The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway has installed a 6,900-foot passing siding in Creston, Ohio. The west switch is at MP B108.76, just east of Brooklyn Street. The east switch is at MP B110.2 north of Sterling Road. The new siding will allow meets between eastbound and westbound trains on the Brewster subdivision (Spencer–Brewster).
Trains had been passing at Orrville, using the former W&LE mainline, now the Orrville secondary. Use of that line requires heading in on lesser-weight rail and then backing out to the mainline after the meet. The new siding at Creston will eliminate that tedious move.
In the 1970s, under Norfolk & Western ownership, there were passing sidings every 10 miles. Those sidings had remotely-controlled switches and signals. They were removed shortly after the current Wheeling came in to being in May 1990. Current operations are controlled with track warrants issued from the system dispatcher in Brewster at the company headquarters building.
The attached photos document the phases of construction and initial use of the new siding. After the switches were installed, the adjacent right-of-way was cleared, and then ties, rails and ballast were installed. After the track machines left, the siding was placed in operation. It was used by trains traveling at restrictive speed to settle the new track. The track is 136-pound welded rail, although the switches are not yet motored.
According to the September 2010 issue of the W&LE newsletter, The Headlight, the signal department is currently engaged in putting power switches at both ends of the new Creston siding. Once the powered switches are installed the siding will be completed.
I photographed the construction progress whenever I visited Creston. The photo gallery shows that progress. Thanks to Jim Hill, W&LE division superintendant, for his help with this article.
Article and Photographs by Richard Jacobs
W&LE’s new siding at Creston is progressing on August 4, 2010. The track machines are active providing the finishing touches.
The west switch for the new siding at Creston, OH is installed at MP B108.76. The photograph was taken on June 30, 2010.
W&LE No. 5391 leads a westbound freight at restricted speed through the new siding at Creston, OH on August 9, 2010.
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