Location
Railthon 2013:
36 Hours at Berea, OH
Start: Fri, July 5, 9:00am
End: Sat, July 6, , 9:00pm
Are you ready to take railfanning to the extreme?
Berea is one of the premier railfan hotspots in all of Ohio, and in the entire country. A focal point for east-west traffic during the New York Central, Penn Central, and Conrail eras, Berea hosts a staggering number of through freights ever day. Berea was an all Conrail interlocking for 23 years, boasting high levels of traffic. In a post-Conrail era, the combined traffic of CSX and Norfolk Southern is now nearly double what it was 12 years ago during Conrail's last few months of existence.
Two years ago, we at the CRHS wanted to celebrate the history of Conrail's presence in Berea by throwing an extreme event the likes of which had never been done.
The challenge: Document every single train that passes by Berea Tower for 36 hours straight without falling asleep. It wasn't easy, but we managed to stay awake for 37 hours and 4 minutes straight, and in that time span we recorded an astounding 172 trains, all without missing a single one! In 2011, we recorded 173 movements.
This event is FREE!
There's no registration, nothing to sign up for. This event is open to absolutely everyone, not just CRHS members. Bring your friends, family, and coworkers. Walk, hike, bike, drive, or bus your way in; whatever you do, just get yourself down here because I promise, you won't want to miss what we've got planned
As usual, the CRHS will be bringing:
-our massive CRHS party tent (weather proof, illuminated at night!)
-the full CRHS Shoppe (model trains, apparel, books, DVDs, etc for sale)
-live railroad scanner feed
-night-time trackside slide/multimedia shows - (weather and presenter permitting)
-Conrail artifacts on display (signs, signals, CRHS archive materials)
-snacks and ice cold drinks (donations graciously accepted)
-former Cleveland area Conrail employees (meet with real Conrail engineers, conductors, tower operators, etc)
What should I bring with me?
-lawn chair (!), camera (!), hand-held scanner (there are no benches at Berea)
-foot stool and blanket (if spending all of Saturday night with us)
-Conrail related items to sell, trade, or display (model trains, literature, artifacts, etc)
-your family and friends!
Learn How To Use ATCS!
The CRHS will have ATCS (Advanced Train Control Systems) online and running for the duration of the event. ATCS is a free program that allows individuals to monitor train movements on a dispatcher map just like the real thing in certain territories. See trains approaching Berea before they arrive! We'll be on hand to demonstrate how the program works.Learn all about ATCS, which territories are live, and how to run the program on your own computer.
Directions to this event:Our event will be held in the long grassy area adjacent to the parking lot of the large former New York Central (Big 4 ) sandstone station in Berea. Station is located at intersection of Depot and Front Streets in Berea, OH 44017. Our party tent will be pitched right in front of Berea Tower (south side of CSX mainline). Parking is available in the station's parking lot as well as on numerous side streets adjacent to the station. From south of Cleveland: take I-71 north to Bagley road exit; go west several miles until intersection of Front Street (Baldwin-Wallace college is on corner). Turn right; head north for ¾ mile. Turn left at Depot Street. Arrive at Berea Interlocking.
Here's the link to our gallery from a previous year:
http://thecrhs.org/events/RAILTHON-36-Hours-at-Berea-OH/photos
