Eastern Railroad Discussion > Power plant South of Columbus, Ohio

I was in Columbus this week & discovered a power plant 2-3 miles west of the CSX main to Chillicothe that apparently used to have a rail line running to it. My map still showed the line, but it has been removed several years ago. This is just outside of Franklin Co. in Pickaway County.

In further exploration, I found a graveyard of locomotives that (this is speculation) apparently served the plant. They had been stored for some time as they looked pretty derilict. Does anyone have any info on this operation? i.e. Is the plant still operating? Do they use coal? How do they get it now? Why was the line removed? How long ago? etc.

Thanks for any info.

P,

I don't have any useful info, but I am interested in checking it out also. I live in Columbus as well. Can you e-mail the location etc.?
Thanks

Jim

I dont know anything about it either, but like
Jim I am curious about it as well.

I believe the power plant in question is AEP's Pickaway plant on the west side of US Route 23 between Columbus, OH and Circleville, OH. I may be talking about a different plant than the one mentioned earlier. I have often wondered what the Pickaway plant uses to generate its electricty.

NS C&S

I can't recall all the details, but this is a remnant of an interurban line and powerhouse. Try a search, it's been on here before. I think it was called the Midland RR at one point, maybe after the wire was taken down. The engines may have been accumulated there afterward, sort of a lease lot or something, like Silcott in Worthington. The spur to the east connected to the N&W and C&O mains, presumably for coal deliveries.

I think that is one of Silcott's facilities that has the derelict locomotives. And yes it was the Midland Railroad

It must be the AEP plant located just inside Pickaway County on the west side of US 23. It sits along the Scioto River just south of Scioto Downs. There used to be a rail bridge over US23 carrying a spur which is long gone.
A friend who used to work for AEP told me he thought it was pretty much mothballed, but what coal they received was delivered by truck.

The plant is the former Columbus and Southern Ohio electric Pickaway generating station. It was served by the C&O and the NW. It crossed US RT 23 on a through plate girder bridge. The plant receives coal by truck and is still used as a demand station when needed. I also have been told that there are several diesel powered "peaking units" on site as back up power.
As far as the small diesels go I to have seen them. but am not aware of who the owner may be. There is a area nearby betweeen the now NS and CSX mains where the hulk of a Sciota Valley Traction unit sits.

The plant is AEP Picway Generating Station. Yes, the plant is located in Pickaway County so I am not sure why AEP predecessor Columbus & Southern Ohio Electice (C&SOE) choose Picway as the name, but they did.

From the AEP website: 'In terms of generating capacity, Picway Plant is the smallest of AEP's coal-fired generating stations. In 1980 the last of the plant's original units was retired, leaving the 100 MW Unit 5 as the sole generating unit.'

Service to the plant was by the "Midway Railroad" which was owned by C&SOE according to the address in the September 1971 Official Guide. Total length was 4.09 miles with interchange with both C&O and N&W. It did have roots with the Scioto Valley Traction Company, but I'm not well versed on the corporate history.

Service to plant ended in the early 70's due to problems related to the Penn Central, as much of the coal came from mines located off the PC's West Virginia Secondary. PC interchanged the cars with N&W at Bannon, who then short hauled them to Lockbourne (7-10 miles away).

I don't think C&O ever did much business with the Midway, but they did have a connection and an at grade crossing which remained in place until around 1980. I recall seeing one Midway engine, which was a GE 44 or 45 tonner that also remained on site until the early 80's. Not sure of its disposition. Another smaller engine is reported to have been over at the power plant into the 1990's.

The derlict Scioto Valley Traction car mentioned previously has been gone for years. It was located in the actual village of Lockbourne a litte to the north. I think it was hauled off not long after it was featured in Trains magazine with a NS train passing.

The engine house is now owned by Duffy & Sons, who deal in used industrial locomotives. Things don't seem to move around much, but they still do some sort of business.

I drove by Duffy and Son today and they have a half dozen or so GE center cabs, a couple of 25 tonners and a larger 65 tonner. Each locomotive was sitting with varying degrees of listing on cribbing or sorts surrounded by high weeds. The shop was open and a couple of people were on site. I must say I have never seen so many center cabs in one location before!