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Fostoria, in northwestern Ohio, is a hot train-watching location, with about 120 trains of Norfolk Southern and CSX passing through daily.

Fostoria is the crossing of two CSX main routes -- the ex-B&O east-west main between Chicago and the east, and the ex-C&O north-south main between Toledo and Cincinnati/Columbus -- and the NS, ex-NKP, Lake Division from Bellevue to Fort Wayne and Lima which crosses both CSX lines.

This page carries photos of NS and CSX trains passing through Fostoria, and also may include photos at Tiffin and Maple Grove.

In 2008 there were reports that CSX at Fostoria was becoming unfriendly to railfans, apparently due to the actions of some railfans and/or their children while there. CSX assures us that railfanning definitely is permitted on CSX property at Fostoria, but the railroad asks all railfans' cooperation in not using CSX equipment as photo platforms and "jungle gyms."

Our advice to railfans at Fostoria is: "Be on your best behavior!" We don't want to do anything which would cause CSX to kick us out of Fostoria. If you are asked to leave, even if you are on public property, please do so without making a big issue about it. Let's show the railroad's employees a good image of our hobby; that may help avoid more stringent regulations.

We REALLY want  to get some photos from you of train action at Fostoria -- we know that there are plenty of trains through there on both NS and CSX, but we aren't seeing the pictures. With the high cost of gasoline last year, our own trips from Cleveland to Fostoria were curtailed. If you are shooting at Fostoria anytime this year, how about sending your shots to us for posting here?Thanks!  

A key rule for train watching at Fostoria: DO NOT stand or park under F Tower at any time -- that will practically guarantee your arrest. Otherwise there are generally no problems for railfans at Fostoria (except the lack of "facilities" near the tracks, although this has been partially remedied with a "porta-potty" at the planned park site on Columbus Rd/). (Please also see the item, above, about CSX facilities.)

You might want to take a look at the Fostoria Map page to familiarize yourself with the popular trainwatching site and usual railfan parking areas.

And also please visit the Fostoria Rail Park page for the latest news about the long-talked-about Fostoria railfan park which now is on a fast track for construction.

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Copyright Notice: All photos displayed on this website are copyright by the original photographers under the provisions of Title 17, United States Code (the Copyright Act), and may not be reused, distributed, or published in any way without the express written permission of both the photographer and Train Order Publishing. All photos on this website are licensed to Train Order Publishing.

CSX Q135 hustles west at Fostoria with CSX 5234 (ES44DC) in the lead 3/6/10 (Tom Boylan)

C&O 903180 Safety Slogan caboose, used on the Fostoria Local is painted gray-blue on one side . . . 3/6/10 (Tom Boylan)

and green-white on the other, as it goes about its work on the Fostoria Local 3/6/10 (Tom Boylan)

Photographer's #1 rule: Get the shot! That's NS 9447 (C40-9W) mushing NS 17K west at Fostoria on a snowy(!) 1/7/10 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

Neither gloom nor snow nor cold blocked this shot of CSX Q151 headed north at 88 Crossovers in Fostoria en route to Detroit 1/7/10 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

Hot eastbound CSX Q110, with CSX 5237 (ES44DC) leading 2 more big GE's, kicks up the snow at East Fostoria 1/7/10 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

CSX 2697 (GP38-2), running light as CSX H795 local, heads over to NS' mixing yard in Fostoria to pick up its load 1/7/10 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

Snow doesn't stop trains -- or railfans -- as CSX Q163 crosses Poplar St., Fostoria, with CSX 7385 (C40-8W) in the lead 1/7/10 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

CN 5754 (SD75I) has the lead on eastbound NS 218 crossing CSX at Fostoria 12/29/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 3420 (ex-CR SD40-2) and a sister wait to bring NS 303 into Blair Yard, Fostoria, 1/7/10 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 3324 (SD40-2) wats at Blair Yard, Fostoria, for permission to head east with its local work 12/29/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

Eastbound NS L70, with NS 3324 (SD40-2) holds for the signal at Maple Grove, just west of the NOW diamonds 12/29/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 9605 (C40-9W) on eastbound NS M86 "races" the Komatsu front loader by the old pork packers building in Fostorua 12/17/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS L-70 local pulls west out of Blair Yard across Town St., Fostoria, with NS 3271 (SD40-2) doing the honors 12/17/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 8777 and 8708 (2 C40-8 out of storage) lead 17K west at Fostoria 12/17/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 7649 (ES40DC) on NS 18N sits at the Blair Yard Office, Fostoria, waiting on its train to be made up 12/19/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 262 RoadRailer rolls east past Blair Yard, Fostoria, 12/19/09 with a pair of C40-9W's and 133 Triple Crown trailers (Dale DeVene, Jr.)

Hot eastbound intermidal NS 218 races east at Ilers (east) of Fostoria with NS 8698 and 8774 (2 C40-8) 12/19/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

UP-NS-UP-NS, whew! NS 186 with UP 5063 (SD70M) leading heads east at Poplar St., Fostoria, with 14 cars 12/17/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

The engineer of CSX 7493 (C4008W) on CSX Q135 wast has the train at track speed by East Fostoria 12/17/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

CSX U921 loaded coal train with CSX 156 (AC4400CW) rumbles north through Fostoria on a snowy 12/19/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

CSX eastbound E494 empty coal train is south of Alveda at track speed with the young lady at the throttle in a hurry to get home 12/19/09 (Dale DeVene

CSX 5501 (ES44DC) brings CSX X236 auto rack empties north on the Northwest Conn. wye, Fostoria, 12/17/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

What's missing? The old pork plant at Fostoria! It came down 12/12/09 in preparatiom for Phase 1 of the park. (Richard Croy)

Contractors scoop up the rubble of the old pork plant Fostoria; it came down 12/12/09 and work on the park site begins in Spring (Richard Croy)

First the junkyard went. Then the pork plant on 12/12/09. And Spring will see the first phase of Fostoria's rail park begin. (Richard Croy)

CSX 903180 "leads" CSX H793 headed south to the yard at Fostoria. Sign reads Safety Cabooses 20th Anniversary 1973-1993 12/14/09 (Richard Croy)

CSX 2738 (GP38-2) shoves CSX H793 local south across E. Fremont St., Fostoria, headed back to the yard 12/14/09 (Richard Croy)

The exx-HV, ex-C&O freight house along the Toledo Line at Fostoria now serves as a base for CSX's maintainers. 12/14/09 (Richard Croy)

CSX 2330 (Road Slug) leads an empty Ethanol train west across Poolar St., Fostoria, 11/13/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

CSX 2723 (GP38-2) leads an empty rail train from North Baltimore to the B&O Yard in Fostoria to tie down for the night 11/13/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

NS 8862 and 6945 (C40-8/SSD60) lead NS17K westbound at Fostoria, crossing CSX at Columbus St. 9/19/09 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

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