Field Report: The Fostoria Rail Fan Park - Only 5 hours away!

CRHA Niagara is the Niagara division of the Canadian Railway Historical Association who own and operate Exporail, the national railway museum of Canada in Delson, Quebec.Our members often travel across the continent to capture railway history as it happens.

Dave Howard, one of our most active members recently shared one stop on his latest trip - the Rail Fan Park in Fostoria, Ohio. Fostoria is just south of Detroit and only a 5 hour drive from Roundhouse Park.  It is a major railway centre and 100 trains pass through it daily.  At a location where multiple railways cross each other, a Rail Fan Park is being developed to allow railfans to comfortably and safely watch and photograph the railway activity.

David shares with us the photos shown below:

1. Proposed Rail Fan Park Plan

2. Aerial View: This view is a few months old. The Rail Fan Park is in the centre about 1/3 from the right, just an empty field after the derelict buildings cleared out. The Rail Tavern is at the centre far left side. Click here to view the area more closely using Bing Maps. 

3. Railfan Park: Development of the viewing platform, washrooms, and the parking lot is well under way in this photo taken by David in late October of this year, as a CSX Westbound train sneaks by.

4. Round the Bend: A CSX train takes the sharp bend heading Northbound with the new Rail Fan Park on the right.

The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society is very involved in these developments and has ambitious plans for the area. Click here to visit their website and learn a lot more.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by David Howard

Click on each image for a closer look!

1. Fostoria Rail Fan Park Plan

2. Aerial View of Fostoria Rail Fan Park area

3. Viewing Platform and Facilities under Development

4. A CSX train comes around the bend!