ran through there so I could get the frequencies? Or any other info you might have about Fostoria?
Thanks,
Cody
It is known as train city USA and Amtrak used to run through there.
CSX has a yard there and I Norfolk & Western does too.
Fostoria is one of the greatest places to watch trains. The flow of trains seems to be never-ending except for the usual slow period around lunch from about 12:30pm and 2:00pm but that provides a break to get food and rest at the hotel for a while.
Trains roll through about every 5-10 mins. Listening to the scanner one will find there are usually traffic jams outside of town. Fostoria sees between 90 and 120 trains in 24 hrs. Since the Conrail merger with CSX and NS traffic has increased in the past few years some days there may be 100-150 trains.
There are many locations in and around Fostoria to view the action, the simplest and safer location is the Amtrak Station and parking lot. It is adjacent to the CSX ex B&O Line and NS Fort Wayne Line junction. Signals are easily viewable for the CSX Line. The newest location will be the new railfan park a block east of the station. The park should be completed by 2010 with the area being open for railfans sooner.
Talk with the local railfans that live in the town they will help sort out the confusion... even experienced railfails will benefit greatly, it can be overwhelming.
I just did a quick search on the Amtrak website and looked for the stations in Ohio and did not see a station in Fostoria. Do you know where I can find the station (address) and also the address for the park?
thanks
Quote from: trainsrock on January 24, 2010, 06:02:59 PM
I will be making a railfanning trip to Fostoria this Saturday and was wondering if anybody knew of the line that ran through there so I could get the frequencies? Or any other info you might have about Fostoria?
The Amtrak Station is at
500 South Main St. - Fostoria, OH 44830
(http://www.trainweb.org/amtrakpix/stationphotos/FOS/183-06.jpg)
Train Viewing Park
(http://www.fostoriairontriangle.com/graphics/RAIL%20PARK/ParkMap-2007versionBIG.jpg)
Thanks for the info, ABC. Google Maps shows that the area where the railfan park is supposed to be is currently a junk yard, of course Google Maps may be out of date. Do you have any info on what Amtrak trains stop at the station and when? And why Fostoria is not on the webiste?
Scanning: http://www.greatlakeslive.com/fostoria.html - CSX and NS
Railfanning and railpark info: http://www.fostoriairontriangle.com
My grandson and I have railfanned in Fostoria many times during the last five years. Our favorite site(s) are on the northeast side of Columbus Ave just south of the CSX (old C&O) and NS (old NKP) double diamond and across the street from the planned railpark. Last summer, a portapotty was in place at the railpark site. Amtrak no longer stops in Fostoria, but can't beat the freight traffic!
Have a great time!
Quote from: ABC on January 24, 2010, 06:22:56 PM
Amtrak used to run through there.
-from my first reply
Fostoria was served by the Three Rivers Amtrak Service which ran between Chicago and New York City until train service there ended in March 2005 which was on CSX's B&O line.
So to answer you question that would be 0 trains and never.
I'm not sure if the viewing park is there yet, but I do know it was formerly a scrapyard.
It is only a 20 minute drive from my current location in Findlay, Ohio.
Thanks for all the help
Do you guys by chance know of the lines running through Fostoria and the radio frequencies to use?
Please see response #5. Radio frequencies are on scanner link. Also, good map at http://www.trainorderpix.com/FostoriaMap.htm
Who ever said that there was a railfan park in Fostoria is totally and completely wrong!
My brother and I arrived in Fostoria yesterday morning and were driving around and got to the area where the railfan park was supposed to be and it was a wasteland. There was a fence around it saying Keep Out and No Trespassing.
(http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk49/trainsrock96/101_0803.jpg)
(http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk49/trainsrock96/101_0804.jpg)
(http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk49/trainsrock96/101_0805.jpg)
We ended up parking in the parking lot across from the Ex- Amtrak Station between the NS Fostoria Dist and the CSX Fostoria Sub even though we weren't near the CSX Columbus Sub, there were only 4 trains on the Columbus Sub. Saw 24 trains total
Trainsrock,
Thanks for the photos. How long did it take you to see 24 trains?
Sorry you were disappointed by Fostoria. I don't think anybody said the railpark existed yet in replies to your message, so I'm not quite sure why you expected one and are upset you didn't find one.
What you found may indicate that old building demolition has been completed and grounds preparation for the park are apparently being done after many years of planning. Hopefully that's the case. BTW, that empty "wasteland" you saw used to be an overgrown junkyard with large derelict buildings.
