Tag Archives: conrail

NS, NS, Railroad General Discussions

Norfolk Southern’s New Castle District

NS’s New Castle District is part of NS’s Lake Division. It became part of NS’s major system per the N&W and Southern Railway (SR/SOU) merger in 1982. Part of the line from New Castle, IN to Ft. Wayne, IN was part of the Lake Erie & Western (LE&W), then Nickel Plate (NKP-NYCStL), and Norfolk & Western (N&W- 1964-1982). Another section of this line was originally the Pennsylvania Railroad’s (PRR) Buckeye Division, known as the Richmond Branch. Per the PRR, New York Central (NYC), and New Haven Railroad (NYNH&H) 1968 Penn Central (PC) merger, the line became the PC’s Richmond Branch and Cincinnati Division (Cinci. to Logansport-Van, IN). By 1976, at the start of Conrail, N&W bought the line between Cinci., OH to New Castle, IN. NS-N&W through-freights on the line didn’t happen until after 1978. A lot of the line was rebuilt in the early ’80s.

Photo of SB NS on NS New Castle Dist., Muncie, IN ©1988, 2019 1-WP/PJ
SB NS Triple Crown on NS Lake Div.-New Castle Dist. (ex-LE&W/NKP/N&W), crossing CR Indianapolis Line (ex-NYC/PC/”Bee Line”), Muncie, IN 1988, from Norfolk Southern Early Years (1988-89), Vol.1 ™, from 1-West Productions™. (Photo © 1988, 2019 1-WP/PJ, by K. Lehman.)

NS upgraded the line, and is used for locals, and different types of freights. We have many examples of NS action on this line in our Keith’s Trains Series™ and 1-West Productions™ Featured Series™

In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, NS had various Steam Train Excursion Specials on the line (NS trains 061, 062, etc.), with steam power NKP 587 & 765, N&W J-611, and SOU 4501. We have footage of these trains running on the New Castle District during those eras.

Below is a list of mile markers and town along the way (from an early ’80s NS/N&W timetable), starting from Cinci. (Claire), OH, to Ft. Wayne, IN (Westward-or technically NW direction):

Mile Post: Station:

Photo of NS SB Triple Crown through Hamilton, OH on NS New Castle Dist. (ex-PRR/PC section), 1989.© 1989,2019 1-WP/PJ
NS SB Triple Crown through Hamilton, OH, on NS New Castle Dist. (ex-PRR/PC section, with trackage rights on CSX-ex-B&O Toledo Dist. between west & east sections of NS New Castle Dist.), 1989, from our Norfolk Southern Early Years (1988-89), Vol. 1™, from 1-West Productions™. (Photo © 1989, 2019 1-WP/PJ, by K. Lehman.)

(More to be added later)

© Copyright 2019, 2020 1-West Productions™/P.Jordan Duplication, public transmitting prohibited.

Conrail, Conrail, CSX-Chessie-SBD-CRR-L&N-SCL-ACL, NS, NYC, Penn Central, Railroad General Discussions, Railroad History

Berea, Ohio Interlocking- Conrail, Penn Central, New York Central- now Norfolk Southern & CSX

Berea, Ohio Interlocking, or BE Tower- has always been a busy spot for railroad traffic.  Originally part of the Lake Shore Michigan Southern (LS&MS), Big Four, and Cleveland Union Terminal (CUT), then to New York Central (NYC), and Penn Central (PC- 1968), Conrail (CR- 1976), then to Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX (1998-99).

To this day BE Tower is still a busy place.  The tower is no longer used today, but still stands.  The original CUT/NYC Depot still stands as well, across the Short Line track along Railroad St.  This place is a great spot for railfanning.

The lines running through BE are now NS’s Dearborn Division-Chicago Line (west of Cleveland, OH- ex-LS&MS/NYC Water Level/PC Buffalo-Chicago Line-Lake/Toledo Div./Conrail Dearborn Div.-Chicago Line), and CSX’s Chicago Line (east of Cleveland, OH), Short Line (NYC/PC/CUT Branch- Cleveland Short Line Branch/Conrail Short Line) and Indianapolis Line (PC Columbus-St. Louis Line, Columbus Div./CR Indianapolis Div. and Line).  The W&LE regional railroad also runs a few trains through here.   All of the lines actually run at a SW to NE direction at BE Tower, then west and east, and north and south.

The Chicago Line (NS side) runs west to Toledo, OH and Chicago, IL, and the east side (CSX) runs to Buffalo, and Albany, NY.  The Short Line starts at BE Tower, and runs to Short, Parma, orig. to the Flats, White, Collinwood Yard, then to Alliance, and Pittsburgh, PA.  The Indianapolis Line runs south to Galion, OH where it branches off to Columbus, OH, and splits west to Marion, OH, Indianapolis, IN,  and St. Louis, MO.

Below is a map of BE Interlocking duinrg Conrail days:

Photo of Berea, OH Interlocking Map by 1-West Productions™/PJ

(map by 1-West Productions™/P. Jordan)

One can see many freight types of stack, TOFC, auto rack, coal, locals, and more.  Also Amtrak runs trains 29, 30, 48, 49.  Most if not all of the original NYC/PC/CR signals have been taken down and updated to modern signals by NS & CSX.  CSX also double-tracked the ex-CR Short Line after the Conrail split between NS in 1998-99.  Over 100 trains a day pass through BE, with NS having the most traffic. Railroad scanner frequencies in use today are:  NS- 161.070, 160.980, 160.350 MHz, and CSX-160.800, 160.485, 160.860 MHz.

