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Here's a little story I have to tell. Today most of the day I railfanned Mentor Ohio. Well out of the 17 trains I saw from 10AM to after 7PM, one train got my attention, also another. But the train that got my attention was today's CSX Eastbound Freight L384-16. I was at Deekers ST's Restaurant Parking Lot when I saw him. But when I heard the defect detector for Eastlake, was was entering MP 161 into 160 which is about the area I'm at and finally I hear the Eastlake Detector when he was 3 quarters of a mile away. So I knew he was long, but then the Axle Count was 704!!!!!   I was like WOW. Well he was in Notch 6 or 8 and I could hear him coming. He was PULLING. Only going about 25MPH. So I filmed and took photos of him. The video I'll have up sometime this week. But will have video of both. But after I was done filming, which the train took 5 to 8 minutes to pass, I thought to myself, I have to rewatch this video. Well I started counting. I got up to 100 and then thought he's large but I've seen more. Then 125, well this is getting interesting. 150, then it's like how many more. 160, oh boy. 170, he's long. 180, WOW!!!  Anyway, about 5 minutes after his tail end cleared came Westobund Freight Q393 with also 2 units. At that time I was filming him, I went back and thought about L384-16 and the cars of 180. I thought, YES, that's the longest train I've ever seen in Mentor. Anyway, as Q393 kept coming, he was also getting long. So after Q393 cleared I rewatch the recording and Q393 was 168 cars and also 25MPH. Just 12 cars shy of L384. What is the chances of 2 freights that long so close together. I just imagine at Hopkins Road what the motorists were thinking waiting 15 to 20 minutes on 2 long freights. With 180 + 168 cars = 348 and probably L384 just cleared Hopkins to let a few motorists through, then Q393 with 168 comes through, they were probably furious. Anyway, here's the 2 photos of the lead units. Top is L384-16 and bottom is Q393. Like I said, the video of both trains I'll have up this week so you can see how long they were. Also looking this evening, I made mistake, 180 cars is the longest freight I've seen in person. 178 came in 2nd I seen in Hudson Ohio last year. So it's official, the L384-16 is the longest freight I've seen in person. Yes, I know people have seen longer, but for me this was the longest.

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Last edited by Wrawroacx
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Thanks to everyone who has replied. Yes for me this is the longest. I know other people have seen longer, which I posted on Train Orders also of this train   http://www.trainorders.com/dis...n/read.php?2,4142497     Anyway, the only thing that gets me is like the time in the Spring of a CSX West to North freight at Fostoria on the northwest transfer and tip over inward do to length and weight. And when I was watch the freight, I thought the ending on L384-16 was with the Empty Well Intermodal Cars and when it wasn't, I was like there's more? But 180 cars and 704 axles in my opinion is really cool, but to long of a train. And when I heard 704 axles, I had to get this on video.

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