Whatever the Club called it, they decided to have an outing to Berea on Sunday, June 25, 2023.

My alarm went off at 6 a.m. as usual. Instead of getting ready for work, I was getting ready for a day of railfanning.

This year the Akron Railroad Club decided to combine its annual longest day outing with the annual Dave McKay Day in Berea.

Out the door as quickly as possible, I pulled into the parking lot at the west end of the Berea Depot Bar & Restaurant at 6:35 a.m. Breakfast was in hand, a stop at McDonald’s on the way.

The first train passed at 6:43 a.m. This was a Norfolk Southern intermodal westbound. Not sure of the symbol; they weren’t calling signals.

NS 4513 was leading a three unit lash-up. Didn’t catch the trailing unit numbers, I was trying to keep my steak, egg and cheese bagel from hitting the floor of my Jeep.

CSX ran its first train at 6:58 am. I161, a double-stacked container train, was led by CSX 3046 and CSX 5231.

CSX was next with the passage of M205 at 7:12 .am. This westbound auto rack train had CSX 827 up front and CSX 7027 bringing up the markers.

It took a little over a half hour for another CSX to show up. This train was M368 a mixed freight eastbound. It had CSX 913 up front and CSX 3181 mid-train.

NS was next as we entered the 8 a.m. hour. Their double stack westbound 257 was seen at 8:17 a.m. behind NS 9755 and NS 9954. NS 11Q mixed freight was next at 8:45 a.m. behind NS 4267 and a leaser, ex-BNSF SD70 8964, now lettered WFRX.

In the past few weeks I have seen several of these leasers running on NS. The 11Q also sported NS 7701 as its marker.

The 9 a.m. hour began with the passage of NS 259 a westbound double stack. It had three units up front, NS 1220, 8017 and 9639. They passed at 9:04 a.m.

NS 264 was next up just 10 minutes after the passage of 259. This eastbound double stack was led by NS 8082 and NS 9957.

The day’s problem child, NS 11N, was the next train to pass. Problem child due to the fact that It went into emergency on the east side of Cleveland and tied up the Cleveland Line for quite some time.

The crew was getting short on time, a recrew was ordered, and they were trying to decide where to exchange crews. The 11N passed Berea at 9:29 a.m. behind NS 8174 and another WFRX, ex-BNSF 8909.

Cut into the auto racks about two-thirds of the way back in the train was Union Pacific 8385. The 11N only made it to Elyria before going into emergency again. It was decided to limp the train into Fairlane Yard near Amherst and have the car department from Bellevue come out and look the train over for defects.

While 11N was stopped at Elyria, our next train NS 29P – at least I think that’s what they were saying – a short inefficient westbound Intermodal, passed Berea at 9:48 a.m. with instructions to pass 11N at restricted speed listening for air whistling out of a bad air hose.

As 29P’s last cars disappeared from sight an NS eastbound double stack came into view. Did not catch the symbol, but the engines were NS 9482, 4100 and 7578. They were recorded at 9:53 a.m.

The 10 a.m. hour began with CSX I160 passing at 10:12 a.m. This double stack train eastbound was led by CSX 5494 and 5353.

It took 16 minutes for our next train to come past. That was NS 27B a westbound Intermodal behind NS 7502 and 7630. The hour wrapped up with CSX M566 passing behind CSX 439 and 5440 at 10:44 a.m.

The next train to get logged was NS 16G. This eastbound mixed freight passed by at 11:17 a.m. with NS 9792 and NS 9636.

As its rear cars ambled past, CSX had an eastbound fast approaching. This was the M634, a trash and mixed freight with CSX 972 up front and CSX 987 cut in about half way back.

A short lull was broken at 11:32 a.m. with the arrival of NS 28B. It sported a leader of NS 9879 with UP 7087 trailing.

The 28B is an intermodal train heading east to Buffalo. Twelve minutes behind 28B was NS double stack train 268. It had NS 1107 and 4415 for power.

Before 228 could clear the interlocking a westbound double stack symbol 29G was seen heading west behind NS 3676, 8116 and 9728,

Things quieted down for a couple of minutes. As the bells at St. Adelbert Church tolled the arrival of noon, NS had intermodal train L15 rounding the curve into sight.

This train is a turn job from the NS Sandusky intermodal facility to the Maple Heights intermodal facility.

