Chessie Caboose in Massillon

Baltimore & Ohio caboose C2851 is in front of the long-gone freight house in Massillon on Feb. 15, 1981. 

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Good Catches While Trolling CSX, W&LE

I always remember Marty Surdyk using the fisherman’s term of “trolling” when hoping for a good catch.

On May 23, 2008, I had a good day of trolling during the afternoon before an Akron Railroad Club meeting. Craig Sanders and I caught a few unexpected prizes.

In Grafton as in photos one through three we caught CSX (ex Baltimore & Ohio) on the former Cleveland, Lorain & West Virginia) crossing the Big Four. Conrail units were still around but the surprise was the B&O caboose restored to excellent condition.

I also got a railfan (Craig) in the first photo. Often I did that on purpose to document who was on the scene.

Afterwards we were working our way to Spencer and we had a catch by surprise on the W&LE. Photos four and five show former Nickel Plate coaches 62 and 90 of the Midwest Railway Preservation Society being shipped to Wellington for short excursions on the Lorain & Wheeling.

Finally in photos six and seven on the former Akron, Canton & Youngstown we caught an empty Wheeling & Lake Erie stone hopper train headed back west to Carey.

Photo six was made west of Spencer while photo seven was at New London about to get on CSX (ex Big Four) on trackage rights to Greenwich.

Today I consider those heritage unit catches: Wisconsin Central, and Denver & Rio Grande Western.

I always wonder since we had good catches, did I have fish for dinner?

Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Backing up to Warwick

The CSX Wooster Turn is on its way back to Warwick and is shown here in Canal Fulton backing up from Massillon on R.J. Corman rails.

On the point is former Baltimore & Ohio caboose 903042. The date of the photograph is May 22, 1997.

The Wooster Turn used Norfolk Southern’s Fort Wayne Line between Massillon and Wooster.

Corman acquired the former B&O branch line between Warwick and Uhrichsville in 1988, and bought the 2.16-mile Wooster Industrial Track from CSX in August 2002.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

What’s in a Photograph? B&O at Massillon

Here are two photos of Baltimore & Ohio GP9 No. 6656 at Massillon in the late 1960s/early 1970 and a description of what you see.

The Canadian Pacific boxcar most likely had newsprint for the Massillon Independent. That is the B&O freight house on the right.

Other items of interest in this images from right to left are the B&O mainline from Warwick to Bridgeport, Ohio, a lesser used track  that believe also ran from Massillon to Bridgeport, a track running in front of the freight house, and a track ending by the freight house platform.

Article and Photographs by Robert Farkas

B&O Caboose to be Displayed in Lorain

A former Baltimore & Ohio caboose is set to be displayed in Lorain to celebrate the city’s railroad heritage.

The caboose, No. 903855, was donated by CSX and will be displayed at the Transportation Center at Black River Landing.

It is expected to be placed sometime this summer.

“The hardest part is done — we’ve got a caboose and it’s in pretty good shape,” said Gary Schaefer, director west of the National Model Railroad Association Mid-Central Region Division 4, who is involved with the committee overseeing placing the caboose at its final display site.

The caboose is currently sitting near Black River Wharf about 10 block away from its planned display site.

The Caboose Project Committee plans to move the caboose by truck but must do so in a way to avoid closing Black River Wharf.

A New York company will move the caboose on a trailer.

That sounds simple enough, but the planned route on Broadway is also undergoing construction that has narrowed it to one lane northbound.

After the caboose is placed it will be restored for display. That will involve cleaning, painting and window repair.

The committee hasn’t had much time to raise money to pay for the project so it is relying on grants, volunteer help and donations.

B&O Caboose Arrives at Fostoria Railpark

A former Baltimore & Ohio caboose was delivered by truck this week to the railfan park in Fostoria.

Photographs posted on Trainorders.com showed the caboose arriving on Monday evening.

The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society acquired the caboose last summer.

The caboose arrived without its wheels, which will, presumably be reattached soon before the car is set on rails for display.

Fostoria Rail Park Getting B&O Caboose

The Fostoria rail fan park is getting a former B&O caboose.

The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society purchased a 400-foot long C-3008 from an auction service for $1,500. the caboose was located in Alvada, Ohio.

The caboose was built in November 1965 by International Car Company in Kenton.

In Fostoria, it will be placed near the Iron Triangle Visiting Center and Viewing Area at the south side of the platform.

The Fostoria group is hoping that CSX will donate a 40-foot section of track on which the caboose will be placed.

Also coming to the rail park are picnic tables and benches, a concrete sidewalk, WiFi and cameras.

Painesville Museum to Celebration Restoration of B&O Caboose Torched by Arsonist in 2006

A restored former Baltimore & Ohio caboose sits next to the ex-New York Central passenger station in Painesville. (Photograph by Jeff Troutman)

The Painesville Railroad Museum will hold a christening ceremony on Oct. 17 to celebrate the restoration of a former Baltimore & Ohio caboose.

The caboose, C-2124, was donated in 2000 by Lubrizol Corporation, but damaged by arson on March 22, 2006.

It sat outside the former New York Central railroad station in Painesville for several years, reduced to its metal framework.

Restoration began in 2011 and was completed this summer.

The museum, which is operated by the Western Reserve Railroad Historical Society, will hold a day of railfanning at the Painesville depot between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the day of the christening. The ceremony will start at 3 p.m.