After a good night's rest at the Knights Inn, Chris Parker and I walked to the breakfast room for a hearty continental breakfast.
Today's excursion will be a round trip from Dennison east to Gould Tunnel, with a possible surprise on the return trip. Dennison was a Pennsylvania Railroad division point halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus. In the early part of the 20th century, the town contained a shop complex, major yard and employed some 3,000 people. Departing Dennison, we will hed east on a line known as the Panhandle. The Panhandle nickname was given to the PRR main line from Pittsburgh to Columbus because it ran through the Panhandle of West Virginia.
The Ohio Central Railroad currently operates the Panhandle from Columbus to Mingo Junction, Ohio. They began operating the line in 1993 after taking over from Conrail. Freight traffic over the line has steadily increased including two daily unit coal trains running to the American Electric Power Company plant on the west side of Coshocton. At Bowerston, the Wheeling and Lake Erie mainline is merged with the OC as far as Jewett. The two lines were literally next to each other for the approximate 10 miles between these two points. The old W&LE right-of-way is visible on the north side of the train. Both railroadss handle coal from two branch lines to the south.
The excursion today will continue to Gould Tunnel near Mingo Junction. This is the longest tunnel in the state of Ohio, easuring over half a mile in length. Operating conditions permitting, you will be able to detrain and observe the west portal and the opening that once housed large fans to draw smoke from the tunnel during the days of steam. Gould Tunnel was bored as part of numerous line changes carried out by PRR in this area intended to ease curves and grades. Many other changes are visible through the trees, including several tunnels and bridges. Except for the tunnel which contained a gauntlet track arrangement in later years, the Panhandle was a double track railroad.
During the return trip, we plan to stop at Apex, where the former NYC, now Ohio Rail, crosses the Ohio Central and where a new connection has opened this year to access a major landfill area to the north.
We walked over to the Holiday Inn, the NRHS 2006 convention headquarters, to board the second bus to Dennison and had to take the last two seats in the back. We were dropped us off at the Dennison Depot and waited for the train to be spotted so we could board.
Passengers were waiting for the gate to be opened.
There were plenty of members eagerly awaiting the excursion. Joe Harper, the official convention videographer, stopped by to see me.
The train where I had left it yesterday.
It then started to reverse down to the switch to acecss the mainline.
Next it pulled forward towards the depot.
Passing the station and ready for boarding.
The Dennison Station board listing all our Ohio Central trips during the Convention.
At 8:07 AM, we boarded and I selected seats for Chris and I in Pennsylvania Railroad air-conditioned coach RPCX 101, then walked back to the concession car, where I ran into Jim Bergant from Louisville, Kentucky. We departed at 8:30 AM and just east of the station, I spotted Joe Harper for the first of many times today. He does get around!
Passing underneath one of the remaining Pennsylvania Railroad signal bridges.
Rolling Ohio scenery.
Our train curving left with Ohio Central 7220 running long hood forward this morning.
The beautiful green Ohio countryside.
Curving to the right and smoking it up as a good Alco does.
Rolling east through the forest.
Curving right as the hill's size increases.
At Bowerston, the tracks of the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, on which the final excursion of the convention would run, came in from the northwest.
Conotton, Ohio, home of the 11.2 mile Conotton Creek Trail, once the corridor of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, which transported iron ore from Great Lakes ports to the steel mills of the Ohio River Valley and hauled coal mined from Harrison County to markets in all directions. Today, one of the rail lines is still used, carrying coal, raw materials and manufactured goods.
Curving towards Scio, Ohio.
Another former Pennsy signal bridge.
Another curve as we neared Jewett.
The third former Pennsy signal bridge remains and a little further on, a fourth one.
Along the route, the train chasers were out in force taking photographs.
As we passed through Jewett, the Wheeling & Lake Erie line took off to the north, paralleling us for about a mile until we crossed over it.
Jewett, Ohio, originally called Fairview and was platted in 1851 as Jewett. It takes its name from T.M. Jewett, a railroad official. The town was the original home of the Jewett Car Company, a streetcar manufacturer from 1894 until 1904 and streetcars produced were shipped throughout the United States. The company relocated to Newark, Ohio in 1904 and ceased operations in 1919.