Our new video BEREA, OHIO INTERLOCKING WITH CONRAIL & AMTRAK, 1996™, shows BE during Conrail in 1996.  At that time BE tower was still in use, and many freights, including Amtrak, were filmed on all the lines at this location.  This video, originally filmed by Keith Lehman, was orignally our Keith’s Trains Series™ #50 title, which was remastered and updated to our new title. 

 

© 2018 1-West Productions™/PJ

 

 

N&W, NS, Railroad Audio Product Reviews, Railroad Scanner

New Norfolk Southern- N&W 1980s Vol. 11 AUDIO CD

New Railroad AUDIO CD for September 2015, of NS action from 1987 (and more- see below!):   NORFOLK SOUTHERN- N&W 1980s, Vol. 11.  This CD was produced by 1-West Productions™, and contains recordings of freight action- no pictures.  Why an audio-only version?  It gives the listener something new to use with their imagination.  Back in the day, radio shows were the hot item for entertainment before TV.  Listeners had to use their imagination for the scenes as they took place, and would become a different world.  Although having a picture is nice for seeing certain features and such, having a variety of formats can be appealing as well.

Back in 1987, we recorded the trains around the Bellevue, OH area during NS’s early merger days of the N&W and Southern Railway.  We used directional mics to help give the natural movement affects of the trains, as we hear them in person.

The CD contains older standard cab locomotives from GE & EMD, background ambient sounds, and horns that have become more rare compared to today’s horns we hear on units.

Image of Norfolk Southern- N&W1980s Vol 11 audio CD cover

For more information, please visit this page here.  Update 3/2022:  We now have Norfolk Southern-N&W 1980s Vol. 1-12, Vintage Scanner Radio Audio Albums/Recordings of NS, CR, & CSX,  and Modern NS Audio Albums/Recordings now available!  Please click here for a full list!  You can also find a few samples of our Audio Albums on our 1-West Productions™ Soundcloud Page and YouTube Page.

 

 

© Copyright 2015, 2022 1-West Productions™/PJ
Railroad History

RAILROAD MERGERS

In this blog we write about American Railroad Mergers that took place in the 20th Century era. Railroads became a profitable form of transportation. But by the 1950s, things were changing. Until the government gave the railroads more power to adjust rates, truck and automobile traffic increased with highways being built, a shifting economy, bad weather, and bad management caused the railroads to lose business and profits.

The Penn Central always got the worst reputation for a failed railroad company, however many of the other railroads were also were going bankrupt, or had their share of troubles in all areas (such as the LV, EL, RDG, C of NJ, L&H, etc.).

Mergers were a result of the hardships, and were suppose to help with their struggles. “Suppose to” is the key here. Although a few actually made sense and worked out in the long-run, most of the mergers that happened from the 1950s-21st Century made little sense, or did not produce the good results they tried to forcast. For example the Burlington Northern and Erie-Lackawanna mergers were parallel line mergers, did not really save the companies money, and were disasters. Their problems were just more hidden, compared to all the publicity the failed Penn Central merger received.

The ICC regulated and granted or denied permissions for all railroad mergers. The ICC later became the Surface Transportation Board (STC). In a lot of cases they denied mergers that would have made sense, and allowed those that resulted in more harm than good.

Below is a list of railroad mergers and the years they happened (bold faced names were the main railroads that took over the added railroad):

-Pere Marquette + C&O
-Erie + Lackawanna = Erie-Lackawanna (1961)
–Norfolk & Western + Virginian (1959) + NKP + Wabash (1964) + AC&Y (1970s ) + Illinois Terminal (1980s)
-CB&Q + Great Northern + Northern Pacific = Burlington Northern (1970)
-Pennsylvania + New York Central = Penn Central (1968) + New Haven (1969)
-C&O + B&O + Wester Maryland = Chessie System (1972)
-Southern Pacific + Rio Grande  (They continued to use the SP name however)
–Union Pacific + Southern Pacific + C&NW + MP
-Illinois Central + Gulf Mobile & Ohio = ICG
-Lehigh Valley + EL + Reading + CNJ + PC = Conrail (1976)
–Conrail + CSX / Conrail + NS (1999)
-N&W + Southern = Norfolk Southern (1982)
-Chessie System + Seaboard System = CSX (1986)
-L&N + Seaboard Coast Line = Seaboard System/Family Lines
-BN + ATSF = BNSF (1990s)
–Rock Island was the only railroad that was left to fail with no help.  Later all assets were dived up between the UP & C&NW.
-SOO Line + CP
-GT + CV + CN

Which mergers were failures, and which mergers were winners?  All mergers had their share of problems.  The BN merger was not a great as most have thought.  They had their times of congestion, workers retaliating against the merger, money losses, and more.  The PC had many hardships, the EL also had hardships, and was not a success.  Most of the mergers had problems with parallel lines, money losses, congestion of trains across the system, not enough locomotivepower, failed equipment, lack of funds for maintenance, bad track, dirty and old equipment, losses due to weather, and more problems.

The only merger that came out shining was the Norfolk Southern merger (Norfolk & Western + Southern), in the early 1980s.  Both railroads were profitable, efficient, and need to expand.  NS became a highly efficient and money-making merged railroad.  They too had their problems during the Conrail split in 199 with CSX, but eventually pulled through.

What will the future mergers be like?  We will see when it happens.  It’s not a question of if, but what.  there are current prospects of UP merging with CSX, NS with BNSF, or of the Canadian roads of CN and CP.  Railroads are in the business of making money mainly by transporting goods in a country.  As long as there’s materials needed in building and expanding, and consumers, railroads will be needed.

