(erielack) Marion and environs

["R.M.\"Rich\" Tubbs" <rtubbs_@_acc-net.com>]

Nothing west of Marion was conveyed to Conrail. The EL estate retained ownership of these lines until the eventual sale of major portions to L.B.Foster for scrapping. There was a shortline, the Spencerville and Elgin Railroad, that operated the section between Lima and Ohio City into the 1980's but I'm not sure when they started operations. Also operating another western portion was the short-lived Erie Western. Again, not sure when they started operations but I think list member Michael Dye can give us that information as well info about another shortline, the Tippecanoe (??) Railroad. East of Marion, the joint trackage between Galion and Marion was conveyed and operated by Conrail but all traffic went west out of Marion on the old NYC/PC Indianapolis lines. In the mid to late 80's, even this trackage was single tracked (you guessed it....the EL track (westbound) was the one pulled up as it was still jointed rail while the eastbound PC track was fairly new ribbon rail). I'm not sure what kind of an agreement was hurriedly drawn up between the EL Estate and Conrail, but switching service was continued at the Mansfield (actually Ontario) Fisher Body plant by Conrail crews. They would have had to access the former EL by way of the interchange tracks in the yards. Soon after Conrail, there was a new connection track built between the Pennsy tracks and the former EL which allowed for the removal of the diamonds and the closure of both towers at that interlocking (Erie "MD" and Pennsy "P" towers). Hope this helps!

                                      Rich Tubbs
                                      Marion, OH
                        ELHS Subscriber #1226 (a GP7)
                           Former EL Tower Operator 
 http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~tubbs/ErieLackawanna/
 

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>
To: "'R.M."Rich" Tubbs'" <rtubbs_@_acc-net.com>; "Erie Lackawanna List" <erielack@lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 9:45 AM
Subject: RE: (erielack) Marion and environs


> Wow, this is news to this "East Ender" - I thought CR ran the line west of Marion for at least a little while, but CR never ran a revenue freight (with the exception of that rescue movement) over the west end? That's a shocker!
> 
> Not surprised about the Dayton Branch, though.
> 
> - Paul

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