IORY South End thread

[AARR]

The I&O doesn't have much choice what they can do with the SLGG boxcars. They're all have build dates from 1968-69 and are past the 40 year interchange period. The Andersons own the cars and hasn't gotten a waiver to tack on another 10 years. Both CSX and NS refuse to take the cars in interchange. So unless the I&O hands them back to CN the AA is about it. The last I heard was 6 months ago and the 200 or so cars at Midland City were supposed to be heading to Cincy to be scrapped. They were in captive paper service on the CN before going into storage.

So perhaps AA is taking them to the OmniSource scrap yard in Toledo?

[Loco_Engr]

The I&O doesn't have much choice what they can do with the SLGG boxcars. They're all have build dates from 1968-69 and are past the 40 year interchange period. The Andersons own the cars and hasn't gotten a waiver to tack on another 10 years. Both CSX and NS refuse to take the cars in interchange. So unless the I&O hands them back to CN the AA is about it. The last I heard was 6 months ago and the 200 or so cars at Midland City were supposed to be heading to Cincy to be scrapped. They were in captive paper service on the CN before going into storage.

So perhaps AA is taking them to the OmniSource scrap yard in Toledo?

That would be a pretty safe assumption.

[AARR]

The I&O doesn't have much choice what they can do with the SLGG boxcars. They're all have build dates from 1968-69 and are past the 40 year interchange period. The Andersons own the cars and hasn't gotten a waiver to tack on another 10 years. Both CSX and NS refuse to take the cars in interchange. So unless the I&O hands them back to CN the AA is about it. The last I heard was 6 months ago and the 200 or so cars at Midland City were supposed to be heading to Cincy to be scrapped. They were in captive paper service on the CN before going into storage.

So perhaps AA is taking them to the OmniSource scrap yard in Toledo?

That would be a pretty safe assumption.

That's interesting. I recently saw a picture of AA's Toledo Yard (Ottawa Yard) with gondola's of "fluff" from OmniSource. As long as I've been following AA (since early 1980's) and as much reading as I've done (I've read every copy of AARRT&HA newsletters and predecessors) this is the first I've heard of AA switching OmniSource.

OmniSource "front switch" is connected to former TT west of Hallett and is switched by CSX. The "back switch" is connected to either AA or NS north of Hallett.

Does anyone know if AA's switching of OmniSource a new development? Is the "back switch" new?

[cr6903]

Hello! I'm new here, and I have some questions. Since it's all kind of in the same area, I am wondering about some history of the B&O line around Chillicothe-Hamden. I don't want to hijack the thread since it's about the I&O not US Rail, but I was wondering if someone can point me in a good direction.
I was on the Narcoa run from Jackson to Red Diamond, to Richmond Dale, to Oak Hill last weekend, hence the curiosity. I'd like to learn more about what I rode.

[midland sub]

Join the B&O Southwestern yahoo group. We just discussed the entire trip and trackage involved. You'll learn everything you need about US Rail and those lines. What speeder were you on. I was out chasing the Greenfield trip on Saturday.

[cr6903]

Thanks! The B&OSW group seems to be what I'm looking for for information.

I was only on the Jackson run this time. Last year I was on both the Jackson run and the Greenfield Run. I was on the Conrail Hyrail truck.

[midland sub]

Here's the link for the group:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/bosw_list/

There were around 40 or so messages from just the past 2 days on the very subject. We're very active on US Rail traffic and the history of the Ohio Div. main, CH&D, Portsmouth Branch of the B&O and the C&O and DT&I of the Jackson area. Probably didn't know you were on part of an old C&O line in Jackson last week. CG Tower from this board is the Portsmouth Branch historian bar none.

How far south did you from Jackson. I was told you weren't going south of Jackson.

[cr6903]

I didn't think about a yahoo group until it was mentioned-scrolling through it, it looks like there's plenty of information.
I'm in Northwest Ohio, so I didn't become intrigued in the Jackson area until the run last year. I had not been down in that area prior to the run, so I only knew what maps told me. Having been on it twice, I'm interested in learning what I can.

We ended up going to Oak Hill. There was a fair of some kind in town and it was busy. The line looks as though it sees virtually nothing, but ironically it was smoother than the parts in the Jackson-Coalton area. Had a lot of foot-tall (or more)weeds battering the bottom of the truck!

[midland sub]

US Rail's big business on the line is tank car storage. They get some pretty good coin for storing LP tankers during the summer months. I saw a pretty good cut of molten sulfur tanks at Hamden and back at the wye for the old Ohio Div main and Portsmouth branch. They haven't gone south of Jackson in at least 3 weeks or more. Those empty pulp wood flats in Jackson have been getting loaded at place called Clay. Clay is just north of Oak Hill- the last SR 93 crossing before Oak Hill. There used to be strip coal mine that loaded a couple coal trains there back in the early '90s. GP has been loading logs there on and off for the past 10 or so years- more off than on recently. There's one last active customer just outside of Oak Hill. A company loads CSX Ortner hoppers with clay every once in awhile. It's been a good 3 or so months since they last loaded a car. There's a customer at the very end of the tracks about 5 or 6 miles away. They had an out of service trestle last year that didn't get repaired for quite some time. The customer gave up on using US Rail and now uses a NS transload somewhere around Ironton.