Check out our other blogs for more railroad stories, information, and more.  Also check out our DVD & CD listings of what we have available for purchase, that can give you a more detailed look at the railroads involved in these mergers.

© Copyright 1/2019. PJ 1-West Productions™  Public transmitting, modification, copying prohibited.     

1-West Productions™ Series Railroad DVDs- Modern, Featured Products

New Release Of Norfolk Southern Modern Material

We have a new release of Norfolk Southern modern material released- a new Railroad Video in SD DVD 16×9 Anamorphoc format.  Which means it will play like it should on widescreen TVs, and also on the standards 4×3 screens.  We have been in the process of filming modern NS material for those who like the modern stuff.

The new DVD is NORFOLK SOUTHERN’S CHICAGO LINE/EX-WATER LEVEL ROUTE IN OHIO™, produced by 1-West Productions™.  Filmed in 2014 & 2015, we captured NS action on this famous line that is still a major route.  Image of Norfolk Southern's Chicago Line/Ex-Water Level Route In Ohio™ Railroad DVD- 1-West Productions™ DVD cover

Built in the 1800s, that section of the line that we filmed eventually was owned by the New York Central when they took over the original owner, the Lake Shore Michigan Southern RR.  The NYC obtained ownership of the whole line from Albany, NY to Chicago, IL by merging the LSMS & several other railroads that owned the line across the states.  This line was an efficient way of hauling freight, & also a competing line with the PRR, since it was mostly built on flat land, with very little grades.  The PRR had to go through the mountains in order to get into the more western part of the country.

By 1968, the Penn Central was formed with themerger of the PRR, NYC, & NH, and depended on that line.  By 1976, Conrail was formed and then owned the line until 1999, when NS & CSX split CR.  NS ended up with the line from cleveland on west to Chicago, & CSX from Cleveland on east to NY.  Amtrak uses this line today for some of their trains as well.  NS then called the Water Level their Chicago Line, Dearborn Division.

NS has always had congestion problems on the Chicago Line, especially with the increase in oil train traffic.  In 2014, they worked out an agreement with CSX to lease their ex-PRR/PC/CR Pittsburgh Division line that runs through Bucyrus, OH, Fort Wayne, IN, & to Chicago, IL.  NS would replace ties & rail where it was needed, and was able to transfer some of their oil trains on that line to help ease the congestion on the Chicago Line.

NS has since made updates to the Chicago Line, such as replacement of the ex-NYC/PC/CR signals, added detectors, and even changed detector voices from saying “Conrail” to “Norfolk Southern”.  Some of the detectors heard in the area where it was filmed are at Graytown, LaCarne, Gypsum, Sandusky, Vermillion, & more.  Locations filmed were at Sandusky, near Gypsum, Vermillion, & Toledo, OH, etc.  NS also put in a connetion at Oak Harbor, to connect the chicago Line with their Toledo to Bellevue Line, & a connection outside of Vermillion to connect the same line east of Bellevue.

Many fallen flag freight cars, & locomotives such as UP, BNSF, CN, CP, etc. can also be seen on this video.  Order yours today, & see our coupons for even more savings.

 

 

© Copyright 2015, 1-West Productions™.  Duplication Prohibited.
Conrail, N&W, Penn Central

Railroads We Grew Up With

Most of us like the railroads that we grew up with, and in that same area. Or could be we had a relative or friend who worked for that certain railroad. Maybe on a trip it stuck in our good memory bank in some way, and brings us back to those happy times. Whatever the reason, that railroad name stuck with us through the years.

The N&W / NS and Penn Central / Conrail stuck with me from those days. Seeing those “half-moon” and “zigzag” N&W logos on faded blue and black locomotives respectfully, stuck with me. Also the previous roads that made up the N&W. GP7s, 9s, 30s, 35s, 38s; SD40s, 45s, 35s, etc., especially the high-nosed units made an impact.

Let’s not forget the freight equipment with those logos as well. Even the MofW green equipment, the smell of diesel, running locomotives, generators, etc.

When it came to the PC & CR, seeing those blue engines run at higher speeds on different lines, and seeing they meant business made an impact. Also especially seeing black PC units still wearing the PC logos stuck with me. That PC logo was the neatest thing- I never saw such a design in my life. In the very early 80s, I saw a PC GP7 or 9 switching open PC auto racks in Orville, OH. The sound of the engine, the smoke, the image. Also seeing a few green PC cabooses, with that same logo was just cool. Seeing old PC ROWs, abandoned facilities, track, equipment, deadlines, & more added to the engraving of the N&W and PC likeness. The visual and historical preservation aspects is what motivates me.

When it came to modeling, I could build my dream railroad with those road names. Plus photographing, filming, and restoring equipment of the same road names built even stronger memories and appreciation.

What road names stuck with you, how, and why? We all have reasons for what we like.  Keep those memories alive.

 

 

Pete

Conrail, Conrail, Penn Central, Penn Central, PRR, Railroad History

PRR/PC/CR Logan Side-Bradford Line- Part of The PRR Panhandle Route

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This article will discuss a section of the PRR/PC/CR Logan Side-Bradford Line, Panhandle Line, that ran from Bradford, OH to Logansport, IN, called the Logan Side.  The PRR railroaders gave the section that ran from Bradford & Logansport the “Logan Side” name.  The Panhandle Line ran from Pittsburgh, PA to Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO, splitting at Bradford, with Bradford being a major yard, halfway, and crew change point of the line.

