CSX's Queensgate Yard and a Chase Down the LCL Subdivision

Hey everyone and welcome back.
This should be a fun trip that starts out at the CSX Queensgate Yard, just west of downtown Cincinnati.
Skip to the trains:
NB by the B&O Warehouse: 6:25
SB over the Ohio River: 15:39
Latonia Turning onto the LCL: 22:10
Walton: 29:43
Worthville: 31:27
La Grange: 36:48
I hadn't railfanned CSX in a while and figured I'd see what was out there.
Well, there wasn't much this day.
I heard several trains heading northbound out of the yard, but nothing southbound into Kentucky.
After leaving the yard, I was checking signals on the CSX line into the yard when I spotted a train making its way north.
I only had time to turn on my drone and start recording from the old Baltimore and Ohio warehouse parking lot.
After the train was gone, I did another round of signal checks.
I went over to Covington and back.
I was about to give up when I saw what I believe is an approach medium, which means proceed approaching the next signal at no faster than medium speed.
I went a little closer to the river and got set up.
A short time later and we had some action.
While it's structurally sound, the C&O Railroad Bridge sure could use a coat of paint.
Next door, the Brent Spence Bridge, which carries I-71 and I-75 is getting a fresh coat.
Maybe CSX will do the same, but I doubt it.
I headed to Latonia and do another signal check.
When I got to the 33rd Street crossing, I was too late and a northbound train was already there.
As the train cleared the crossing what looked like an engine in the distance.
I then saw the crew members climb aboard.
A couple moments later and the switch lined for a diverging move and then the signal improved to a slow clear.
Latonia is a no horn zone, so it's relatively quiet as the train makes its way through town.
The tracks go by the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati.
www.cincirailmu...
It's got several great pieces that are worth checking out, but right now, it looks like it's still shut down due to COVID.
Make sure to check the group's Facebook page to see when it opens.
I debated where I should head to next after the train cleared.
There are a few spots I've been to in independence and Walton, but I wanted to go somewhere new.
I decided to head south to a bridge I've driven or ridden under hundreds of times.
The CSX Salem Creek Road Bridge, which goes over I-75.
It was built in 1940 before the interstate.
It's 630 feet long.
This was the first time I've been to this spot.
I will say, it was cooler in my mind.
There wasn't anywhere to pull off that wouldn't hurt someone's yard and the view isn't that great because of the fencing along the girders.
Hopefully, that southbound was waiting for this train to go by and I haven't already missed it.
Well, on to our next stop to find out.
I like taking the backroads on the LCL.
I typically get off at the Glencoe exit on I-71 and then go to the center of town.
There are signals there in both directions here, but you can only easily see the southbound ones at south end Glencoe.
Sure enough, we have a clear signal.
I kept driving to Worthville.
It's a few minutes longer than the interstate, but I like staying on state route 467.
It runs parallel to the tracks for most of the way.
As we continue, I notice many of the signals, are not lit.
I get automatic block signals not being illuminated all the time, but always wondered about control point signals.
I can't imagine it costs much to keep them lit, but it seems to be pretty common on the LCL and CC subs.
The far right track leads to the Carrollton & Worthville Railroad.
It runs for about 15 miles, north and east from here.
I don't know if it's still or ever was true, but the 15 miles of track the Carrollton & Worthville Railroad operates, is claimed to produce more revenue per mile than any other track owned by CSX.
Worthville lies at the bottom of the Kentucky River Valley.
As they climb out of the valley, eastbound trains face a 1.7 percent grade.
While westbound trains deal with a 1.46 percent grade.
The Louisville, Cincinnati & Lexington Railroad established at Worthville a locomotive service facility.
It had a water tank and coal and sand towers.
During the steam locomotive era, helper locomotives were based at Worthville to assist heavy freight trains in the climb out of the Kentucky River Valley.
www.csxthsocie...
Lastly, we head to La Grange to hopefully see some street running.
The Oldham County website says as many as 30 trains come through each day, but I'm sure that's been cut pretty substantially since COVID and as precision scheduled railroading continues to trim and cut.
touroldham.com...
The town has really embraced the railroad and railfans.
It built a train viewing platform.
You can see the northbound signal from it and you have a clear view of the street-running section to the south.
I hope you enjoyed the trip.
Until our next one, have a great day.

[@phuturephunk]

40:00 Oh man, La Grange. I've left that feed up literally all day with the sound going on a second computer while working from home. I don't know what it is about watching that intersection, but it provided like...days of comforting background ambience during last years dark times.

