Zanesville, Ohio

[lakeshoredave]

What trains run through Zanesville, Ohio? I was recently there and saw a few tracks that went through town.

[bluestreak81]

The Zanesville Western & Scenic Railroad http://www.zwsr.org

[lakeshoredave]

thanks for the information. it sure didn't look like my kind of railfanning on a class 1 mainline.

[redside20]

Look for a coal movement going from New Lexington north to the AEP Plant at Conesville...I don't know when the coal train is scheduled to appear in Zanesville but they run six days a week and traverse the Old Wheeling to connect with the OC mainline at Trinway (Dresden). Also last I heard the Cambridge turn for Zanesville runs out of the predawn hours MWF and returns for Cambridge in the late afternoon. That's all I know...

[cbehr91]

No class Is in Zanesville since the Central Ohio Sub changed hands from CSX to Ohio Central, and that's been 10 odd years now.

[redside20]

What Cory said...Zanesville was once home to two...maybe three major railroads in the past..A Nickel Plate line later NW/NS which then became the Ohio Southern a spinoff carrier around 1988 or 89 respectively as it has always been a route for coal traffic..And the other an ew B&O line which from the West Virginia state line to Newark and used another railroad to get into Columbus. I have no idea if that Pennsy line that ran through Circleville, Lancaster etc..went through Zanesville.

[redside20]

Lakeshore Dave...I went and asked around over on the Ohio railroad facebook and this is what was provided to me by another individual.
The Ohio Central runs train NZT between Newark and Zanesville every evening.it typically leaves Newark between 630 and 7 PM each evening returning early the next morning. Train length on the NZT can run as high as 70 cars or more. Once The train arrives at Zanesville, The loads for Tunnel Hill landfill are pulled off by train ZVL2 which departs from Zanesville to Tunnel Hill about 9 PM. NZT Then works local Zanesville industries overnight. When ZVL2 returns with empties from Tunnel Hill, they are combined with loads and empties from Zanesville and Cambridge and NZT Returns west to Newark. Train ZVL1 works the day shift and head east to Cambridge servicing industries eastward.add in the two coal trains BOT and RHT And Zanesville can become a busy place.

[redside20]

This was also posted by another person.
Unless they changed it, they were only heading to Cambridge Monday, Wednesday , and Fridays.

Also the person who responded to my original question also had this to add
What I was told Brian was that ZVL1 works to Cambridge as needed. I have seen them in Cambridge on Tuesdays before. so I think it is as traffic warrants.with the increased traffic at Eastpointe and the industry at Norwich plus the Frak Sand traffic The Eastern end gotten a little busier.

[midland sub]

Former B&O Newark Div main runs east to west from Newark and comes into Zanesville on the western edge. Crosses river in downtown and heads northeast to Cambridge. Line was secondary main for the B&O between Columbus (actually Midland City if you want to split hairs) and Wheeling. Line saw a handful of trains a day thru the late 1970s. Washouts between Cambridge and Wheeling severed the line '81 or '82. CSX sold to OC back in October 2004.

OC bought old WLE into Zanesville back 1988.

PRR indeed was the old Morrow Secondary from just east of Cincinnati to Zanesville to Trinway and the Panhandle main. Morrow to Bremen wasn't included in Conrail. Bremen to New Lexington became part of WV Secondary. New Lexington to Zanesville became a short line and eventually the Ohio Southern under the OC. Zanesville north to Trinway also wasn't included as part of Conrail and removed. The line between the Panhandle at Trinway to Zanesville is the old WLE.

What Greg said...Zanesville was once home to two...maybe three major railroads in the past..A Nickel Plate line later NW/NS which then became the Ohio Southern a spinoff carrier around 1988 or 89 respectively as it has always been a route for coal traffic..And the other an ew B&O line which from the West Virginia state line to Newark and used another railroad to get into Columbus. I have no idea if that Pennsy line that ran through Circleville, Lancaster etc..went through Zanesville.

[midland sub]

Dug a bit deeper on Zanesville. PRR Lines West Vol 1 shows Zanesville to Trinway included as part of Conrail. New Lexington to Zanesville was purchased by the State of Ohio (along with what was still in service of the old NYC branch to East Fultonham and Glass Rock) and operated first by the Moxohala Valley and then the Ohio Southern.

[lakeshoredave]

excellent info guys. thanks.