The line was first part of the Columbus, Chicago, & Indiana Central- leased by PRR subsidiary Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis (formed in 1868), that was formed extend the PRR’s westward expansion.

In Ohio, the Panhandle also ran through towns such as Dennison, Columbus, etc.  This line gave the PRR a westward expansion in the States.  The name “Panhandle” came from a section of WV where the line passed through years earlier, with the Panhandle Ry., and the name stuck years later.

The line was double track, until the 1950s, when PRR downgraded it to a single line, at least between Union City & Logansport, IN.  PRR would use J1 steam engines, and later GP7s and 9s to pull 100-car coal hoppers from the N&W via this line from Columbus, OH.  They hauled coal to power plants in Fort Wayne, IN and Chicago, IL.  PRR also hauled coal from the L&N Railway.  Marion, IN had a GM plant that depended on this line for service as well.

The Logan Side was downgraded by PRR after the yards at Bradford, OH were not being used as much anymore, and because the Richmond, IN yard was phased out.  Also when the N&W merged with the NKP & WAB in 1964, this gave the N&W other routes to use for their coal transport to Chicago (such as the ex-NKP Chicago Line).  Penn Central used the line however for some traffic, with Bradford, OH becoming an important part of the PC.  Most of the traffic however was eventually run on the Panhandle from Columbus, OH to Indianapolis, IN when PC reconfigured the crossover-connection with the ex-NYC Bee Line at Logansposrt, IN, in the early 1970s.

When CR came into existence, they increased traffic again between Columbus & Indianapolis through Bradford, OH, via the crossover-connection at Union City.  Most of the downgrading came with CR later in the early 1980s. CR diverted a lot of the traffic onto other more feasible lines, such as the ex-NYC/PC Bee Line, as they were doing with a lot of lines throughout the CR system.  The part of the Panhandle through Bradford to Union City was torn up by CR in 1985.

At Ridgeville, IN the Logan Side line crossed the ex-GR&I/PRR/PC/CR, that went north and south.  The PRR used a local and a few freights on the GR&I line.  Ridgeville was used as a local crew change point, where they also turned the trains, and interchanged cars.  The GR&I line was mostly removed in the late 1970s by CR.  There were small yards north of Ridgeville on the GR&I line, and west at Ridgeville on the Logan Side-Panhandle Line.

kt33saratogaex-prr-1994-faceSEtowardsunioncity-=================x

(Logan Side-Panhandle Line, Ridgeville, IN, facing west, after CR removal.)

kt33deerfieldINexprrtieplates===================x

(CR crews picking up tie plates at Deerfield, IN)

At Logansport, the Logan Side-Panhandle Line joined with the Pittsburgh Division Line that ran between Chicago and Pittsburgh, PA (through Ohio towns of Van Wert, Dunkirk, Bucyrus, Crestline, etc.).

kt33crcrcr================x

kt33crrllll==================x 

(Both photos above:  CR taking up the rail in Union City, IN)

At Union City, IN, the Panhandle originally crossed the ex-NYC/PC Indianapolis Bee Line.  After the crossovers were removed at Union City, the Logan Side-Panhandle line connected onto the Bee Line, and went west towards Redkey, IN.

In 1994, Conrail removed the rail, starting at Redkey, IN, heading east towards Union City.  Rail was left in about 2 miles east of Redkey, in order to be able to continue to service a few customers who still needed rail service.  There was a connecting track with the NS, so NS could pick up grain cars for Anderson’s.  Also in 1994, a small section was left in at Union City, connecting to the Bee Line, to be used as a short siding for a local industry.

kt33crrailtrain==================x

lt33railtrainoutofredkey====================x

(Both photos above:  The last train out of Union City on the ex-PRR/PC Logan Side-Panhandle Line- CR 601 moving east to Crestline, OH, via the ex-NYC Bee Line)

At one point the CR crew accidentally left too early east towards Crestline, OH on the ex-NYC Bee Line,  before the project was finished, and had to back-track to finish removing and picking up the rest of the rail.

Eventually, the rail was removed east of Redkey, IN, along with the ex-NKP/N&W diamond there, and a switch was put in by NS, south of Redkey, so they could go northwest and pick up the cars for Anderson’s.  The line is still in from Redkey to Dunkirk, removed from Dunkirk to Hartford City, and still in from there to Marion, IN, used by NS.  The line today is removed from Columbus, OH to Redkey, IN, except for a few short sections near Greenville, OH.  (See sample video below for CR’s Redkey interchange with NS’s Frankfort Dist., taken from our CONRAIL REMEMBERED™, VOL. 3 Featured Series DVD Video.)

At one time an important line for the PRR & PC, it almost stayed an important line for Conrail, until they decided against it later.  CR had even rebuilt part of the line, only to downgrade shortly after.  As most railroads have done in the past, some lines were favored over others, in order to help cut costs.  What is interested is today in 2015, railroads are re-opening and upgrading lines they at one time saw as unimportant.  This is due to increased rail traffic causing congestion on lines, especially due to the transporting of oil.  This makes the railroads and historians both happier.

The removal of this part of the Logan Side-Panhandle PRR/PC/CR Line is covered in Keith’s Trains Series™ (from the camera of Keith Lehman, from 1-West Productions™), Title #33 CONRAIL RAIL REMOVAL BRADFORD, OH –REDKEY, IN 1994.               

