Railfanning Deshler, Ohio, with a Drone

Crossroads Park in Deshler, Ohio, is one of the best places to watch trains in the Midwest! It is not uncommon for 50 or more trains to pass through this railroad interchange each day. In addition to the railpark, there is a Virtual Railfan webcam at this location.
The Deshler Diamond is the intersection of two CSX mainlines. The busier east-west double-track line is part of the Willard Subdivision to the east of the diamond, and the Garrett Subdivision to the west of the diamond. The north-south single-track line is part of the Toledo Subdivision.
This video was recorded on Friday, June 15, 2018. While both rail lines that cross in Deshler are part of the CSX Great Lakes Division, several types of foreign power can often be seen at the diamond. Foreign power seen in this video are Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Union Pacific, and Canadian Pacific.
This video was recorded in 4K using a DJI Mavic Pro drone, and the audio was recorded separately at ground level using a GoPro HERO Session. For more great railroad drone videos be sure to subscribe!

[@daveoblivion4753]

Outstanding drone video with amazing clarity. Now I finally understand the Deshler layout.

[@railartist001]

Applause, Applause, Applause... Outstanding in all aspects. A whole new perspective on something that I see every day in VRF..... Thanks for your time and efforts....

[@trainmcp1138]

I came out from Massachusetts 2 years ago and was very impressed with the action. Can't wait to go back.

[@floofycatz]

Two years later and this video is still breathtakngly beautiful!

[@coolruehle]

So used to seeing Deshler from the VR cameras. THIS is GREAT!!!

[@kenpsteele]

I love it. Now I got a better idea of how these tracks run from a distance. And, the town around Deshler. Looks like a nice place to retire.

[@forbbiddenbylaw]

Great. I love the real sound. No add music. Thanks

[@ranger6x660]

Awesome job with the drone! Thanks for sharing!

[@TribalKnight]

Finnaly thanks so much im subscribing I've been waiting for my entire life to see something like this

[@silverdollarswede151]

I am so glad I found this.

[@David-wi1ih]

Outstanding drone control. Brilliant video. Great to see the area. Normally only see the little bit of track in the demolished station area.

[@charlesriggs6406]

Super good vid of Deshler, I enjoyed and THXS

[@CTK1201]

WOW! just...Simply ...WOW! Amazing Job Done Here!

[@joeyrocks2207]

I'm a big fan of Deshler and you did such a great job on this video. Well done !!

[@canadianwsi]

Outstanding drone video

[@dalefravel868]

Awesome video thank you for sharing.

[@edburns6009]

Beautiful town and well done video. Thanks for doing this.

[@robertcummings1971]

Excellent! you really get a nice perspective with a drone video, seeing all the nice areas around the train tracks too!

[@MyBlueLantern]

Great work, David. Nice to see it from the air.

[@terrybc7004]

All I can say is WOW!!! Fantastic job you did with your drone!! Look forward to many more of your drone videos!

[@shakkinbriggieproduction3609]

Just like to add, that U.K. Freight trains are nothing when compared to these double decker ones, and the drone shots are out of this world

[@mikecole819]

Excellent. Nice overview of Deshler...FLAT!

[@citadinman]

Great video and beautiful town!

[@nadezhdamajorova-sergeeva6795]

Great video,thank you for the travel

[@daveolliemetalhead]

You did a perfect and professional. Job !

[@waynewedge]

Really well done. Thank you. More....More...just kidding. Great drone work!

[@happyjack880]

One of the best railfan / drone videos I've ever seen. Great catch at 19:00. Looks like a nice clean little community there. Great town for railfans.

[@Peter-xo6bn]

Excellent video I hope to visit this great location some day. Thanks .

[@shakkinbriggieproduction3609]

Frankfurt to Koln, been behind the driver on that one, wonderful trip. Thanks

[@LelaE34]

I love trains and I love drones. I just bought a phantom 4pro v2 and plan on doing some flying over the trains that run thru our town. This is great footage and one of my favorite towns to watch live feed on KZbin for trains. I subscribed to your channel in hopes to see more awesome videos.

[@nwohiojim8142]

Great video!! You even got the noon siren, very typical of small town America in Northwest Ohio.

[@Bruno.Trains]

Incredible film. love it

[@fridaynighthikes]

Amazing drone video ! Well done !

[@fernandoowera9893]

Nice video! Nice Deshler-OH

[@danielwaldron2635]

So cool to see the area beyond what can be seen by the Virtual Railfan live cam. Never would have thought there was so much open space. Based on what the live cam shows, you would think the commercial/residential part of town would be much bigger or at least more densely populated.

[@rockislandrf328]

Nice camera work, well done!

[@phatblue2348]

Thank you so much Awesome

[@JanHilt]

Awesome quality drone footage mate. Well done. Your smooth on the controls as well. Not many pilots get it so smooth with a Mavic Pro. 👍👍 Now I need to check out the rest. 😅 Cheerio. 🎈

[@lanhergilles9595]

bonjour trés jolie vue de la petite ville de Deshler traffic ferroviere trés important magnifiquement bien filmé avec un drone super.

[@nnilson2003]

very beautiful,excelente!!

[@tomoakes2337]

Thank you for sharing this...since a visit to Deshler is not on the horizon I've been curious on the rails leading in/out of Deshler and seeing the track layout.