Today it had NS 8065 and NS 4586 for power. The last cars of L15 were obstructed by the passage of a CSX westbound, M635. This train is made up mostly of trash cars (there’s cash in trash). It had CSX 3448 up front and CSX 798 mid-train.

I took a chance at this point to head over to Subway for lunch. As I came back, NS 35N was heading past. It had NS 9733 and 9633 leading a mixed freight westbound.

The noon hour ended with one additional train, the CSX I168. This double stacker had CSX 3376 in the lead and CSX 775 cut in mid-train. It was recorded at 12:57 p.m.

CSX K700 was next, passing just after I168 cleared. It is an ethanol train heading west. For power it had a three-unit lash-up featuring CSX 5226 as its leader.

NS normally runs it hottest trains through Berea about this time of day. The three “mail” trains as Conrail used to call them are guaranteed service trains that “shall not be delayed.” The first of these was our next move, passing at 1:05 p.m. behind NS 9608 and 1825. Exactly which train it was escaped us; they weren’t calling signals.

Next up was one of CSX’s hottest trains., The I008 pounded past at 1:27 p.m. behind CSX 954 and 3183.

On the adjacent NS tracks, mail train 22X with NS 4025 as its leader was rolling past at the same time. Our first “two at a time” for the day.

We caught our breath for a few minutes as the next train didn’t pass until 1:59 p.m. That was CSX westbound mixed freight M363. It had CSX 3442 and 213 leading the way.

The first train of the 2 p.m. hour was CSX hot Intermodal train I010. This eastbound behind CSX 3232 and 3228 passed at 2:06 p.m. trying to make up for any lost time. It was rolling right along!

The last of the NS mail trains was next. A rather short 28M passed at 2:15 p.m. with NS 9891 and 4227 for power.

Good thing 28M was short for next up going west was NS M7Q, a second section of manifest train 17Q. It had NS 7636 and 1838 pulling it along today.

CSX ended the 2 p.m. hour and began the 3 p.m. hour with mixed freights in both directions. M364 behind CSX 87 and 5466 went east at 2:48 p.m. and M367 went west behind CSX 4586 and 5239 at 3:08 p.m.

A lucky 13 minutes later at 3:21 p.m NS 13N came into view. At the same time CSX I163 was bearing down on us.

The 13N had NS 4107 and 7575 up front. I163 had 703 leading double stacks. I163 cleared before the last cars of 13N passed. Both trains had engines on the rear. I163 had CSX 3006 bringing up the markers and 13N had NS 4130.

If you’ve been keeping track so far, there have been 35 trains as of now.

But wait there’s more because next up was another CSX ethanol train. No symbol on this one, but it had CSX 3388 and 3035 for power and it was recorded at 3:39 p.m. heading east.

Next train was NS 12N. This mixed freight had NS 4344 leading and NS 1180 bringing up the rear. Our 38th train of the day was an unidentified NS westbound double stack train recorded at 4:27 p.m. For power it had NS 7302 and 7588.

Shortly after the NS double stack train passed CSX ran an eastbound grain train. Made up of all BNSF red covered hoppers (an “earthworm” as some people call it). It passed behind CSX 142 and 201 This happened at 4:32 p.m.

About now I got a text from my brother Robert that dinner at his place tonight would feature brats and beans.

I knew where I was heading in about an hour, but there were still trains to see. Next up was hot CSX Intermodal I009. It passed by at 4:48 p.m. with CSX 3082 and 286.

A little over 10 minutes behind I009 was the other hot CSX westbound, intermodal I007. It rumbled past at 5:11 p.m with the CSX 3381 and 3240 on the lead.

My last train of the day was the only train led by foreign power. NS 315 had come off the former Nickel Plate Road from Buffalo with BNSF 3991 and UP 4387 for power. As the last cars of this mixed freight headed past I called it a day with 42 trains in 11 hours. NOT BAD!

Bill Kubus was going to hang around a bit longer, so there may have been more action. For my money, Berea and Fostoria are the two busiest train watching locations in Ohio. You can’t go wrong at either one.

If any of my train symbols were wrong, it is because I couldn’t understand the crews mumbling on the radio. I got more information from the dispatchers talking to the trains than the actual train itself.

But that’s the way it is some days. “This ain’t Carnegie Hall,” as they say.

Where is next year’s Longest Day going to be?

Article by Marty Surdyk