As railroads improve their plant, they make changes in order to help keep things profitable and to save costs. Even though changes are made today, history is kept preserved in films and photographs for tomorrow. Also a lot of abandoned railroad ROWs are being made into bike trails, which can also help preserve its history. But sometimes railroads change history by bringing back to life a downgraded or abandoned line or ROW. Presently NS and CSX are working to bring back to life the ex-PRR/PC/CR Pittsburgh to Chicago line, in order for NS to be able to relieve traffic congestion on the ex-NYC/PC/CR Water Level route.  Also there is talk that NS will be purchasing and re-using the ex-NKP/N&W line to Lima because of congestion problems on other NS lines.

Sample of our CONRAIL REMEMBERED™ VOL. 3 Video available for purchase, that shows CR action at Redkey (line now removed):

Like more Penn Central/CR Routes information?  Try this Penn Central Website.

[All photos are screenshots taken from the Keith’s Trains Series™, by 1-West Productions™ (from the camera of Keith Lehman).   Sources used for this article/blog information are:  K. Lehman;  P. Jordan;  A Sampling Of Penn Central, Jerry Taylor, Indiana University Press, 1973, 2000 ]

Article & Photos © Copyright 2015, 2018 1-West Productions™/PJ, Duplication Prohibited.
Conrail, Conrail

CONRAIL- April 1, 1976

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This month, CONRAIL- April 1, 1976, was formed by the US government, to help save the Midwest & Eastern US railroads’ financial problems. For years the roads involved pleaded to the government to help out, but refused, or did little to help matters.

Penn Central for example, went bankrupt in 1970, due to many reasons (computer problems, government rate regulations, bad weather, poor management, poor financial decisions, “red team vs. green team” mentality, the New Haven railroad’s financial problems and the forcing of the NH to be merged into the PC by the ICC, etc.). The PC asked the government for a bail-out, and even made a movie about their problems, to prove to the government. However they refused to help.

The PC’s pleading didn’t go totally un-noticed though. The Nixon administration looked into the problems of the PC, and many other railroads in similar situations, and saw that if nothing was done, it could very well cripple the US economy, due to the railroads being a very important part of economic health in the country.

DOcrkl5==OL====

Conrail was formed under the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973, to help bail out these railroads in trouble, by combining them into a merger, and being run by the US government. Even though CR was incorporated in PA, October of 1974, it went into effect on April 1, 1976. The railroads combined to form CR was: Penn Central, Lehigh Valley, Reading, Jersey Central, Erie-Lackawanna, and Lehigh and Hudson. Even though these railroads were all included in CR, it was much like the Penn Central, only under a different name and paint scheme. This is because the PC part of CR has the most miles of track, equipment, and employees, and most of the operations were run like PC.

CR poured millions into the railroad plant, by repairing track and facilities, purchasing new equipment to replace the old, combining terminals, closing unnecessary routes, etc. By the 1980s, CR was finally making a profit. Stanley Crane, who came from the SOU Railway, and became CEO if CR, helped bring CR out of its financial slump.  He used his political connections, high energy, his belief in CR, and his business ideas to help make CR become an important, strong, and independant railroad.  By 1987 it was privatized. In 1999, CR was split between Norfolk Southern and CSX.

So this month we remember Conrail and its memories. Today we still see CR on the tracks in freight cars and other things.   One day, it will vanish, just like the PC is now more difficult to see these days.  Thankfully, railfans have helped preserve CR during its years of operation.  Many DVD examples HERE, are available that shows a lot of CR in action.  Also thankfully, in 2012, NS painted 8098, a GE ES44AC, into the standard Conrail scheme, as part of their heritage group of locomotives.  There is now the CRHS that helps keep CR history preserved as well.  Keep CR alive, and take those pictures!

 

 

 

© Copyright 2015 1-West Productions­™/PJ
NYC, Penn Central, Penn Central, Railroad History

PENN CENTRAL SANDUSKY BRANCH (CONRAIL/PENN CENTRAL/NYC-Big 4/MAD RIVER & LAKE ERIE (Cincinnati-Sandusky, OH) Coverage

PENN CENTRAL SANDUSKY BRANCH (CONRAIL/PENN CENTRAL/NYC-Big 4/MAD RIVER & LAKE ERIE (Cincinnati-Sandusky, OH)

We’re covering the ex-New York Central/Penn Central (& Conrail) Big 4 Line- Sandusky Branch (also called PC Sandusky Secondary), that ran from Cincinnati, through Springfield, Kenton, Patterson, Forest, Wharton, Carey, Tiffin, Green Springs, Clyde, Castalia, and Sandusky, OH. This was one of many Big 4 lines that ran in Ohio. The other lines were the Cleveland to Columbus & Cincinnati; Toledo through Bowling Green to Columbus (Toledo & Ohio Central West); and Toledo through Fostoria to Columbus (Toledo & Ohio Central East).

The Sandusky Branch ran from Sandusky, OH and south to Cincinnati, OH. There are many areas where the ex ROW can still be seen, and others where it has been built upon, plowed away, or covered in some way.   Also there are areas of the line where tracks still are in tact and see service.  For example in Carey, OH, a quarry uses part of the original line with CSX.  In Clyde, the line is still in from the north side of NS’s (ex-W&LE/NKP) Toledo District east/west line, to the north side of a grain mill (before CR 260).  Also in Springfield there are a few areas where the line is still used.  We will cover this line from Sandusky and southward.

