Columbus Roundhouse May be Razed

CSX is talking about demolishing a former Chesapeake & Ohio roundhouse in Parsons Yard in Columbus.

The structure was built in 1927 and is on a list of facilities that CSX wants to raze.

A CSX spokeswoman told the Columbus Dispatch that no date has been set for the demolition.

In the meantime, the Columbus Landmarks Board is making an effort to save the structure.

Peter Krajnak, president of the Columbus Landmarks Board, said the structure could potentially be reused as a destination gathering place.

He said doing that would require “a splash of creativity,” and noted that a former trolley barn in Columbus was converted into the East Market food site.

The brick roundhouse once had 27 stalls. It was reduced to 15 stalls in the 1950s.

The Landmarks Foundation in 2020 placed the roundhouse on its most endangered list.

Century-Old Michigan Roundhouse Razed

CSX is going ahead with razing the former Port Huron & Detroit roundhouse in Port Huron, Michigan.

Part of the century-old building had collapsed in April. Razing of the structure began last Monday.

The roundhouse has long been vacant and demolition had begun in 2018 but was halted due to environmental concerns.

Efforts by a historical society to preserve the building were dropped because of the cost.

The Way It Used to be in Dennison

Dennison, Ohio, was a key point on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pittsburgh-Columbus line. In this series of images. most of which were made in summer 1967, we visit the Dennison yard during the final hours of Pennsy operation.

The top image shows the roundhouse in an image made with a Mamiya C# twin lens reflex camera. That is the late Mike Ondecker standing in front.

Next up are some facilities that were still in place that once serve steam locomotives. What you see might be double sanding towers as I have never seen concrete water towers.

The next image is looking west toward Columbus. Dennison saw all of the PRR’s elite New York-St. Louis passenger trains, including the Spirit of St. Louis.

Continuing on we get another view of the roundhouse, which looks to be in rather rough condition.

Let’s step back a year. “I made the next image from the side window of my parents’ 1965 Ford as we passed the yard in 1966. I was using my Minoltina 35mm rangefinder.”

Moving back to 1967, we know you want to see some Pennsy trains so here are a couple. In the first image we see an eastbound passing the yard.

You have to wonder if any of those locomotives and boxcars visible on this train are still around. They sure don’t look like anything you’d see today.

Finally, we view PRR U25B No. 2608 switching the yard.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

Michigan Roundhouse May be Razed

CSX may demolish a roundhouse in Port Huron, Michigan, after a portion of it collapsed last week.

The roundhouse had been built in 1920 by the Port Huron & Detroit.

Dismantling of the building had started in 2018 but had been halted over environmental concerns.

The Port Huron & Detroit Railroad Historical Society had considered seeking to purchase the roundhouse and restoring it but decided against that.

Dan Meinhard, president of the historical society, said a wall of the roundhouse likely collapsed during high winds during a storm.

“When you have a huge wall like that, that’s basically a free-standing wall, it’s basically a big sail,” Meinhard said.  

Meinhard said the decaying structure is a hazard because it’s unstable.

Although CSX has posted no trespassing signs on the property, the roundhouse has been visited by urban explorers and homeless people.

Alco Switcher Donated to W.Va. Roundhouse

A former Baltimore & Ohio Alco S-2 switcher has been donated to the Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

The authority is now seeking to raise money to pay to transport the engine from its current location in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The switcher must be moved by truck rather than by rail at an estimated cost of $700,000.

Once it arrives in Martinsburg, the switcher will be displayed at the former B&O roundhouse there.

Built in 1949 as B&O 9115, the roundhouse authority plans to restore the unit to its as-built appearance.

The Martinsburg shops complex, which includes the roundhouse, has one of the last fully-enclosed roundhouses in existence, as well as the adjacent bridge and machine shop, frog and switch shop and blacksmith shop.

It was built between 1866 and 1872 and once included a second enclosed roundhouse that was destroyed by fire in 1990.

Contributions may be sent to the Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority, c/o Jeff Hollis, 56 Corning Way, Martinbsurg, WV 25405.

Fire Damages NKP Roundhouse in Indiana

A former Nickel Plate Road roundhouse in Indiana was damaged by fire on Sunday.

Firefighters in Frankfort, Indiana, were called about 10 a.m. to the roundhouse, which is on property owned by Norfolk Southern and was reportedly unused.

Fire Chief John Kirby said firefighters initially had the blaze under control before a second fire broke out.

The department had to bring in 15 off-duty firefighters to battle the blaze as well as protect the rest of the city.

The fire was finally brought under control after six hours. One firefighter was treated at a local hospital for dehydration.

Fire Investigator Jeremy Ward said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“Firefighters were able to get the fire under control quickly and were hitting hot spots when a second fire erupted in another area of the Roundhouse,” Kirby said. “The second fire rapidly got out of control and took several hours to knock down.”

AOS to Allow Regular Public Tours

The Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek will begin allowing public group tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting May 3.

Admission is $20 payable in cash or check, but not via credit card.

AOS also announced an end to the prohibition on non-commercial photography by amateur photographers of the grounds and collection of the roundhouse.

Group tours will be offered through Oct. 27. Interested parties should use the “Contact Us” page at the website http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com

Tours for individuals and small groups will be offered on June 9 at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., comprising the same content as that offered to larger groups.

Tour participants must be over the age of 5, wear closed-toe shoes and old clothing, and sign a liability waiver.

The roundhouse was founded in 2012 by the late Jerry Jacobson, a former life member of the Akron Railroad Club and the head of the Ohio Central System before its sale to Genesee & Wyoming.

The 18-stall roundhouse features a 115-foot turntable, 20 steam locomotives and a fully outfitted backshop.

Age of Steam Offering Public Tours

The Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek is again offering public tours on Saturdays.

The tours require a group of 40 or more people and there is an admission charge of $20 per person.

The guided tours are being conducted between May 6 and Oct. 28. Participants must wear proper shoes that cover their entire feet and sign a liability release.

Children under age 10 are not allowed and it is recommended that participants wear old clothes.

The AOS said in a notice posted on its website that the roundhouse was never intended to be open to the public.

“But the public was curious, and their requests to come inside and look around were so great that [owner] Jerry [Jacobson] wanted to share his wonderful old trains with others who also love old trains,” the notice said.

The roundhouse has 18 stalls that house its collection of 19 steam locomotives ranging in size from 0-4-0 saddle tank engines to larger 2-8-4 and 4-8-4 locomotives.

The collection also includes old freight cars, passenger cars and diesels.

Bird’s Eye View of Jacobson’s Roundhouse

If you were a bird or owned a small plane and could fly over Sugar Creek, Ohio, this is what you would see at Jerry Jacobson's roundhouse that is currently under construction. Soon, steam locomotives and other vintage railroad equipment will sit on the turntable. (Photograph courtesy of John B. Corns)