Afternoon of Sun and Snow on CSX in Kent

It is a view in Kent that I’ve photographed in many seasons, but not with snow covering the ground.

I had not been in Kent yet this winter and with a sunny day in store it was time to get down there.

My primary objective was to make the top image shown here. I’ve photographed this view of a westbound on the CSX New Castle Subdivision coming past the dam on the Cuyahoga River many times in good weather, but I couldn’t remember doing it with a snow cover on the ground.

I didn’t have to wait long for a westbound. I did, though, have to trudge through rather deep snow along the fence to get to the vantage needed to make the image.

Not long after the passage of the westbound auto rack train, I heard the IO dispatcher tell it that he would see two eastbounds.

I don’t know if that meant while waiting at Lambert or en route to Lambert in the far southwest corner of Akron.

The first of those was an eastbound auto rack train while the second was a Q372 that I was later told was a rerouted train.

As it was getting to be late afternoon, I was hoping for one more westbound. Yet what I heard on the radio was an eastbound that turned out to be a light power move. I wondered if it was the power from the D750 headed back home.

I also heard a K train call the signal at Ravenna. The light power move passed the K train somewhere in the eastern reaches of Kent.

The K train turned out to be an ethanol train with a CEFX unit leading and a Canadian Pacific unit trailing.

By now the Cuyahoga River covered in shadows and only small slivers of light were making their way to the CSX tracks.

That turned out to be a good thing because it illuminated the nose of the CEFX 1044. That image turned out to be my favorite one of the day and I went home feeling satisfied.

Article and Photographs by Craig Sanders

The second of two auto rack trains that I would see on this day. Wonder how cold that water is in the Cuyahoga River.

An HLCX rent a write led the detouring Q372.

A light power move passes beneath the former Erie passenger station.

The going away shot of the light power move. Can’t you tell?

I’ve seen these CEFX wide cab units here and there but don’t recall getting one on the lead before.

My favorite image of the day.

A parting shot of the ethanol train rounding the curve as it heads for Akron and then I headed for home.

 

 

Tags: CSX, CSX in Kent Ohio, CSX locomotives, CSX New Castle Subdivision, Kent Ohio, Railfanning in snow, Trains in the snow, Trains in winter