The Sandusky Branch line was originally built by the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad (MR&LE), as an alternate route from their original Sandusky through Bellevue and Flat Rock route, which then proceeded SW through West Lodi and to Tiffin, OH. The MR&LE abandoned this section between Sandusky and Tiffin after building a newer route from Sandusky to Tiffin (through Castalia, York, Clyde, Green Springs- bypassing West Lodi). They built the alternate route for fewer miles and grades. The line from Sandusky to south of Flat Rock continued to be used later by the PRR, then N&W and today NS. The area south of Flat Rock where the two original MR&LE ROWs split (one to Marion & Columbus, OH splits SE, the original ROW to West Lodi and Tiffin split SW. Not much is there to see of the SW ROW today).

A forgotten town on the MR&LE SW split ROW? By word of mouth, supposedly there was a small town or refueling/watering station just south/SW of Flat Rock, OH, although no past maps so far show any existence of a town there. This station or town was abandoned or reduced to a few houses or a farm when the MR&LE abandoned their SW ROW.

Back to the PC/NYC Sandusky Branch line- the NYC/Big 4 took over the MR&LE Sandusky to Cinci line. NYC and PC later named the line the Sandusky Branch, Ohio Central Division, per 1968 timetables. By 1967, before the NYC and PRR merger to form PC, the NYC pulled up the tracks and ties from north of Clyde to Sandusky. PC used the line from Clyde to Kenton, OH for local trains. They also interchanged locals from PC’s Norwalk Branch that crossed the Sandusky Branch in downtown Clyde. A PC Toledo local picked up cars from the PC Sandusky Branch also. The Sandusky Branch in Clyde served a few lumber companies and grain mills. 

Per a PC 4/28/68 timetable, they labeled from Clyde to Sands, OH as WB, but physically it’s SW, so we will call all directions as SB & NB. Most of the line was “dark territory”- a term used by railroads to mean the line had no working lighted signals in most areas of the line- after passenger trains were removed from the line, and most freights rerouted to other NYC/PC lines.  The line did have signals, and was apparently one of the first lines in the US to have the new CTC signaling systems of the time in certain parts of the line.  Except some approach signals to mark the line on both sides of any crossovers.  All signals were removed decades ago where the line was taken up. 

Starting at downtown Sandusky, OH, the line began at Water St., near the shore of Lake Erie.  Passenger trains from the NYC would take people to and from Cedar Point to this area of town, where they boarded boats to and from Cedar Point.

Next through Castalia, OH, the line ran parallel with the ex-Lake Erie & Western (LE&W) Railroad (later became NKP LE&W District then N&W-abandonded by N&W at this point/NS- Sandusky Branch-Lima District through Fremont, Fostoria, then Arcadia and Lima, OH- their Lima Dist., then through Muncie, Portland, and Frankfort, IN- their Frankfort Dist., and onto St. Louis, MO).  South of Castalia both lines split away.  

York was next as we head SW on the Sandusky Branch.  York was technically more south from the line, but NYC and PC called this area on the line York, between Castalia and Clyde, per their timetables.

Photo of ROW of PC Sandusky Branch (ex-CR/NYC-Big 4/Mad River & Lake Erie), Facing SW, NE of Clyde, OH, 12/2019. © Copyright 2019 1-West Productions™/PJ.

(Photo Above:  ex-ROW of the PC Sandusky Branch (ex-CR/NYC-Big 4/Mad River & Lake Erie), Facing SW, NE of Clyde, OH, 12/2019. © Copyright 2019 1-West Productions™/PJ.)

Clyde (MP 17.0) (PC & N&W Crossing)  Here was an interchange and crossroads of different railroads.  At Rt. 20, the Sandusky Branch crossed the Lake Shore Electric Railway that ran parallel with Rt. 20, on the south side.  The crossover diamond of the Sandusky Branch and the LSE was just west of Rt. 101.  *The double tracks of the PC Sandusky Branch crossed the ex-W&LE 1st District/NKP W&LE District/N&W Toledo District (now NS Toledo District) east-west line  between Rt. 101 and Rt. 510, on the north side of the convient store in Clyde*.  Originally in Clyde there were Approach Target signals (at least one was just west of town, later removed by PC/CR in the late 1970s/early 1980s), to mark the line before the crossover Target signal that originally was located in downtown, near Maple Street, where both the PC Norwalk and Sandusky Branches crossed. Today the city of Clyde restored the original Target signal, and moved it near the now bike/walking trail of the ex-Norwalk Branch, also downtown.

There is a viaduct that crossed over Raccoon Creek presently.   As noted before, Clyde was serviced up into the PC era, which had a few lumber yards (mainly on Maple St.), grain mills, and other businesses.  The line ran along the south side of Maple St. after it crossed the PC Norwalk Branch at Maple and Depot St.  Also at that crossing there originally was an L-shaped depot, which serviced both Branches.  It was torn down before PC came into existence.  The line then crossed Woodland Ave.- a winding road.  During that time Woodland Ave. ran through a middle of a farm field.  Since then many houses have been built in the area, with no sign of the ROW, except a small ditch area on the NE side towards a church.  Just on the west edge of town on Limerick Road at a sharp curve, the ROW originally cut through a tall but small sand hill, near the NE side of the road.  Since then, it has been filled in with dirt and newly-planted trees/shrubs.   On the left side of the road (SW) at the curve, the land is flat.     We continue south/SW to Green Springs.

At Green Springs (MP 22.2), the Sandusky Branch crossed the Nickel Plate (NKP) Chicago line (Nickel Plate Division), later Norfolk & Western (N&W) Ft. Wayne Division-Fostoria District. There use to be an interlocking tower there.  E. Durnwald was one of the many operators that worked there in the early 1970s (for N&W), who remembered seeing PC locals, and talked to the PC crews who crossed there. The original NYC/PC depot is still in town there.

