BS Tower

[Beal99]

Is this still standing in Bellefontaine?

[midland sub]

It was still standing back in September, haven't heard anything different since then.

[B-Town]

I thought this was gonna be about BS (Big Sandy) Tower in Kentucky!

[cbehr91]

I'm assuming that you mean this tower:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/p3subhunter/5811094042/

But since this is in the Ohio Talk section, then no, they wouldn't be referring to BS Cabin in Big Sandy, Kentucky.

As for the whereabouts of BS Tower in Bellefontaine, I don't know...haven't been over that way in a few months. But at the same time I don't see why it wouldn't be torn down unless it had a fire or something. And if it did, I would think that we'd know about it.

[railohio]

I believe Bates tower in Rossford, Ohio was also a "BS"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railohio/6063426731/

[bdconrail29]

The tower is still there. I remember when CR still used the Springfield line south of here, by then just a local and no thru-Cincinnati traffic though. The interlocking looked exactly like that of CP-80 in Galion. I believe in 92 or 93 they removed the switch off the Big 4 to the Springfield side, but the NB home signals off the Springfield side remained for years, lit. If I remember correctly, the St. Mary's branch way back peeled off just north of the tower.

Way back, there was another tower out at the north end of Bellefontaine Yard, called BN Tower. The signal set north (east) of that was a full set of crossovers known as Turner. I'm not sure when CR got rid of the crossovers but I remember them at the U.S. 68 crossing I think.

CR didn't run too much down the Springfield line. TOCI and CITO were really the main two freights scheduled. There may have been another pair, but not necessarily running at the same time. Also, I think the Big 4 ran SECI and CISE sometimes that way, but that could operate via the Burt Line too. Most of it's use was from NYC and PC days, which did use it quite a bit as I believe at one time it was double track all the way down.

In 1997 I rode an excursion train from Bellefontaine south to Springfield, then onto the DT&I from there to Jeffersonville. In the late afternoon we rode back. It was classic going over the Panhandle and Erie at Urbana.

[midland sub]

I'm surprised the line is still in place north of West Liberty. The I&O had a couple of customers located in Bellefontaine back when WESTCO bought the line from Conrail in Jan 1994, but they stopped using rail or went out of business not very soon afterward. The line is in pretty bad shape from Urbana to Bellefontaine. Needs a lot ties replaced to the CWR in place. The grain traffic coming out of West Liberty is really beating the tracks up. North of West Liberty needs a hi-rail lead due to the track conditions. They don't look that bad at Bellefontaine, but south of there it does. There's about 75 to 100 NOKL autoracks stored up there now that will probably be there for at least a couple of years or longer.

[railfanOhio]

Thought she is showing her age BS towere at Milepost QI 141.1 is still standing. I guess that is a statement to how well she was built in the first place. If you want to drive by and see it, it is located just off Chillicothe Street in Bellefontaine. It is right behind the EWH Spectrum building. She needs some paint and attention, but it still quite solid. Would be nice if she could be acquired and restored. Even nicer to turn the small area into a small park.

[conrailman75]

I have a print shot of this tower taken back in early 1996 IIRC. I do remember that the milepost railohio mentioned was still stenciled on the side of it(MP 141.1). I'd have to find the print to see if there were still any Conrail signs on it or not.

[cbehr91]

In the 80s there was a Conrail blue "B.S. TOWER" sign on the tower. Now there are small blue "141" signs on at least 3 sides of the building.

Don't quote me on the date of closure, but BS (previously called High Tower because it was 4 stories way back when) Tower closed in the 60s and the plant was remoted to BN yard office on the east side of town (I know that much, just not the exact date). BN yard and the crew dorm closed in 1983 and CP 141 was remoted to Ridgeway which was shortly thereafter remoted to Marion when Ridgeway closed.

[BnOEngr]

I believe Bates tower in Rossford, Ohio was also a "BS"

Yes it was. That's what I thought the thread was about.