The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan News of CSX and the Beaver Valley

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Railfanning CSX

in the Beaver Valley

ENDANGERED but not yet extinct... the C30-7 fleet of ex-Family Lines units is slowly heading for scrap. Many have already been taken off the CSX roster.  But we still seem them passing The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B from time to time.  Here is CSXT C30-7 7055 photograhed from our Porch with a standard 35mm. lens.  You can capture an endless series of 'roster shots' without ever leaving our property.

One of the never-ending fascinations of railfanning CSX is the parade of lease power seen on a daily basis.  First lettered for 'FURX' (First Union), these SD40-2's are now carrying 'GFCX' reporting marks in an eye-catching silver and green paint scheme and pass The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B almost daily.  Run-through 'foreign' power is also common.

SOUTH HEIGHTS is on PA Rt. 51 which parallels CSX for many miles heading toward Pittsburgh.  By turning east (toward the Ohio River) at the Creswell Water Authority building, one can park trackside and shoot CSX undisturbed.

NEVILLE ISLAND is just that--an island in the Ohio River just a few miles north of Pittsburgh.  It's loaded with incredible industry--oil distribution centers, steel-related manufacturing, and lots of interesting freight cars.  The southern access to Neville Island is from PA Rt. 51, and by parking your vehicle in a lot next door, you can walk out onto the public sidewalk of the bridge over the CSX Pittsburgh Sub.  The signal bridge is huge--a remnant of P&LE days when this was a four-track mainline.  The look-down angle is perfect in the afternoon sun.  And we've already discussed the mushrooming growth of CSX freight business.  It's a perfect railfanning situation, and you're only about thirty minutes from The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B at this location--something to consider along with room rates for 'Pittsburgh hotels.'

A CSX SD70 and a leased GFCX SD40-2 lead a freight under the former P&LE signal bridge at Neville Island, PA.  The photographer is standing on a public sidewalk on the bridge over the CSX mainline.

Photographed from the Porch of The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B--one of three CSX AC4400's in the 'Diversity' scheme.  The close proximity (about 100 feet from the mainline) of our Porch makes 3/4 'look-down' shots possible even with a simple point-and-shoot camera.  For videographers, automatic night floodlighting of CSX trains permits 24-hour coverage of the CSX Pittsburgh Sub.

Since The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B is private property, you are not limited to our Porch as a camera platform. Walk right down into the backyard and shoot CSX 'up close and personal.!'  The crews are accustomed to seeing railfans with cameras and camcorders on our Porch and in our backyard.  A whistle and a friendly wave are frequently offered up.  We want you to railfan SAFELY, but there is no restriction against being trackside.

At BEAVER FALLS, PA is an interlocking plant where s double-track section of the Pittsburgh Sub becomes single track.  There is a virtually unused grade crossing here, complete with an audible crossing bell.  While modern diesels are plentiful on CSX, older units including the GP30 Road Slug seen trailing in this 2001 photo, are still being operated.  'Stealth' and yellow nose paint schemes pass through daily.

CSX TRAIN DESIGNATION CODES:

The train designation consists of several parts:

-The leading alphabetic letter is the 'train identifier' representing
the type of train.
E-Empty hopper trains
G-Unit grain trains
K-Bulk commodity unit trains
L-Alternate schedule of of regular scheduled merchandise trains (e.g.
L173 operates with either a different schedule or a different blocking
scheme than Q173).
N, T,U, V: Unit coal trains.
P-Passenger trains
Q-Regular Scheduled merchandise trains
R-Rerouted merchandise trains (Curfew reroutes, emergency or disaster
related. Follows Q train numbering scheme.)
S-Advance section of regular scheduled merchandise trains. (Assumes the
number and date of the 'parent' Q or L train).
W-Extra unit trains
X- Extra merchandise trains
Y- Yard engine
Z-Foreign trains

The remaining letters are assigned to Division trains (inspection
trips, wreckers, helpers, locals, etc.). At one time, a specific
letter was assigned to each division (e.g. A for Atlanta, B for
Baltimore, etc.). However, the first character (letter) of division
trains does not necessarily correspond to a specific division any
longer.

-The next three digits is the train number. Each train identifier type
has its own logic
For Merchandise trains (Q)
100 series is intermodal through freight
200 series is automotive through freight
300 series are Northern East-West Corridor
400 series are Eastern North- South Corridor
500 series are Western North-South Corridor
600 series are Cross Corridors

For Passenger trains (P):
001-199 AMTRAK
200-299 Commuter Trains (MARC)
300-350 Commuter Trains (VRE)
370-371 AMTRAK
600-699 Commuter Trains (FDOT)
900-999 Passenger Extras, including circus trains

For Bulk Commodity Unit Trains (K):
100-199 Iron Ore
200-299 Chemicals
300-399 Coke
400-499 (Open?)
500-599 Steel, Metals
600-649 Paper
650-699 Food & Consumer
700-799 (Open?)
800-899 Potash & Sulphur
900-999 Aggregates

Grain, extra unit trains, extra merchandise trains, yard engines,
foreign train numbers, and division trains have their own numbering
logic.