We were there for about 2 1/2 hours in the morning then left for lunch and were there for about 4 hours in the afternoon. I was not at all dissapointed in Fostoria, I was dissapointed that there was no railfan park and you, ripvanwinkl, said that there was a portapotty in place at the railfan park
I guess they removed the portapotty for construction. It was right next to an old building which is apparently now gone. My grandson and I haven't been up there since last summer. Hopefully they'll have something for railfans by the end of this year. It all depends on whether they have enough funding available to proceed with building. My wife, grandson, and I contribute toward that funding with our annual membership dues in the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society (FRPS)
Oh okay, well for anybody who is new to Fostoria and is planning on going, I recommend the parking lot across the tracks from the Amtrak Station, you can't photograph the CSX Columbus Sub but in 7 1/2 hours there I only saw 4 trains there as most of the action is on the NS Fostoria District and the CSX Fostoria Sub
does anybody know where you can camp out by the tracks in the area? i like to railfan 24 hours if i go that far.....
I would not stay overnight in Fostoria, it might just be the worst town, outside of Bellaire, OH, that I have ever visited. And what do you mean "camp out"? Tent or like RV or like hotel?
This is what I found out about the rail park. The Future
Future plans include development of the Fostoria Iron Triangle Rail Park which sits at the Iron Triangle. Plans include two pavilions, a small kiosk and a mulch-covered walking trail.
FRPS also has a former New York Central Railroad depot it wants to move to the site. A building remains on the property which also will have to be removed as part of the improvements.
A railroad museum, a hotel and a restaurant are also on the drawing board, but that would require acquiring additional land in the area and additional money.
Ohio Department of Transportation got on board and awarded the city more than $800,000 in grant money for the Fostoria Iron Triangle Rail Park.
The $815,760 grant, will roll in during the 2010-11 budget
camp out, as in tent by the tracks, keep a log of every train for 24 hours. it's the only way to get an accurate idea of just what comes through the area.
places like sand patch and cassandra, near altoona, are great for this.
your count of 24 trains in 7 1/2 hours sounds like the traffic through altoona, or what used to run through homestead, pa before the recession. and yet, i hear people from the altoona area say fostoria is very busy. they are used to heavy traffic, so if they were impressed by the volume through fostoria, then you must have hit a dead period.... like i said, the only way to tell is to log the trains for 24 hours.
You must have caught the slow periods right before and after "lunch time" approximately, at least that's what a guy from Fostoria said were the slow times.
Yes, it was slow during lunch time and like around dinner time it was real slow
If it were a tent I would go at the baseball field on the north side of the NS Fostoria District on South Town Street or in the small field on the east side of South Poplar Street between the CSX Fostoria Sub and the NS Fostoria District but that's just me, ABC, who probably knows the area a little better could probably provide more insight.
With a tent, I think you need to take a big pit bulldog.
Yes indeed, I would more recommend an RV or something like that and even with that I would still be scared to death. It is not a friendly city during the day and I don't even want to know what it's like at night. Also, during the short time I was there and was driving around the city I saw a police chase, we were going to follow the cops but were stuck at a red light. So that proves that Fostoria, Ohio is a piece of s**t.
Well that was nice of you. Most towns of heavy industry are somewhat depressed financially, but that doesn't give you the right to condemn the town and everything in it as a "POS."
Quote from: trainsrock on February 01, 2010, 10:37:37 PM
Yes indeed, I would more recommend an RV or something like that and even with that I would still be scared to death. It is not a friendly city during the day and I don't even want to know what it's like at night. Also, during the short time I was there and was driving around the city I saw a police chase, we were going to follow the cops but were stuck at a red light. So that proves that Fostoria, Ohio is a piece of s**t.
Welcome to down town Cleveland! No offense but its gone down hill
Quote from: jettrainfan on February 01, 2010, 11:04:55 PM
Welcome to down town Cleveland! No offense but its gone down hill
In some parts of Cleveland, it is suggested that you disregard traffic signals at night, and just go even if it is red unless another car is coming. My younger brother's friends got mugged while he was an undergrad at Case Western Reserve University.
Also, I driven through Fostoria many a time and in short it is not that great of a place, but it is not worse than some parts of Cleveland, or even worse Youngstown (#1 in crime per capita for over 10 years).
knowing about cleveland and youngstown, i think i'll stick to sand patch or gallitzen this year. in the mountains nobody bothers you. btw, we have a dog, and he sleeps in the tent with us.
