On Tuesday of the five-day C&O Historical Society Convention in Dublin, OH Herb Parsons and I decided to spend a few hours trackside on the former C&O main line north of Columbus. Our hotel was only a short distance from the track, so our first stop was Powell.
Coming out of the Scioto River valley in downtown Columbus, there is a 16-mile grade north (railroad west) the crests west of Powell. The hill reaches 0.50 percent in two locations. That is not very steep unless you are trying to get a heavy coal train up it. In steam days a helper was needed. In the ‘80s a pusher was used again, but now the powerful AC locomotives have tamed Powell hill.
1. Signals - view 1.
2. Signals - view 2.
3. Signals - view 3.
4. CSX 5282-49 with w/b T909-19 (Marfork Mine, WV to Arcelor-Mittal Steel at Burns Harbor, IN) 120 loads.
5. CSX 5282-49 with w/b T909-19 (Marfork Mine, WV to Arcelor-Mittal Steel at Burns Harbor, IN) 120 loads. View 2.
6. BNSF 4405-9685 on e/b K080-18 (Cicero, IL to Yorktown, VA). 103 CBTX crude oil tankers plus two buffer cars.
7. BNSF 4405-9685 on e/b K080-18 (Cicero, IL to Yorktown, VA). 103 CBTX crude oil tankers plus two buffer cars. View 2.
8. CBTX is the reporting mark for CIT Group/Capital Finance Corp.
9. This BNSF covered hopper was stenciled “spacer car” or “buffer car.”
10. CSX 7666-404 lead e/b K711-18 (Carey, OH to Coshocton, OH). This is a limestone train from National Lime & Stone to AEP’s Conesville power plant just west of Coshocton on Ohio Central (former PRR). It is used in the scrubbers to remove SO2.
11. CSX 7666-404 lead e/b K711-18 (Carey, OH to Coshocton, OH). View 2.
12. ANGX is the reporting mark for The Andersons Rail Group.
13. AEX is The Andersons. Primarily a grain and agriculture based company, they are big in railcar leasing and repair also.
14. AEX is The Andersons. View 2.
15. MQRX is Macquarie Rail Inc., a large leasing company.
16. MQRX is Macquarie Rail Inc., a large leasing company. View 2.
Parts 2 and 3 will continue the rail fan journey.