-The two digit number (after the dash) at the end of the train
designation refers to either:
For a regularly scheduled train, the scheduled origination date,
For a second section: The scheduled origination date of the train's
first section,
For unit coal trains, the projected loading date, or
For all other non-scheduled trains: the date the train is 'ordered' at
origin

Partial List of CSXT Station ID's

Symbol City ST Yard Interline
ALS St. Louis IL Gateway UP
AND Andrews SC
ATL Atlanta GA Hutley
ATK Atkinson KY
AUG Augusta GA
AYR Ayers MA
BAL Baldwin FL
BAR Barber's Station MA
BBV Baltimore MD Bay View
BCB Baltimore MD Curtis Bay
BIR Birmingham AL
BLP Baltimore MD Locust Point
BNS Chicago IL Bensenville CPRS
BOS Boston MA Beacon
BPM Baltimore MD Penn Mary
BRC Chicago IL Clearing BRC
BRU Bruceton TN
BUF Buffalo NY Frontier
CBL Cumberland MD
CBS Columbus OH
CHE Chicago IL Barr CSX
CHW Chicago IL West NS?
CHI Chicago IL 59th BOCT
CIN Cincinnati OH Queensgate
CLE Cleveland OH Colinwood
CLR Collier VA
COL Columbus OH
CON Connellsville PA
CNN Conneaut OH
CUR Curtis IN EJE
DEC Decatur IL
DET Detroit MI Rougemere CN/NS
DIX Cayce SC Dixiana
DOR Doremus NJ Auto Ramp Oak Island Yard
DST Detroit MI Sterling
EVL Evansville KY
FAI Fairburn GA
FLO Florence SC
FOS Fostoria OH
FRA Frahmingham MA
GAR Garrett IN
GRP Grand Rapids MI
GWD Greenwood SC
HAM Hamlet SC
IHB Bensenville IL Blue Yard/Gibson IHB
IND Indianapolis IN Avon
JAX Jacksonville FL FEC
JES Jessup MD
LAW Lawrenceville GA
LEC Little Creek NJ
LIM Lima OH
LOR Lordstown OH
LOU Louisvuille KY Osborn
KAY Nashville TN Kayne Ave
MAR Marysville OH
MAS Massena NY
MEJ Memphis TN Johnson IC
MEM Memphis TN Avalon St. BNSF
MET Metchuen NJ
MIA Miami FL
MID Middletown OH
MOB Mobile AL
MTG Montgomery AL
MUL Mulberry FL
NAS Nashville TN Radnor
NBS Detroit MI New Boston
NCE New Castle PA
NOL New Orleans LA East Bridge
NYO New York NY Oak Point
OAK Oak Island NJ
OBA Louisville KY O' Bannon
OWB Owensboro KY
PAV Pavonia NJ
PEN Pensacola FL
PHL Philadelphia PA Greenwhich
POR Pourtsmouth VA
POT Pottersburg OH
PTH Port Huron MI
PTN Port Newark NJ
RIC Richmond VA Acca
RID Doremus NJ Auto Ramp
RMT Rocky Mount NC
RUS Russel KY
SAG Saginaw MI
SAL Salem IL UP
SEL Albany NY Selkirk
SMY Smyrna TN
STL E. St. Louis IL BNSF
SYR Syracuse NY
TAF Taft FL
THO East Thomas AL
THT Terre Haute IN
TOK Philadelphia PA East Side
TOS Toledo OH Stanley
TRR St. Louis MO Madison TRRA BNSF/UP/KCS
UPN Proviso IL UP
UPP Proviso IL UP
WAL Toledo OH Walbridge
WAX Waycross GA
WIN Winston FL
WIX Wixom MI Lincoln
WIE Willard OH East
WIW Willard OH West
WLM Wilmington NC
WOR Worchester MA
WSP West Springfield MA
WWS Willow Springs IL BNSF
N3 Sellers TN
109 Bristow KY
118 Memphis jct. KY
159 Gallatin KY
177 Amqui TN
187 Kayne Avenue TN
197 Brentwood TN
294 Athens AL
PLM51 Newell PA
CLB10 Tom's Fork WV
CA357 Hinton WV

***UNVERIFIED SYMBOLS FOLLOW***

AHH Ashtabula Harbor OH
BOT Bostwick FL
BUK Buffalo NY Kenmore
CGO Chicago IL Global I UP
CHA Charlotte NC
CHN Charleston SC
CIC Chicago IL Cicero BNSF
CSS Chicago IL CSS&SB
DAN Danville IL
DAV Danville WV Wel Prep Plant
DLS Detroit MI Livernois
ERJ Elk Run Jct. WV Marfork
EPW Epworth IL Baileytown
ERW Erwin TN
ESS Essexville MI Essexville #1
HAZ Hazard KY
LEC Lee Creek NC
LEF Little Ferry NJ
NEW Newport News VA
NHB North Bergen NJ
NWT Newton IL
ROS Rose Lake IL BNSF
SAN Sanford FL
SAV Savannah GA
SHE Shelby KY McClure Mine
SOK South Kearny NJ TV
TRE Trenton MI QQ10
WIL Willoughby OH Willoughby #1