[@Joeyjupiter123]

Fantastic video when you’re that high up it looks so much like a model rail road. Thank you.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thanks Joey, I appreciate it. It is pretty cool to see everything from above.

[@Mtnjumper]

Great camera angles. Made me feel like I was there watching a real life model railroad in action. Great Stuff!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much Lynn. I do appreciate it.

[@robertbooth6144]

You did a great job on the video. Love how you did the drone. Love it

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much Robert. I really do appreciate it.

[@nervousstranger]

I've watched this like 5 times. Your drown and editing is fantastic!

[@markhayes6407]

Another great drone video of the yard and surroundings. Love that Southern railroad bridge too.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thanks Mark. I do appreciate it.

[@nickylee7062]

I love, love, love the train!!!! Your video is great with the drone camera. I tell people especially in small towns that nature and wild zones areas drone cameras are not to used do to the wild life. 😁

[@nkyrailfan]

Thanks Nicky. I would love to video some wildlife with the drone. Have a wonderful day.

[@mumps59]

OMG, felt like Christmas came early this morning! As a regular watcher of the La Grange VR live cam, I was thrilled to see a different street view and the drone view of a train going through town. Thank you!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much. It is always fun shooting in La Grange.

[@WVRailroadPapa]

Great video and drone work! I remember as a young boy back in the 1950s getting to ride C&O passenger trains to Cincinnati from Huntington, WV and back. I always enjoyed seeing the Cincinnati skyline from the bridge over the Ohio.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you Doug. I do appreciate it. I bet those were some really fun trips.

[@tbs10916301]

brings back memories, I used to work out of Osborne Yard to Queensgate Yard back in 1997.

[@nkyrailfan]

I'd love to get video of Osborne, but it's too close to the airport and there aren't any areas I'm aware of that give a decent view of the yard. Let me know if you know of anywhere I should check out.

[@DNDBOT]

Im rewatching this on Samsung tv.. this is niceeeee 💯💯

[@thomaswordeman9004]

It was neat to see that when your following the north bound over the Ohio river I could see the place I worked at before I retired, the IRS building. I like how you give us information of were you filming.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you Thomas, I do appreciate it. It is hard to miss the IRS building. It'll be interesting to see what goes in its place.

[@LouisianaRailProductions]

Excellent video! Love the narration and drone footage! Got a new subscriber! Looking forward to more!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much, I really do appreciate it.

[@geepnut2459]

Great video thanks, as always very informative

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much. I do appreciate it.

[@joshuaparsons8800]

That’s the pin puller working the hump. He has a signal board that tells him how many cars to send over when pulling pens.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thanks for the info Joshua. I wondered how the system works.

[@drc930]

Nice work, love the yard footage.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much, I do appreciate it. I've got a new video I'm working on after going to Avon Yard, just outside Indianapolis. I hope to have it up within a week.

[@mtener01]

I just stumbled on your channel, you have a new subscriber. Great job.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you Michael. I really do appreciate it.

[@GreenRC24]

Fantastic footage!!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

great train video

[@fakecumberland]

I haven’t been to Latonia in years. Outline of station and platform still clearly visible. Also, a good shot can be had at Sparta by what I call the tobacco barn.

[@nkyrailfan]

I think I know the spot you're talking about in Sparta. There are several spots I always think about shooting from , but end up in the same areas. Next time I'm on the LCL I'll try to mix it up.

[@1traintracker]

What an excellent and interesting video. I just subscribed.

[@charlesb3208]

mighty fine job on this. thx for sharing

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much Charles. I do appreciate it.

[@jim874]

Just stumbled upon your Channel. Very neat. Live in Madeira, so all of this is very familiar. Very good video. Just subscribed.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you Jim. I do appreciate it.

[@xstugee]

Fabulous video...thanx

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much, I do appreciate it.

[@billchapel3194]

Yup, they still use that handle on the end of the car they half to lift to un couple it.

[@nkyrailfan]

I'm sure the railroads have been trying to figure out a way to automate it to save money and get rid of another job.

[@wolfgang548]

The yard in the beginning would be a great HO Scale project.

[@nkyrailfan]

It really would make a great project. A person would need a lot of space for it though, but it would be really cool to see in action.

[@wolfgang548]

@@nkyrailfan Agreed.

[@BF-qt2wp]

Nice Video keep up with a great work and be safe out there.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much. I really do appreciate it.

[@BF-qt2wp]

@@nkyrailfan your very welcome sir

[@supercuda1950]

See it going past the old Tim's Trains close to the museum. A great place for the modeler but now closed. Like all good businesses, only the good die young.