Quote from: Guilford Guy on February 01, 2010, 10:59:08 PM
Well that was nice of you. Most towns of heavy industry are somewhat depressed financially, but that doesn't give you the right to condemn the town and everything in it as a "POS."
The town does have some grain elevators and grain type industries but the part I am referring to is no where near the grain industries. This is where the residents live. It's like driving through the ghetto. Run down houses everywhere and there wasn't even a Walmart! All they had was a K-Mart!
Quote from: trainsrock on February 01, 2010, 10:37:37 PM
Yes indeed, I would more recommend an RV or something like that and even with that I would still be scared to death. It is not a friendly city during the day and I don't even want to know what it's like at night. Also, during the short time I was there and was driving around the city I saw a police chase, we were going to follow the cops but were stuck at a red light. So that proves that Fostoria, Ohio is a piece of s**t.
Well, welcome to downtown Detroit too. I don't live in downtown, but have been there many times. This place probably has gone downhill the most out of any city, considering GM's headquarters is here, and with how bad the economy has been in Michigan. No offense to everyone who lives in Detroit, but its a bad place to be right now.
Well that's expected with any big city. Fostoria is a relatively small city so that's why it is strange to see a small city be so horrible. It's like an organized ghetto with police and a court system.
Detroit cannot even compare to Youngstown, last time I checked Detroit wasn't even in the top 10 in crime per capita, Youngstown is comparatively worse than Cleveland (I would know I lived in Youngstown for 20 some odd years, lived in Cleveland for 2 and went there otherwise). I've also been to Detroit it's bad too, but not as bad as Youngstown or Cleveland. Detroit does compare similarly with Youngstown in unemployment though, they were within a percent of each other a while ago (Detriot was higher).
I remember when I was about 14 I was going to a Youngstown State University game and there were several people on the streets begging for money to buy "food." I told them that I didn't have any money (which was true), but I offered them some grapes and half of my submarine sandwich, but all 5 men declined. Then in Cleveland on my way back to the parking deck from an Indians game, there was a man begging for money food and they happened to be handing out free hot dogs outside the gates after the game, so I told him he could go there and get some free hot dogs (he declined), I said I go bring him one he said, "No thanks sonny." Speaking of dangerous places in northeast Ohio, several of my friends were mugged in Akron, one of which was mugged later that year in Youngstown and shot and killed on his way to the public library downtown (he had to walk).
Quote from: trainsrock on February 02, 2010, 04:12:29 PM
Well that's expected with any big city. Fostoria is a relatively small city so that's why it is strange to see a small city be so horrible. It's like an organized ghetto with police and a court system.
It is kinda strange to see such a small city be so horrible. It's not everyday you see a place as small as that be so bad.
Quote from: ABC on February 02, 2010, 04:15:44 PM
Detroit cannot even compare to Youngstown, last time I checked Detroit wasn't even in the top 10 in crime per capita, Youngstown is comparatively worse than Cleveland (I would know I lived in Youngstown for 20 some odd years, lived in Cleveland for 2 and went there otherwise). I've also been to Detroit it's bad too, but not as bad as Youngstown or Cleveland. Detroit does compare similarly with Youngstown in unemployment though, they were within a percent of each other a while ago (Detriot was higher).
I remember when I was about 14 I was going to a Youngstown State University game and there were several people on the streets begging for money to buy "food." I told them that I didn't have any money (which was true), but I offered them some grapes and half of my submarine sandwich, but all 5 men declined. Then in Cleveland on my way back to the parking deck from an Indians game, there was a man begging for money food and they happened to be handing out free hot dogs outside the gates after the game, so I told him he could go there and get some free hot dogs (he declined), I said I go bring him one he said, "No thanks sonny." Speaking of dangerous places in northeast Ohio, several of my friends were mugged in Akron, one of which was mugged later that year in Youngstown and shot and killed on his way to the public library downtown (he had to walk).
Wow. I did'nt realize how bad other places can be. I thought Detroit was bad, but after what you said, I see that there is much, much worse places than Detroit. Detroit is a very bad place, but obviously there's much worse places than it.
BTW, (off topic, but) the new modify thing is cool. Just press the icon that has the pencil and paper on one of your own posts, and you can modify it right there, without going to the post reply screen.