Between Green Springs and Tiffin, the ROW can be seen in areas, with a few viaducts, and many areas where the ROW has disappeared, due to farmers plowing through it. One can still see however the original grooves of the ROW from aerial maps online.

Tiffin (MP 32.4) (PC and B&O Crossing)

As we arrive into Tiffin (MP 34.0), on the NE end of town between a few warehouses and a store, and a trailer park nearby,  wide flat areas can be seen where the ROW was.  To the west of 101, the Sandusky branch crossed (going north to south) the CR/PC/PRR Carrothers Branch (Toledo to Mansfield/then Ciro, OH), and the CSX/B&O Willard Sub. (Chicago line), the Sandusky River, and Riverside Drive.

Onward SE through town part of the ROW is a pathway and goes by the original Depot on Monroe St. that has been restored.  We think the depot and property is privately owned (more info to follow on this).  The path that’s part of the original ROW then parralells Benner st. for a few blocks and and at Hopewell Ave.  Here the ROW turned into Fair Lane, which is the road to the back of the Fairgrounds.  In the back of the Fairgrounds the ROW continues SB/SW as the lane goes more south/SE. 

Below are photos of the ROW that goes SB-NB (left to right):  

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW Left to Right SB-NB, Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

Then in the same area facing SB/SW:

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW SB-SW-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW SB-SW-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, 2 © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW SB-SW-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, 3 © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

Same ROW now looking NB-NE in the same area (Fair Lane):

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW NB-NE-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJPC-NYC-SanduskyBranch-row-NB-NEtiffinOH-fairLane-_09-16-23-Copyright2023-1westproductions-pj-17-09.57.32

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW NB-NE-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, 2 © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW NB-NE-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, 3 © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW SB-SW-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, 4 © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

(Near Hopewill Ave-Fair Lane:)PC-NYC-Sandusky Branch ROW NB-NE-Tiffin, OH, Fair Lane, 9-16-23, 4 © Copyright 2023 1-West Productions™/PJ

From there the line continued south/SW to Carey, OH.

At Berwick (MP 42.7), the PC Ohio Central Eastern line crossed the PC Sandusky Branch.  There was an operator’s tower there at one point.  

Adrian (MP 45.3)

MP 48.5 (PC crossing with C&O Toledo to Columbus line and AC&Y)

At Carey (MP 49.7), CSX still uses part of the line that’s still in tact for a stone quarry.  Also at Carey the original depot still stands downtown.  Carey had a PC local (CCK-3) that would switch cars at Sands (south- more information below) and Tiffin.  PC local CCK-1/2 switched cars at the AC&Y and C&O interchanges at Carey and the quarry.  

Wharton (MP 57.3) is south of Carey, which is another small town.  The original wood depot use to stand downtown, but was later turned into a garage and eventually fell over, or was torn down.

Then Forest (MP 62.2), where the line crossed the CR/PC/PRR Ft. Wayne to Pittsburgh line.  South of Forest the ROW follows along side Rt. 53, and the ROW is built up higher than the surrounding land for several miles, until we get to Kenton. 

Patterson (MP 63.9)

McVittys (MP 65.5)

Grants (MP 68.4)

At Kenton (MP 74.1), OH, the Sandusky Branch had a connection with PC’s (ex-NYC/TOC) Ohio Central Western Branch. 

By 1972, the Sandusky Branch was abandoned about 2.5 miles south of Kenton, near Sands (where the diamond with the Erie Lackawanna-EL was), and the PC Sandusky Branch at this point was called the PC Sands Industrial Track.  There also was a PC/EL tower there called Sands.  Two industries were serviced at Sands by the PC local crew from the Ohio Central Western Branch Yard crew.  One of the PC locals would come from Carey (PC CCK-3), and switch cars at Sands. 

PC Locals

PC had at least one Local that ran from Kenton/Carey/Tiffin to Clyde, OH in the early 1970s.  E. Durnwald (now deceased) was on the extra board for the N&W, and worked all of the N&W towers between New Haven, IN & Green Springs, OH, from 1971-75 (at Green Springs Tower in 1971 & 1972, and the tower closed in 1972 or 1973).  He couldn’t remember the PC Locals’ train symbols, but he remembered other details about the PC Locals on their Sandusky Branch. 

At Green Springs, OH, the N&W Ft. Wayne Div.- Fostoria District (ex-NKP-Nickel Plate Dist.) crossed the PC’s Sandusky Branch, with a tower owned and run by the N&W.  It was just west of SR19, and was torn down in the 1980s.  When he worked Green Springs (GR Tower), he would be called by the N&W Dispatcher by phone on M, W, F (not so much traffic during winter months), was called to go to the tower around 5 pm, wait for the PC Local to arrive NB on the PC Sandusky Branch, and give them the clear to go across the N&W to service Clyde, OH (he normally wouldn’t talk to the PC crew- they would just wait for the signal while waiting at the diamond).  As he sat in the tower, he would wait to see the headlight from their train, they would come to a stop before the PC/N&W diamond, and he would then call the N&W dispatcher by radio.  The N&W dispatcher would give him the clear for the PC, then he would move the PC semaphore signal (most on this line were of the wood board plank style, with a red light on each end) to clear (vertical position), and the PC Local would move NB to Clyde.  The PC would usually arrive with a Baldwin type S switcher (ex-NYC, either with NYC or PC markings, most likely an S-12), cab forward, with about 12 or more boxcars, and a PC transfer caboose on the rear. 