As we passed over the Wheeling & Lake Erie line, heading south to Pittsburgh Junction, we spotted some of the train chasers photographing us from below.
Passing the siding at Cadiz Junction.
Ohio Central SD40T-2 4025, nee Southern Pacific 8520 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1978, was here on a garbage train on its way to Apex.
At Panhandle, we passed the line to Apex where a limestone mine has been turned into garbage dump for rubbish from New Jersey.
A small covered bridge near Fernwood.
Structures near Fernwood, Ohio.
Before Gould Tunnel was a spur on which sat Ohio Central F40PH 271, nee Amtrak 271 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1977. Once past the spur, we stopped, C420 7220 was uncoupled and 271 came out onto the mainline and pulled the train backwards until it cleared the switch. Once clear, 7220 reversed onto the spur and 271 pushed us forward.
Beyond the switch and 7220, now being short hood forward, coupled onto the west end of our train to lead us back.
Our train then reversed towards the Gould Tunnel.
Our power now on the west end of the train.
The train reversed to near the tunnel and stopped for some photo runbys.
Reverse move one.
Photo runby one with our passenger train.
The photo freight was inside the tunnel and our conductor tried to radio him, but without success, so he used a flare to gain the crew's attention to start forward for the freight train photo runby.
Photo runby two with the freight consist of Ohio Central RS18 1800, Pennsylvania Railroad box car 51121, Montour hopper 815, UTLX tank car 208, Chesapeake and Ohio box car 13049, Ohio Central Railroad covered hoppers 103 and 106, maintenance-of-way flat car 920 and Ohio Central caboose 1880.
The freight train was then posed for pictures.
Afterwards, the freight train returned to inside the tunnel to clear the tracks so our passenger train could pick us all up, then we started the journey back to Dennison. The air conditioning in my coach was a relief on this very hot and humid day.
A couple of railfans waited here for us on our return trip.
Crossing a little creek.
Proceeding west, we passed under the US 22 highway bridge and through some lowlands.
I always like lowlands like this as I find them very interesting and you never know what you might see.
Rounding a slight curve.
Passing some cows in their stable.
Another curve.
Milepost 59.
Later, while passing through a deep cut, our train went under a bridge full of chasers.
We returned to Panhandle and once we cleared the switch, stopped.
The now-empty garbage train came off the Apex Line with Ohio Central SD40T-2 4025 and SD40-2 4024.
Ohio Central SD40T-2 4025.
Ohio Central SD40-2 4024, ex. Ohio Central 7378, exx. General American Transportation 7378, nee Missouri Pacific 3200 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1978.
The garbage train then passed the rear of our train.
Once the garbage train had cleared the switch to head east, we reversed slowly past the switch.
At Milepost 62, there was an old Pennsylvania Railroad mileage marker still standing.
Our train then pulled forward heading up the Apex Line.
Starting up the grade and at the junction of the line that goes south, it stopped and we detrained for another set of photo runbys.
Photo runby three was with our passenger train on this new connection that the Ohio Central built in late 2005.
Photo runby four was with the photo freight. Once this runby was completed, the freight train reversed and returned home to Morgan Run. Our train reversed to pick us up before continuing on the Apex Line and getting some very rare mileage.
Heading north through the forest.
Rounding a curve on the Apex Line.
Railfans even found us here.
We passed a field with hay stacks and yes, there was a railfan standing on the last one getting his unique picture.
Our train went 5.1 miles up this line before stopping then reversing down to the mainline.
Before Panhandle, we crossed over the line to Hopedale.
Our train continued to reverse down to the mainline at Panhandle.
Rolling onto the mainline. Once the switch was thrown, we proceeded west back to Dennison.
The small covered bridge in Jewett. I relaxed in the coach the rest of the way, where we arrived early at 4:47 PM, ending an excellent first 2006 NRHS convention trip on the Ohio Central Railroad.
While we waited for the buses back to New Philadelphia, I toured the Dennison Depot Museum then returned back to the Holiday Inn and ate at the Texas Roadhouse there. After an excellent dinner, Chris and I walked back to the Knights Inn for the night. Tomorrow, the Cuyahoga Valley and Minerva Steam Railroad Museum.
| RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE |
