Route Proposal: Csx Great Lakes Division (erie Pa - Ashtabula, Oh

Discussion in 'Route Suggestions & Proposals' started by Uncle Chuckles, May 1, 2020.

  1. Uncle Chuckles

    Uncle Chuckles Member

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    My suggestion for a future TS 20xx route is along CSX's Great Lakes Division, specifically the Erie West Subdivision between Erie PA westward to Ashtabula OH. The ex NYC mainline is mostly flat railroad good for mainline running and has a handful of different switching opportunities. The line also runs parallel with the Norfolk Southern (ex Nickle Plate Road) Lake Erie District between Buffalo NY and Cleveland OH. Era would be set in the mid 2010s before coal traffic started sharply dropping off.

    Some highlights of the proposed line:

    1 - Based in Erie PA is the massive General Electric (now Wabtec) locomotive manufacturing plant, of which has interchange points with both CSX and NS. The facility also has a 3-3.5 mile long stretch of track that is used for equipment testing.
    2 - Ashtabula itself is a rail hub, featuring a harbor that has had coal, iron ore and other bulk commodities moved through it of which are served by both CSX and NS.
    3 - CSX has its own general freight yard in Ashtabula, of which is west of an interlocking that connects the harbor, the CSX main and a line connecting NS to two of their own lines (Lake Erie District and Youngstown Line)


    Motive Power Suggestions:
    - GE ES44AC/AH: A staple of the modern CSX mainline roster, sets of these units could be seen on anything from hotshot intermodals to heavy unit coal drags. For paint schemes, either YN3 or YN3b depending what series of locomotives are picked. (photo credit: Larry Burford)
    [​IMG]

    - GE D8-40CW: Although starting to show their age the Dash 8s were still plenty common around the mid 2010s and also were seen on almost any sort of consist. The model has existed for years thanks to the old Miami route so an upgraded model for this seems simple enough. Can be in either YN2 or YN3. (photo credit: Land Rover)
    [​IMG]

    - EMD SD40-3: A rebuild program done throughout the 2010s by CSX was rebuilding older SD40-2s with plenty new features including a new cab built to better crash-safety standards. The units are mainly used in yard/local service but can occasionally be seen leading mainline trains. If DTG would rather reuse the very dated SD40-2 model, then so be it. (photo credit: Gary Everhart)
    [​IMG]



    Rolling Stock:
    1 - The normal mix of rolling stock included in most DTG routes
    - 50ft Boxcar
    - 2-Bay Cement Hopper
    - 3 Bay Covered Hopper
    - Gondola
    - Centerbeam (empty/loaded variants)
    - Tank Car
    - Autorack
    - 2-Bay Ballast Hopper

    2 - C&D Gondola: Gons moving construction debris are a common sight on this line, often in large groups on manifests. An example of newer cars used in C&D service is below. (photo credit: Dan D)
    [​IMG]

    3 - Intermodal:
    - 53ft wellcars with doublestack domestic containers
    - 5-pack 40ft wellcars with international containers (similar to the freeware pack done by G-Trax)
    - Spinecars with TOFC trailers (like the ones from Raton Pass)

    4 - Amtrak Equipment: The Lake Shore Limited runs the line, but only has one stop on the proposed route, at Erie PA.



    Extra Notes:
    While NS does parallel most if not the whole line, making it fully operational is not necessary (the community can if they wish).
    Route Length would be around 60-65 miles at most (Between mileposts 70 - 130 on the CSX Main).
    If there were any DLC made for the route, a CSX GP38-3 pack might be nice to supplement the SD40-3.
     
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  2. Michael Newbury

    Michael Newbury Well-Known Member

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    This would be a great add in either TS2020 or TSW2020
     
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  3. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    A CSX Genset would be awesome for switching. The SD40-3 is a good idea, too. I would rather see an ET44AC (or ET44AH on CSX) or SD70ACe-T4 (ST70AH on CSX) than the older ES44AC. I'd also like the GP38-3.
     
  4. ATJonzie

    ATJonzie New Member

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    Is there a way to make this happen?
     
  5. NEC Railfan

    NEC Railfan Well-Known Member

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    You can do it yourself, and the Dash 8, ES44, and SD40-3 are already released.
     
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  6. steammaster4449

    steammaster4449 Well-Known Member

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    I would certainly like to see this line come to TS, so for whatever it's worth, this suggestion has my support.
     
  7. Daniel Gibbs

    Daniel Gibbs Active Member

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    You've got my support for this! Plus, I think if Amtrak equipment were included, it should include the Viewliner II baggage cars, bag-dorms, sleepers, and diners. We still don't have them yet.
     
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  8. trainboyerik

    trainboyerik Member

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    any US route has my support
     

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