[@nkyrailfan]

It certainly is a shame about Tim's Trains. I remember when there were several shops in the area you could go to, and now I can't even think of one.

[@arthursogaugelioneltrains5744]

Big yard.

[@lnrailroad3215]

Awesome as usual!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much, I do appreciate it.

[@lnrailroad3215]

@@nkyrailfan Please keep up the great work!

[@AviationMetalSmith]

Three days after the attack on the World Trade Center, I made an urgent phone call to Queensgate Yard. They had what we needed, a string of 75 gondolas to haul away the scrap metal.

[@lukeWiz44]

This was fantastic! Question, so there’s 2 yards in one? NS operates and CSX? Where do they split? Truly a fascinating operation I plan to visit soon.

[@nkyrailfan]

The yards are separate but right next to one another. The CSX Queensgate Yard wraps around the NS Gest St. Yard as its tracks head south and west. Just looking at the satellite imagery of the yards, the NS looks to be about 1/3 the size of the CSX. The NS yard takes up the southernmost portion of the area. CSX has an intermodal facility nearby to the east and a little north. Then everything north of the Western Hills viaduct (a road that goes over the yards) is CSX except for NS' departure tracks on the easternmost portion. Let me know if you are able to make it and I can give you some spots to check out that I've learned from other railfans.

[@lukeWiz44]

@@nkyrailfan this really helped my understanding. Thanks so much! I’m planning a trip for mid August, so I’ll be sure to reach out and ask. Thanks so much for the info!

[@nkyrailfan]

Awesome! I hope you enjoy your trip. The first place to start is cincyrails.com It will give you an overview of the area and the radio frequencies for each line if you want to listen in.

[@supercuda1950]

The rust does not affect the strength of the bridge...CSX calls it patina.

[@nkyrailfan]

I've heard that. Essentially they say it forms a layer of protection for the underlying steel.

[@hoosiersub47167]

I would like you do a video from CSX Louisville to Seymour make the turn east and follow it into queensgate. I still haven't caught a CSX train going into yard from the west

[@nkyrailfan]

I can't take you all the way to the Queensgate Yard, but I can show you Louisville, the turn at Seymour and another stop on it's way toward Cincinnati in this video. When the days are a little longer I'll try to make this trip again and catch it entering the yard. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5OWZnethNCtj7s I hope you enjoy it.

[@geodeuce]

Lagrange about 9 trains a day 30 Would have been rare on a good day 20-24 on a good day back in the day

[@mansize6622]

Enjoy listening to the scanner but can you adjust the squelch ?

[@nkyrailfan]

I will try to adjust it and see if I can improve the reception and narrow down what it picks up.

[@albertvieira6635]

I have a couple of suggestions for you Santa Fe Junction and Fort Madison Iowa thank you

[@nkyrailfan]

If I'm ever able to make it to either of those spots, I'll make sure to let you know Albert. I hope you have a great day!

[@lesashiminski690]

Hi . Do you know Jaw tooth? He's filmed trains in Grange alot of times 🚂

[@nkyrailfan]

I have never met him, but I've watched plenty of his videos. I always enjoy them.

[@kevinshiley9061]

Great video!! What kind of drone and what is the distance? Wow!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thanks Kevin. I do appreciate it. It is a Mavic Pro 2. The furthest I will fly is about a mile or so away. I put ultra bright flashing lights on it so I can see it at extreme distances.

[@natgass8102]

another great video as usual. one suggestion would be when the radio communications has as much static and background noises as it did in the first part of the video over Norfolk Southern’s yard, I would elect to not use it, as it becomes distracting and takes away from your video. when the communications are clear it adds to it. I fast forwarded the video to get past the noise, but really enjoyed the video overall and all your drone work!

[@charleswoods9938]

That is a outstanding video are there anymore videos of about this area of the USA

[@albertvieira6635]

I'm going to pass your information on to my friend he will want you on Roku I want to do that right now

[@joseantonioplivo9243]

My hobby special

[@johnhalstead5006]

Those posts are mile markers before certain next stops or whatever. Learned this another website that I watch all the time. He doesn’t travel much but does he ever get the trains. He’s in New York. Bye 👋

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you for the info John. I do appreciate it. Have a great day!

[@gy1952]

Does Amtrak Go Thru that yard?

[@nkyrailfan]

It goes through the bypass track after stopping at Union Terminal.

[@gy1952]

@@nkyrailfan oh okay well that still count as going by the yard period