In this video is footage of CN's Bessemer Subdivision, known by many as the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. This regional line runs from Conneaut, OH to North Bessemer, PA near Pittsburgh. Once part of the US Steel corporate empire, the railroad is part of a massive transporation operation that moves processed iron ore from the shores of Lake Erie to the Edgar Thompson plant in Braddock. The B&LE and US Steel's other transportation operations were sold to Transtar in 1988, and then B&LE and its sister railroad DM&IR were sold to Great Lakes Transportation in 2001, before Canadian National acquired the latter a few years later. Since CN's acquisition of B&LE in 2004, many of the original Bessemer engines have been displaced and with rail traffic declining on the railroad, sidings have been removed and the searchlight signals are beginning to disappear. There are some signs of investment in the railroad, such as the order of new hoppers for the ore trains in 2019 and all of the defect detectors being replaced with new ones in 2022, but the Bessemer is a much less busy railroad than it used to be.
In this video I have filmed many of the line's operations mostly throughout the month of April, showing several local runs (also known as miscellaneous or "misc" runs) with original B&LE SD38AC 868 and ex-SP B&LE SD40T-3 905 serving some of the remaining businesses and industries along the line. Featured throughout the video are several of the recently replaced defect detectors, numerous searchlight signals in operation along the line, the massive trestle over the Allegheny River, a teardrop bell in Grove City, and a rare run up to Conneaut, OH north of Greenville. I tried to film at many different locations to keep things interesting, but there are some repeat shots and long periods of switching that you can skip using the timestamps. Shoutout to Matthew, Noah, and Anthony for lending me their scanners for the detectors. Hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:10 March 30, 2022 SB local, Kremis Siding
00:01:27 Kimbels Viaduct
00:02:00 Branchton signal bridge
00:02:58 NB local, Kiesters signal
00:04:19 Irishtown Road
00:05:49 April 1, 2022 SB local, Calvin Yard
00:07:33 NB ore/SB local meet
00:08:14 NB local working Calvin Yard
00:09:39 Glenwood Way
00:11:10 Browntown Road
00:11:55 April 2, 2022 SB local, PA58
00:12:34 Delaware Street signal
00:12:53 Stamm Road
00:13:31 PA308
00:14:15 Working Calvin Yard
00:20:33 Standard Junction
00:21:12 Brewer Road
00:22:24 NB local, Allegheny River Bridge
00:24:47 Working Bennett Supply Company
00:30:09 Russelton
00:30:55 SX South
00:32:08 Calvin Yard
00:33:20 PA138
00:33:53 Branchton signal bridge
00:35:16 Filer South signal
00:35:55 April 6, 2022 SB local, working Calvin Yard
00:41:09 Standard Junction
00:42:33 NB local, Carter signal
00:43:31 Shenango Diamond
00:45:37 Working Shenango Yard
00:50:16 April 8, 2022 SB local, Hamburg Road
00:51:38 Kimbels Viaduct
00:52:09 Oneida signal
00:53:10 Working Calvin Yard
01:02:30 SX South
01:04:35 Benjamin Road
01:05:29 Allegheny River Bridge
01:07:25 NB local, Hulton Road
01:08:00 MP 12.9 defect detector
01:09:02 Hansen Avenue
01:10:01 MP 62.6 defect detector + teardrop bell
01:11:16 Working Montgomery Truss & Panel
01:16:49 Blahut Road
01:17:42 April 9, 2022 SB local, Bridge 38
01:18:36 KY Jct signal
01:19:49 Mercer Junction
01:20:16 Madison Avenue + MP 62.6 defect detector
01:21:18 Kiesters signal
01:22:24 Jamisonville Road
01:23:15 NB local, Calvin Yard
01:24:14 Carter signal
01:25:06 MP 78.1 defect detector + Mill Road signal
01:25:49 Hamburg Road
01:26:45 April 12, 2022 NB local, Russelton signal bridge
01:28:10 MP 20.7 signal
01:28:46 PA8
01:29:16 Standard Jct
01:30:11 Working Calvin Yard
01:32:37 Hall Road
01:33:12 April 13, 2022 SB local, Kiesters signal
01:34:03 Oneida signal
01:35:30 Calvin Yard
01:36:28 Standard Jct
01:37:48 NB local, Calvin Yard
01:38:29 Claytonia Road
01:39:55 Pinchalong Road + MP 61 signal
01:41:08 District Road
01:42:06 KY Junction Signal
01:42:15 April 21, 2022 SB local, working Montgomery Truss & Panel
01:52:29 Kiester House Road + MP 49.3 defect detector
01:54:26 Glenwood Way
01:55:23 Connoquenessing Creek trestle
01:56:51 Winters Road
01:57:49 NB ore train, SX South
01:58:12 SX South signal
02:00:57 Working Allegheny Industrial District spur
02:06:49 April 23, 2022 SB local, Shenango River trestle
02:08:50 St John Road
02:10:00 April 30, 2022 NB local, Clinton Street
02:10:40 MP 94.6 signal
02:11:32 KO Jct
02:12:29 US322
02:13:40 MD South signal
02:14:41 Agnew Road
02:15:55 Center Street
02:17:00 Beaver Street
02:17:26 Pennside Road
02:18:48 PA18
02:19:28 Lexington Road
02:19:53 US 6N
02:20:18 Old Main Street
02:21:35 SB local, Nickel Plate Road trestle
02:23:16 PA215
02:24:44 Albion Yard
02:26:34 Tower Road signal
02:27:36 MD North signal
02:28:51 US322 + MP 97.1 defect detector
02:30:00 Atlantic Road
02:30:40 KO Jct
02:31:04 Main Street
02:32:35 Outro
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