[@norfolksouthernguy9350]

cool video its busy up there!!! greetings from indiana

[@smalltowntraveller]

Great catch brother.... Greetings from india #343

[@jimlasterni7310]

Z this is a great video of the New York Central and the wall Bash railroads living in St Louis my grandfather had a house in Taylor Springs Illinois I've got to watch the New York Central and it was so great it is now called Pana sub Buy Union Pacific thanks again for the great video I am a subscriber to you

[@greylocks3272]

Great video - thanks! Coming from the Uk I always expect to see endless fences alongside the tracks but in the USA it all seems so open. Guess we'll have more call for fences when we get the new High Speed 2 railway from London to Manchester and Leeds. That's supposed to travel at 180 mph plus.

[@TheMetGuy]

That is a great place to railfan at

[@davidn6124]

Epic video! Love a lot many CSX trains action around on the diamond and, Deshler town!!! 👍

[@corkyn34]

Yes, well done ...

[@theovanstaden5766]

great footage, saw Deshler on virtual railfan for the first time, i subsribed to Your yt, btw hi from south africa!!

[@eyedjack-bi8dl]

nicely done.

[@Jaradis]

Nice video. I designed the crossing sitting on the ground at 8:00 and I believe the one that was in track as well.

[@lachietod3918]

Hi from the UK. Amazing drone work and amazing quality. Really good to see the whole set up of Deshler, usually only see part of it on Virtual Railfan, so this is fantastic. I take it that the public are able to take photos and videos in this area? Thinking of coming over in 2020. More videos of this kind please. Great job.

[@DavidLauback]

Thanks! Yes, the rail park next to the diamond (Crossroads Park) is open to the public for taking photos and videos. The rail park has a really great small town atmosphere and it's one of my favorite places to watch trains! Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions about the park. Hopefully you'll get to go there in 2020!

[@taslimchaudhry1431]

Super Video. 🇮🇳

[@denisetindall1487]

I like train videos on KZbin 👍

[@1ndygirl]

Awesome video! I forwarded it to others. Videos like this are classic - so much for people to see and learn. Too bad you can't show the switchmen doing what they do to make all this go smoothly. The video was especially fun for me since two days ago I happened to watch the VR video of the diamond repair, done in May but just posted.

[@taslimchaudhary2541]

Great Video 🇮🇳

[@milestonerailproductions7657]

Nice view

[@pamnicholson3887]

My home town

[@davidstephens4625]

Single track Main is South/North Cincinnati to Toledo and double track Main is West/East Chicago to Willard, at least it used to be...

[@anemone819]

very beautiful scene,isn't it?

[@cmphighpower]

Pound that diamond!!

[@1ndygirl]

What happened to your recent Deshler video? I was going to comment that VRF just uploaded a short video showing a train actually using the least used piece of Deshler track.

[@victorschepers6286]

Yes nice place 🇾🇪👍

[@arizona_trains3552]

Jeez that UP engine’s horn at 8:17 was super fouled

[@PH-hd8uc]

I've been to Deshler, it is not uncommon to go well over an hour to see a train. How many hours did it take to film all of this?

[@bigpebble]

Clever use of a second audio source.

[@michaeldavis8259]

What software did you use to edit the video. By the way the video was sweet. Thx

[@DavidLauback]

I use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit the videos.

[@600joe]

Excellent. When will be the diamond replacement?

[@DavidLauback]

I'm not sure when the Deshler diamond will be replaced. I had heard at one point that they were going to replace it on Monday, July 9th, along with two others on the same day, but they postponed the diamond replacement for Deshler because they didn't have enough crew to do all three the at once. I'm not sure when they plan to do the replacement now. If anyone knows more info regarding the diamond installation feel free to share, and feel free to correct me if what I heard is not correct.

[@hoser193]

Great Video!! Have you been back since the diamond was replaced?

[@DavidLauback]

Yes! The new diamond is much quieter!

[@hoser193]

@@DavidLauback Thanks I on the live stream now

[@misssouripacific]

Is it possible/legal to show signal indications using a drone? that would be a nice addition to excellent video.

[@DavidLauback]

I would think that since it's legal to record signal indications with a regular camera, it should be legal to do so using a camera on a drone. Thanks for the idea!

[@robertschmidt687]

Awesome drone fotage! What drone are you using?

[@DavidLauback]

I use a DJI Mavic Pro.

[@victorschepers6286]

What is north south east and west

[@ojandgreg]

What a cool little town! But who lives here?

[@sun622]

Tell us about your drone. Brand ,model etc. Your videos would be great selling points for the manufacturer. Amazingly sharp.

[@DavidLauback]

Thanks for the comment! For this video I used a DJI Mavic Pro drone.

[@sun622]

Is this the one with the Hasselblad camera ?

[@DavidLauback]

No, I don't think so. I believe that's just on the DJI Mavic 2, but don't quote me on that.

[@robertallen6710]

To the guy that owns the house @ 6:10...either you're a really huge railfan...or...glutton for punishment...lol

[@timdaugherty5921]

How come trains never use the single track there?

[@nwohiojim8142]

It's used every day, just not as much as the double main.

[@RobDoGG2023]

if that was the Noon Whistle then Q166 was a tad late

[@RobDoGG2023]

around 7 mins in

[@thomaskowalcky4553]

Yikes! I understand the freight has to move, but fifty (+/-) long slow moving trains through this town in all directions, tieing up road crossings all day, and night I presume, how does anyone in the town get anything done???

[@earlc8440]

They demoed the dilapidated train station I was sad to see it go

[@DavidLauback]

Yes, I was hoping that they'd be able to renovate the station, but unfortunately they decided to tear it down. The view at Crossroads Park is so different now!

[@earlc8440]

The station in my home town is now the visitors center

[@staticfanatic6361]

Did a good job of hiding yourself!

[@mr.sfrozen2556]

👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗♥🍎🍏🌛♥🌜

[@johnerickson2673]

Poor people real estate values 👎🙉