Partial Listing of CSX Coal Train Symbols:

E269
E330
E373
E411
E412
E473
E483
E612
E628
E645 C-NEWCA357
E725
E748
E803
E810
E819
E824
E832
E940 U-CLECIC1
E943 U-CNNCIC1
E957 U-BUFUPN1
E960 U-BUFUPN2
E962 U-DANUPN1
N106
N112
N114
N120 C-HAZTAM1
N185
N215
N217
N219
N229
N231
N237
N240
N251
N255
N264
N267
N274
N277
N278
N283
N287
N550
N555
N568
N569
N643
N646
N655
N840 C-UUPTRE1
N841 C-CICTRE1
N859 C-CICWIL1
N886 C-CICCNN2
N903 C-CICSAG1
N910 C-CICGRP1
N954 C-CICESS1
N955
T100
T103
T104
T107
T525
T528
T535
T536
T537
T550
T590
T712
T720 C-NEWxCLB10
T770
T801
T803
T903 C-DAVCSS1
T905 C-SHECHI1
T909 C-ERJCSS1
T938 C-EPWSCC1
T944 C-RUSCUR1
U215
U216
U290
U469
U470
U471
U701
U744
U718
U827
U839 C-UPPBCB1
U891
U895
U896 C-ShawBCB1
U928 C-UPNTOL1
V529 C-UPNNWT1
V559
V628
V655
V706 C-RUSPLM51
V740 C-UUPBUK1
V745
V747
V771 C-UPNBUF1
V779
V806
V829
V831
V834
V838
V877
V905 C-Brooks1AHH
V957
V980 C-CICCNN1

Return to The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Home Page

	ENDANGERED but not yet extinct... the C30-7 fleet of ex-Family Lines units is slowly heading for scrap. Many have already been taken off the CSX roster. But we still seem them passing The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B from time to time. Here is CSXT C30-7 7055 photograhed from our Porch with a standard 35mm. lens. You can capture an endless series of 'roster shots' without ever leaving our property.
	One of the never-ending fascinations of railfanning CSX is the parade of lease power seen on a daily basis. First lettered for 'FURX' (First Union), these SD40-2's are now carrying 'GFCX' reporting marks in an eye-catching silver and green paint scheme and pass The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B almost daily. Run-through 'foreign' power is also common.
	SOUTH HEIGHTS is on PA Rt. 51 which parallels CSX for many miles heading toward Pittsburgh. By turning east (toward the Ohio River) at the Creswell Water Authority building, one can park trackside and shoot CSX undisturbed.
	NEVILLE ISLAND is just that--an island in the Ohio River just a few miles north of Pittsburgh. It's loaded with incredible industry--oil distribution centers, steel-related manufacturing, and lots of interesting freight cars. The southern access to Neville Island is from PA Rt. 51, and by parking your vehicle in a lot next door, you can walk out onto the public sidewalk of the bridge over the CSX Pittsburgh Sub. The signal bridge is huge--a remnant of P&LE days when this was a four-track mainline. The look-down angle is perfect in the afternoon sun. And we've already discussed the mushrooming growth of CSX freight business. It's a perfect railfanning situation, and you're only about thirty minutes from The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B at this location--something to consider along with room rates for 'Pittsburgh hotels.' A CSX SD70 and a leased GFCX SD40-2 lead a freight under the former P&LE signal bridge at Neville Island, PA. The photographer is standing on a public sidewalk on the bridge over the CSX mainline.
	Photographed from the Porch of The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B--one of three CSX AC4400's in the 'Diversity' scheme. The close proximity (about 100 feet from the mainline) of our Porch makes 3/4 'look-down' shots possible even with a simple point-and-shoot camera. For videographers, automatic night floodlighting of CSX trains permits 24-hour coverage of the CSX Pittsburgh Sub.
	Since The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B is private property, you are not limited to our Porch as a camera platform. Walk right down into the backyard and shoot CSX 'up close and personal.!' The crews are accustomed to seeing railfans with cameras and camcorders on our Porch and in our backyard. A whistle and a friendly wave are frequently offered up. We want you to railfan SAFELY, but there is no restriction against being trackside.
	At BEAVER FALLS, PA is an interlocking plant where s double-track section of the Pittsburgh Sub becomes single track. There is a virtually unused grade crossing here, complete with an audible crossing bell. While modern diesels are plentiful on CSX, older units including the GP30 Road Slug seen trailing in this 2001 photo, are still being operated. 'Stealth' and yellow nose paint schemes pass through daily.