Nostalgia & History > Cincinnati Railroads, December 1975

Due to Navy commitments in San Diego, I got a late start on leave back in Cincinnati in December 1975. With a significant snowstorm arriving with me, my railfanning opportunities were limited to one day after Christmas before I had to head back to the Golden State.

1. Southern SD35 #3082 was on the point of a southbound freight being made up in Gest Street Yard. It was so dark, with snow in the air, I had to get this shot using a tripod.

2, 3. Still using a tripod, and wiping the water from the lens periodically, I managed a couple of shots of #3082 as it crossed the Ohio River and began the assault on Erlanger Hill at Ludlow, Kentucky.

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4. I decided to return to Ohio and began heading back home. But then the snow slackened, and I gambled on a quick run up to C&O's Cheviot Yard to see if I could get any action. I didn't get very far before I saw a pair of units easing very slowly downgrade with a caboose tacked on. I quickly reversed course and set up west of Sunset Lane trestle.

5. With the radio saying that worse was still to come, I continued towards home. But then, naturally, the sun broke through the overcast. I quickly exited off Central Parkway and got a shot of RH Tower at the north end of B&O's Mill Creek yard. Within minutes of this shot, the overcast and snow returned, and I continued home.

What a bust! I knew I was going to be overseas in December 1976, but also knew I would be up for orders in the early summer of '77, and was determined to return to the Queen City with my own set of wheels and do some serious railfanning.

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Great stuff, Rick! I really love the texture in shots #2 & #3! The suspense (waiting) in #2 and the slight blur in #3 perfectly captures a cold, wet, and
miserable moment. Only the hardiest (fool-hardiest?) of photographers would be out in this muck. I know; many times I've gladly been one of those "fools".

Lance

Outstanding.

I can't underststand why Chessie was so anxious to rid themselves of Cheviot HIll?? jk

Fantastic! Love all the shots and the view of RH Tower is classic!

Thanks!

CG

Where does the track from the lower right to the middle left go?

penncentral74, to the best of my memory (and it's not what it use to be!), that track connected Mill Creek Yard with the Toledo Division main to Toledo and Detroit. The other track creating the diamond connected Yard A with B&O's Ohio Division main east to Chillicothe and Cumberland. RH Tower was named for the Stockyards roundhouse (RH) and was sited at the northern entrance/departure point to Mill Creek Yard. I believe it still stands today (or did when I was last in Cincy in 2004) at the northern end of CSX's Queensgate Yard.

B&O had more yards and facilities than any other railroad in the Queen City when I lived/railfanned there. In the Mill Creek Valley alone they had three yards: Mill Creek, Yard A, and Brighton (today CSX's Queensgate Yard encompasses all three). There were also multiple towers. RH and NA Tower, north of Winton Place, were my two favorites.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/12 07:05 by captrr.

Although NA Tower still stands vacant, RH was torn down sometime in the 1980's.

captrr I meant to post this earlier but I really like the trestle at Sunset shot. I have drove many buses through there but without ever seeing the trestle in person, as I am from Dayton OH, I really had no idea what it looked like no matter how much all those Westsiders tried to describe the thing to me.

Thank You for all your Cincinnati pictures.

Jim