The PC Local would switch out cars at Clyde, and interchange a few from the other PC Local from the PC Toledo Division-Norwalk Branch line in Clyde.  Then the PC Local would come back SB to GR Tower SB from Clyde (loco cab forward in most cases), with about a dozen boxcars, approach the crossover again at GR and stop.  E.D. would give PC the clear (after getting the clear from the N&W dispatcher by radio), then the PC Local would head south to Tiffin/Carey/Kenton, OH. Top speed on the PC Sandusky Branch during that time was about 10 mph, due to deferred maintenance (from as early as the 1950s/60s NYC days).

Also as noted above, PC had a Carey stationed Local called CCK-3, that switched cars at Sands and Tiffin.  PC CCK-1/2 switched cars at the AC&Y and C&O interchanges at Carey and the quarry.  At least another Carey-Kenton PC Local is known of (CCK-3/4) as well.

Mike C. (originally of Galetown, OH) told us a story about around 1971-75, while in highschool, he and a buddy of his would hitch a ride on the PC Local to Clyde from the Galetown area (CR 195 crossing between Green Springs and Clyde).  Once the Local was done working in Clyde after a few hours or so, they would hitch a ride back to the same area.  Sometimes the PC crew would let them board the caboose (most likely a PC transfer caboose).  At that time the Local was only moving around 20-25 MPH, due to speed restrictions from bad track. 

This article is dedicated to E. Durnwald, a dedicated railroad worker, railroad historian, railfan, and family man, who worked for the N&W from the early 1970s, then with NS in the early 1980s, and then retired from NS around 2000.  We met him in the late 1980s, and railfanned with him a few times until the very early ’90s.  We caught back up with him in the late ’90s, and we would railfan many times at many locations, until he passed during 11/2021.  Besides a fellow railfan and historian, he was also a very good person and good friend, and is greatly missed.   

(We will continue to add to this article with more information and photos.)

 

© Copyright 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 1-West Productions™/P.Jordan.  References:  E. Durnwald (ex-N&W/NS Tower Operator/Clerk), A Sampling of Penn Central by Jerry Taylor- IN Univ. 1973, 2000).

 

 

 

 

 

 

N&W, NS, Penn Central, Penn Central, Railroad General Discussions, Railroad History, SOU

Penn Central, NYC, PRR, NH, & Conrail

1 Comment

The Penn Central, NYC, PRR, NH, & Conrail- one topic I’m really familiar with is the Penn Central Railroad. I’ve written extensively on this subject for some years, and even have another website dedicated to this railroad. Although there were many people who despised that railroad, it still played a very important part of keeping America’s economy flowing, regardless of its mis-haps. Those of us in the younger generations appreciate the PC for what it was, and the very wide range of modeling that can be done with it.

The PC was the joining of the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and later the New Haven Railroads. The NYC & PRR were joined in 1968, and the NH in 1969. The NYC and PRR were great competitors originally, with parallel routes. The NH was considered mostly a passenger road, with some TOFC trains, and the PC did not want to include them in their merger. However the ICC required them to take in the NH, if they wanted the ICC to approve the PC merger in the first place.

The new PC at the time seemed like it was going to work in the beginning, then hard times came. Unfortunately many factors happened, which caused the merger to fail in 1970. Factors were corrupt management, investments spread too wide, government regulations on rates that the railroad was allowed to charge to its customers, competition with trucks and air, deferred maintenance of facilities, tracks, and equipment, weather-related catastrophes (hurricanes, floods, severe winters, etc.), lack of freight cars, locomotives, and cabooses, parallel routes, and the government not allowing the railroads to abandon older secondary routes not needed by the railroads throughout the country.

Many would say that the PC was the only railroad merger in the States to have paralleled routes that failed or plagued with problems, and the only railroad to have dirty and run-down equipment, loosing money everyday, bad track, and corruption. But history and many good sources say that was not the case. Many US railroad mergers and companies, especially in the Midwest and East were in the same trouble. In fact, the ONLY Class 1 railroad that had fewer problems, especially during this time was the Santa Fe. Also the only merger that actually worked with fewer problems was the NS merger between the N&W and SOU later in the 1980s!

Finally the government had to step in to help, or an economic catastrophe was on the way. Conrail was formed and took over the PC, EL, RDG, LV, & CNJ- all that were in the same situations as the PC. CR grew a profit in the 1980s, and was taken over by NS & CSX in the late 1990s.

The PC is a favorite to many in modeling, studying, photo collecting, and more.  They had many paint scheme variations, colors, equipment types, unique colors, great facilties, yards, and more.  The PC was not a separate company that came and took over the NYC, PRR, and NH- they were simply the combining of these roads, just under a new name. And some say the PC lived on even under CR, since most of CR’s operations, tracks, equipment, personnel were PC. These days the PC is getting more difficult to see, as equipment is being replaced, things changed, etc. May the PC live on!

DVDs to check out:

-You can see some history about the PC on Revelation’s Penn Central DVD HERE.  Just one of many PC DVDs out there that has material the others do not have.

-Also a DVD about the NYC (by Revelation) HERE

-Many great DVDs with CONRAIL can be found in Keith’s Trains Series™ HERE

 

(Sources one should read that backup these facts are:  Wreck Of The Penn Central, Merging Lines, Penn Central Power, just to name a few!)

© Copyright 2015 PJ/1-WP™