Eastern Railroad Discussion > Helpers on the Bert Line?

Has there ever been helper service on the Bert Line out of Columbus? A pretty reliable resource told me this, but I've never heard of it. The only grade would be out of Columbus going north toward Galion right? Even at that the grade isn't that bad I mean maybe far back in the steam days they had helper, but if that's so helpers on that line have been extinct for a long time. I've also heard they are running the trains through Delaware by the station that is now a flower shop and then hooking them back up on the Bert Line again at the other switch. To me this would be a waste of time and is causing the train to take an unnecessary detour. Anybody have some answers to these subjects I was told about?
-Happy Fanning!

Generally Helpers have never been required anywhere on the Columbus Line. Trains have occasionally hung up and required a push up out of Columbus from around Grant St. to Clintonville, but that is pretty rare and probably due more to bad power than anything. However, on many occasions former Conrail would re-crew the W.V. Secondary helpers on Eastbound Coal drags, leaving them on for Wooster Hill(Ft. Wayne Line)and beyond.

The Practice of running "Down through Delaware" is due to the Delaware Industrial Track being approx. 7 miles of controlled siding, i.e. a pretty good place to make the meets...

Conrail used helpers out of Columbus in the late 80's/early 90's quite a bit on coal or grain trains. They usually cut off at Weber Rd or at Worthington. They were often used during the period when Conrail installed Clintonville Siding and parked coal trains there to layover. The siding was converted into today's Weber Connection by NS. It was formerly double track on the NYC extending north from CP136 to about 134, I believe. Anyone know for sure on that?

Pushers (i.e. shoving on the rear end) are now used almost daily on the Columbus Line "Subdivision". CSX has been running 1-2 coal trains a day towards Cleveland, normally carrying symbols in the V800 and 900 series. These trains use the C&O past LM Cabin to Yard A where they swing east on to the Buckeye Line and actually enter the Columbus or Burt Line at CP-138.

Normally a yard job out of Parsons Yard will shove the drag as far east as Clintonville or Worthington before returning. Seems like every drag gets pushed these days as the standard coal train power of two AC44's just can't make the hill from the dead stop necessary due to a handthrow switch on to the Buckeye Line.

Thanks Powell, I should have qualified my statements with a "during the Conrail era". I was not familiar with CSXT's practices since takeover.

HMH, Suspect you are correct about CP134, somewhat of an oddity being as how it controlled(again my recollections are up to about '92 for this territory)basically nothing. Perhaps cheaper to just leave it in service when the single tracking occurred.