Eastern Railroad Discussion > As Easy as A-B-C (Akron Barberton Cluster Railway)

Catching the Akron Barberton Cluster Railway in operation on the former the Erie Lackawanna in and east of Kent, Ohio, requires persistence, luck and a knowledge of its operations. I've never seen an ABC train on a weekend aside from the passenger excursions that used to operate in conjunction with an annual festival held around July 4. The ABC on the ex-EL is a weekday operation during the morning hours.

On a recent Friday morning, I went down to Brady Lake to hike on the Portage Hike and Bike trail. It runs parallel to the ex-EL (nee Erie Railroad) for much of its length between Ravenna Road and Kent.

As is my usual practice, I parked in the lot just off Lake Rockwell Road by the grade crossing with the ex-EL tracks. I had scarcely gotten out of my car when I looked to the west and saw a headlight and spot of orange.

The ABC job probably was switching the Crowley Tar Products plant in Kent. But the train was a good half mile away and the question was whether I could walk fast enough to get there before the crew finished its work and either headed back to Brittain Yard in Akron or went to Ravenna.

I tried to set a blistering pace and wished a dozen times I had a bike. Every so often I would stop and take a photo in case the train had left and gone back to Akron before I got to it.Of course if it was going to Ravenna, it would be coming toward me.

t one point I could tell the headlight was getting smaller and I feared the worst. But a glimpse through the longest focal length on my zoom lens revealed that there were tank cars parked on the main and the locomotive was to the left of that.That was good news because it would mean they were spotting cars on the Crowley siding. 

It turned out I had plenty of time and then some to get down to the ABC job and to get photographs. I didn't see any boxcars, which suggested the crew would not be going to Ravenna. 

After getting my photographs, I decided to walk back toward where I'd left my car. I kept looking behind me as I walked away from the train, but it appeared to be sitting still. The headlight was still visible when I got back to the parking lot at Lake Rockwell Road, so I decided to stay put, just in case.Slowly, but surely, I noticed the headlight getting larger as the train was coming toward me. The crew would be going to Ravenna today.I shot it at the Lake Rockwell crossing. I had to get back home so there wasn't enough time to wait for the train to come back. Next time.

Photo 1: The ABC job today had a pair of GP35 lettered for its parent company the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway. 

Photo 2: A crew member has set the hand brake on a tank car parked on the former EL mainline.

Photo 3: Lining the switch leading to the siding into Crowley Tar. This area used to be the north end of the Kent yard. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/16 04:53 by SDP40F600.

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Photo 4: The hike and bike trail is to the right and is built on the former EL right of way.

Photo 5: Spotting tank cars at Crowley Tar Products. Note that a tank car and covered hopper at parked on the former EL mainline. The view is looking toward Kent and the site of the former yard.Note the slight orange reflection on the rails from the nose of No. 100.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/16 04:51 by SDP40F600.

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Photos 6 and 7: The ABC job is en route to Ravenna. The crew has reversed the position of the tank car and covered hopper car. All of the cars shown here will travel to Ravenna and back before being taken to the W&LE's Brittain Yard in Akron. The location is the grade crossing at Lake Rockwell Road.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/16 04:54 by SDP40F600.

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Very nice pictures of the WLE.

Randy

Nice framing in photo #5.
John