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When CSX rationalized its operations in Ontario in the late 1980s, it moved trains west of St. Thomas to the CN-CP owned CASO sub (January 1987) and shut down the Talbot yard and engine servicing in St. Thomas. Traffic was down to one train per day each way circa 1985 and 3 days/week east of St. Thomas (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) circa 1990. You will note in this photo only shows engines 8356 (a former Clinchfield/Seaboard System SD40) and 7069 (a former L&N/Seaboard System C30-7) and a caboose; the Buffalo cars have been left at Fargo (along with cars set off for CSX points on the Sarnia sub) because CN would only allow CSX to use side tracks in St. Thomas in case of emergency.
In 1993, CSX re-configured its operations to run trains 323/322 Sarnia-Detroit via Fargo and 320/321 Chatham- Buffalo. According to Mr. Mercer, it was a 12-14 hour trip to Buffalo. This eliminated the lift/setoff at Fargo and the CSX local dragging cars from Fargo back to Chatham.
Copyright Notice: This image ©John Eull all rights reserved.



Caption: When CSX rationalized its operations in Ontario in the late 1980s, it moved trains west of St. Thomas to the CN-CP owned CASO sub (January 1987) and shut down the Talbot yard and engine servicing in St. Thomas. Traffic was down to one train per day each way circa 1985 and 3 days/week east of St. Thomas (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) circa 1990. You will note in this photo only shows engines 8356 (a former Clinchfield/Seaboard System SD40) and 7069 (a former L&N/Seaboard System C30-7) and a caboose; the Buffalo cars have been left at Fargo (along with cars set off for CSX points on the Sarnia sub) because CN would only allow CSX to use side tracks in St. Thomas in case of emergency. In 1993, CSX re-configured its operations to run trains 323/322 Sarnia-Detroit via Fargo and 320/321 Chatham- Buffalo. According to Mr. Mercer, it was a 12-14 hour trip to Buffalo. This eliminated the lift/setoff at Fargo and the CSX local dragging cars from Fargo back to Chatham.

Photographer:
John Eull [424] (more) (contact)
Date: 4/4/1992 (search)
Railway: CSX Transportation (search)
Reporting Marks: CSXT 8536 (search)
Train Symbol: 320 (search)
Subdivision/SNS: St. Thomas South (search)
City/Town: St. Thomas (search)
Province: Ontario (search)
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Photo ID: 43768

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5 Comments
  1. Recrew at st thomas? Still wondering why the set off at fargo of buffalo traffic unless this train had no crew to finish the journey.

  2. Incredible… what awesome times they were !

  3. Such great motive-power and an informative caption.

  4. Prior to 1993, when R320/321 operated Detroit/Buffalo, the traffic would be left at Fargo as John stated. On days that 320 was going to operate to Buffalo, the incoming crew from Detroit would lift the ” stored ” traffic out of the east end of Fargo and bring the train to St Thomas, whereupon a fresh crew would be called in the projected window. Off they would go and return some 12 to 16 hours later as R321. They would park the train right here, with a fresh Detroit-bound crew already called to take 321 further west, lifting at Fargo as required and ending up at Rougemere Yard.
    Starting approx May1993, things changed as new trains R322/R323 were created between Sarnia and Detroit. And thereafter R320 would originate ( with a St Thomas crew) at Chatham approximately 2030 three nights a week for Buffalo. They would return 12-14 hours later as R321 to Chatham. Then the traffic would be lifted by one of the daily R323′s at Chatham, usually doubling the size of that train for the remainder of his trip to Detroit.

  5. Thank you Bruce as always. I enjoyed in later years how they would still drop engines in Chatham for locals and sometimes for “Grain extras” – the railway have been cut way back but the old patterns were still in place with the taxi’s to Chatham till the very last week of CSX operations in town.

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