Pictures:
- The former C, H, & D depot, freshly restored on 3 May, 1997. This is now a railroad museum.
- CSX C40-8W #7825 southbound with a mixed-freight on 3 May, 1997.
- CSX GP40-2 #6931 and S5-1BDE slug #2255 southbound with a cut of Tropicana cars on 3 May, 1997.
- A second view of #6931 and #2255 on 3 May, 1997.
- CSX GP40-2 #6488 northbound with a mixed freight on 3 May, 1997.
Glendale is a very pretty little suburb of Cincinnati, just inside I-275 on the north end of the metropolitan area.
Take I-75 past I-275, then take the first exit (Sharon Road/Glendale). Turn right on Sharon Road, and follow
Sharon Road until you encounter the railroad tracks. There's a gravel driveway on the east side of the
tracks, with parking. You may also choose to park on the other side of the tracks near the depot.
A just-restored Cincinnati, Hamilton, & Dayton depot is located at this site. This is now a railroad museum.
I've not been fortunate enough to visit this museum; it opened for the first time the day I was in
Glendale, but had closed for the day by the time I arrived.
The trackage in Glendale is double-track CSX, and runs north out of Queens Gate Yard in Cincinnati. I am informed
that NS has trackage rights on these tracks. I was in Glendale about an hour on a Saturday and saw three CSX freights.
The signal lights changed color to indicate approaching traffic. The southbounds gave plenty of warning as their horns blew
for grade crossings. The northbound sneaked up on me.
Tim O'Neill, conductor on the Turtle Creek Valley Railway, told me of this railfanning site.
UPDATE: I visited this location again in October, 2003, and learned that CSX and NS now have an agreement whereby
only traffic northbound out of Queens Gate uses these tracks. Southbound traffic into the yard uses NS tracks
to the east of this location. These CSX and NS tracks join each other near Mitchell Avenue at I-75 immediately behind
the Kroger store. At this point the right-of-way is well elevated above surrounding terrain.
UPDATE: I was informed via email in December, 2003, of another Cincinnati-area location for train watching:
the CSX and NS lines at Butler Street in Hamilton, Ohio. I am told that most of the northbound traffic comes north
to Glendale to pass this point. Southbound traffic cuts off here to go down through NS's Crescentville siding. The
north- and south-bound traffic meets here in Hamilton and the south-bound NS traffic crosses the double-track of the old
B&O main. Further, I am told that there is a lot of traffic on the old B&O main and on the B&O past the 5th and
Henry Street depot. To get to this location take the RT129 exit from I-75 and go west. Cross Route 4. Butler Street
is at the large railroad underpass. Follow the tracks a short distance north to find where the NS comes in from the west.
Follow the tracks south to find the depot and the bridge across the river.
Maps:
 | Map copyright 1997 GeoSystems Global Group |
 | Map copyright 1997 GeoSystems Global Group |
 | Map copyright 2003 Navigation Technologies Group |
Locomotive model information from Andrew Toppan's Railroad Roster page
Maps courtesy of MapQuest Interactive Atlas.