Actually US Rail and the Jackson lines aren't off topic at all. The I&O was the first operator of the lines from 1986 to 1994.

Did you join the group yet?

[cr6903]

I applied to the group yesterday, still waiting on moderator approval. I can see the messages, however, and I'm learning a lot.
The whole area around Jackson and Wellston must have been full of track at one time. Looking at the Historical Topographic maps online is helpful to try to sort things out.

[midland sub]

Make sure you check out the photo albums of: CG Tower's Apple Fest, Jeff Doty's Ohio Div and Mike D'Blay's Wellston Sub stuff- incredible stuff in that one. Also check out Dave Bishop's 70-80s WCH and PRR Morrow Sec.

Read the post from this weekend and CG Tower has link's to his website of track charts of the lines you were on.

If we aren't talking about railroad history stuff from this part of Ohio, it's mostly the I&O and US Rail discussion.

[GenXRailMedia]

The SLGG boxcars are also coming out of storage...in 30 car cuts. They're being interchanged with the AA at Diann.

Is it correct to assume these are the ones in the Quincy siding, or are there more of them?

[midland sub]

The SLGG cars stored on the Midland between Blanchester and Midland City are supossed to start moving north in July for their "date" on the AA.

[strugglin]

I recently drove along the Midland from Wilmington to Grove City on my way back to Columbus from Cincinnati. I had a question about that new Valero plant in Bloomingburg, is it in the same location as the Cargill plant, I believe it was? I was expecting to see a whole new facility when I drove through town, but all I found was the same place with the yellow diesel they use to switch cars, which I think was the Cargill plant. I did get lucky enough to see a CSX ethanol train for Valero parked on the line past Mt. Sterling, but I think it was past Haynes because I saw cars on a siding, but the train was parked on the main line.

[midland sub]

Yes that's the Valero ethanol plant you saw next to Cargill in Bloomingburg. With Cargill as big as it is, it sort of overshadows the ethanol plant. Since Cargill supplies all the inbound corn the ethanol plant didn't need all the extra corn storage and dryers that other plants have. The plant was originally going to be a Cargill-ASA project, but Cargill wised up back in 2006 and figured out the ethanol future was too unstable and sold out to Verasun. Verasun keep the same building plans of using Cargill to supply, store and dry all inbound corn. Verasun began limited production at the plant in 2008, but never got to more than 50% production before shutting down in Dec. 2008. By far the plant is the biggest production wise for Ohio at 110 million gallons per year. Last I heard the plant is around 90% at this point and should be at 100% by July. They're producing one 65 to 80 car ethanol train a week along with around 60-65 DDG loads a week. They're getting around 50 to 75 cars of corn a week from different spots on the I&O-CFE-CIND. The plant is a huge money maker for the I&O. Sort of like Honda on the CIND.

The SW8 is actually just for Cargill. The unit is still in it's old Essex Terminal paint scheme. Valero uses 2 large trackmobiles for the ethanol plant. Also there's an old trackmobile for Cargill sitting around.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1409221

If there's something at Haynes or the empty ethanol train is more then 65 cars CSX usually has to leave the train and power in an odd spot. Sometimes it's Mt Sterling depending on what's sitting at Haynes and what the great RA dispatchers come up with.

[AARR]

They're producing one 65 to 80 car ethanol train a week along with around 60-65 DDG loads a week. They're getting around 50 to 75 cars of corn a week from different spots on the I&O-CFE-CIND.

I enjoy data like this. Thanks midland sub!

[midland sub]

They just took up 15 DDG empties Monday night and another 26 tonight. 15 or 16 loaded DDGs went to Cincy this morning on the Wash CH Turn.

Hey Redside they're heading towards you with 7 pellet cars for Ashland Chemical at Grove City. You can't miss them, 5678's horn won't shut off....why they didn't take 4030 is beyond me....

[strugglin]

Thanks for the reply Midland Sub, is the 5678 in Grove City tonight? I might drive down there to see it, even in the dark and now the rain. Man, I need updates on when the I&O runs up to Ashland, I've never seen an I&O train up this way, and would love to go down to Grove City and see them when they arrive.

Do you happen to know what engine is currently on the Logan Sub & how often it actually comes up to Parsons Yard with a train. Me & my brother have tried for years, but have never once seen the I&O come through Valley Crossing at the south end of Watkins Yard.

[midland sub]

They should be there anytime now. You can"t miss 5678's horn..

At the moment CFE 3887 is the Logan Sub power. I think M-W-F nights are the runs to Parsons.

[strugglin]

Thanks again Midland, I drove down at midnight and sure enough 5678 was at Ashland with its train. The diesel was still running, the horn was not, so maybe they got it unstuck on the way up? If you or Redside can confirm it is still there or will be there in the morning, I will drive back down to get some pics in the daytime, I can't remember the last time I saw a diesel in CP paint in Columbus, it was worth the 15 minute drive just to see it in the dark!