NYC through Troy, Ohio.

[Huelsy'sTrainBlog]

Foes anyone have any information at all about this track? When was it taken out?

[bdconrail29]

Foes anyone have any information at all about this track? When was it taken out?

This line was known as the Springfield Branch. It was a completely redundant line by PC days and by that time was in PC's Southern Region in the Cincinnati Division, and was sort of a back way into Indianapolis. Believe it or not, it ran all the way there on its own, beginning at the joint NYC/EL at Cold Springs Tower southwest of Springfield. The line ran 130 miles to Indianapolis, through mainly open country. PC ran a local on the line referred to as the Lynn Local, and I'm not sure if it ran all the way from Springfield to Lynn, IN (where the Richmond-Fort Wayne Line crossed) or not. I'm thinking it ran all the way to Lynn, since there was a small yard there and was about half-way from Springfield to Indianapolis. In later PC days, the Springfield local turned back at Arcanum.

One big customer on the line was Continental Grain Elevator at Arcanum, and is probably one of the reasons pre-deregulation the NYC and PC kept the line intact.

Most of the line was gone before Conrail. One stub was kept up to CR regarding the Arcanum elevator. The diamond was removed at Savona, where the Cincinnati Northern and this branch crossed. A stub was run from the CN eastward to the Arcanum elevator. To my knowledge, none of this made it to CR.

The most dramatically rural crossings were at Savona (Cincinnati Northern) and Hewitt (PRR Bradford-New Paris line). These were not manned and not interlocked.

[cbehr91]

Sometime between 1972 and 1975 the line was cut back west of the Ohio/Indiana border. I believe it did not make it into Conrail.

[bdconrail29]

Sometime between 1972 and 1975 the line was cut back west of the Ohio/Indiana border. I believe it did not make it into Conrail.

Yeah I have no idea. I suppose if I ever get motivated today and not be lazy, I could consult my timetables.

[Huelsy'sTrainBlog]

Thanks everyone!

[midland sub]

You can still see the Mad River tresle just west of Springfield from I-70.

All the details mentioned are found in A Sampling of Penn Central. Especially the details that the NYC tried to keep them from building the grain elevator @ Arcanum. Which Continental figured out a couple of years later and sold the elevator. Still there and no longer has any rail access after the CN was abandoned.

[Huelsy'sTrainBlog]

The old tressle across the Stillwater along State Route 55 east of Ludlow Falls is still visible.

[TrainWatcher]

Ok, so let me ask another question, where did this line cross the B&O? I have been to Troy a few times when I was down in Dayton, and the only real spot I can see this is where the Troy depot is, as I know there is a spur off the B&O that ends out near the large grain elevator near I-75 and Co RD 25A.

[BnOEngr]

I believe that is the old NYC line in question. It is known as the "P&T Branch". Crews hate going back there because of busy roads and bad track.

[TrainWatcher]

I believe that is the old NYC line in question. It is known as the "P&T Branch". Crews hate going back there because of busy roads and bad track.

Thanks BnO. I notice quite a few "branchlines" on the B&O in the Dayton Area. The Dupps Branch to Germantown (old CN) at New Carlisle and the Dayton Bus (Old Deplhi) branch come to mind.

[Huelsy'sTrainBlog]

Ok, so let me ask another question, where did this line cross the B&O? I have been to Troy a few times when I was down in Dayton, and the only real spot I can see this is where the Troy depot is, as I know there is a spur off the B&O that ends out near the large grain elevator near I-75 and Co RD 25A.

James it crossed right south of the depot. The branch there was originally the B&O to connect to downtown Piqua, now it only goes to the grain elevator.

[cbehr91]

I believe that is the old NYC line in question. It is known as the "P&T Branch". Crews hate going back there because of busy roads and bad track.

The P&T is a parallel CH&D line between Piqua and Troy still in to serve a few industries in Troy. It's unclear to me whether this was "the old main" or a second piece of trackage into downtown Piqua.

"The spur" as James described it is the P&T.

The P&E crossed just south of the existing depot. It was known as B&O Crossing in timetables. It crossed north of the P&T switch off the Toledo Sub main today and north of the north end of the siding.

http://goo.gl/maps/RLPbH

[bdconrail29]

Another lost line in the area was the CH&D line that ran south from Delphos to Dayton. It ran south from the Clover Leaf at Delphos and crossed the Erie at Spencerville on diamond, next to the canal. It then curved over thru Monticello, Mendon, Mercer, crossing the NKP at Celina. It then curved back and headed southeast crossing the Big 4 at Versailles and the PRR Bradford Side at Covington. From there, it ran down to Ludlow Falls, West Milton, and Stillwater Junction. Earlier, this was known as the Cincinnati, Findlay, and Fort Wayne Division, because it used to extend north of Delphos to a point called Mandale west of Findlay, to hit the Findlay-Fort Wayne "tangent line."

In the 1904 timetable, there were 6 passenger trains daily between Dayton and Delphos.

I believe Cory to be correct, in that the original alignment of the line crossed the river on the NE side of Piqua, and th new alignment is today, with the crossing at Troy, since the B&O main to Toledo was the CH&D.

[TrainWatcher]

Another lost line in the area was the CH&D line that ran south from Delphos to Dayton. It ran south from the Clover Leaf at Delphos and crossed the Erie at Spencerville on diamond, next to the canal. It then curved over thru Monticello, Mendon, Mercer, crossing the NKP at Celina. It then curved back and headed southeast crossing the Big 4 at Versailles and the PRR Bradford Side at Covington. From there, it ran down to Ludlow Falls, West Milton, and Stillwater Junction. Earlier, this was known as the Cincinnati, Findlay, and Fort Wayne Division, because it used to extend north of Delphos to a point called Mandale west of Findlay, to hit the Findlay-Fort Wayne "tangent line."

In the 1904 timetable, there were 6 passenger trains daily between Dayton and Delphos.

I believe Cory to be correct, in that the original alignment of the line crossed the river on the NE side of Piqua, and th new alignment is today, with the crossing at Troy, since the B&O main to Toledo was the CH&D.

Now, does that mean the large trestle over the river in downtown Piqua (now I think it's part of a trail)was the old CH&D line?

[railohio]

Now, does that mean the large trestle over the river in downtown Piqua (now I think it's part of a trail)was the old CH&D line?

http://goo.gl/maps/rBdWb

That river bridge is the former Pennsy.

[bdconrail29]

Brian's correct. The bridge you see in the map is the PRR Columbus-Bradford line. The CH&D would have crossed the river a bit northeast of town, out in the country, probably near Lockington but I'm not sure.

[bdconrail29]

I actually have no idea where it crossed the river. It could have been in Piqua or not. I'll have to find a topo map or something.

[cbehr91]

For those who are totally lost here is a high-res online map of the CH&D that has the line to Delphos and everything. The NYC (Big 4/P&E) branch in question crossed the CH&D to Union City at Arcanum.

http://www.uc.edu/cdc/urban_database/hi ... rr_map.jpg

[StupidFlee​t]

a second piece of trackage into downtown Piqua.

this is correct