Eastern Railroad Discussion > The C&O through Chillicothe

I have to go to Chillicothe this weekend and was wondering what traffic is like on the C&O?  This thrived as a heavy coal route, but what is traffic like these days?

Chillicothe doesn't strike me as a good town for railfans even though there are 2 mainlines that go through town - although the NS line seems to skirt the town instead of go through it.

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chillicothe doesn't strike me as a good town for
> railfans even though there are 2 mainlines that go
> through town - although the NS line seems to skirt
> the town instead of go through it.

Actually, the NS goes more through town than the C&O, which misses it to the east.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Chillicothe doesn't strike me as a good town
> for
> > railfans even though there are 2 mainlines that
> go
> > through town - although the NS line seems to
> skirt
> > the town instead of go through it.
>
> Actually, the NS goes more through town than the
> C&O, which misses it to the east.

Well, I wondered if I had that backwards.

Posted from Android

NS is still rather busy, thanks to all the improvements related to the Heartland Corridor. You are correct that the C & O is not near as busy as it would have been twenty years ago and it never seamed as busy as the N & W. The N & W / NS goes through Chillicothe proper as the N & W came rather early. The portion of the C & O Northern Sub north or RR west of Waverly Ohio was not put in until 1927. If you look closely at various overpasses on the C & O you can find the 1927 date. I love Chillicothe but I grew up with it as second or third most railfanned area. Not to be overlooked is what is left of the former B & O Chillicothe Sub and Parkersburg Subs from the Ohio Division. There is still local traffic, mostly related to the Gladfelter Paper mill. Lots of photo angles and opportunities in and around Chillicothe but that of course is my opinion.

Jim 

I love that town! I live in Richmond, Va and when we travel back to Indianapolis to visit friends and family it is the eastern most White Castle. Love those sliders.

mben132131 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I love that town! I live in Richmond, Va and when
> we travel back to Indianapolis to visit friends
> and family it is the eastern most White Castle.
> Love those sliders.

Ah, yes. The Porcelain Palace. 

Yes! White Castle is the food of the Gods!


mben132131 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I love that town! I live in Richmond, Va and when
> we travel back to Indianapolis to visit friends
> and family it is the eastern most White Castle.
> Love those sliders.

Posted from Android

Thanks, but I'm surprised no one here has any idea what traffic is like.

I believe I recall a manifest pair, but fuzzy after that except coal. How much coal goes north? Is there an intermodal pair? What about the oil trains? Are they still running?

I'll probably just stick with NS anyway.

Posted from Android

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks, but I'm surprised no one here has any idea
> what traffic is like.
>
> I believe I recall a manifest pair, but fuzzy
> after that except coal. How much coal goes north?
> Is there an intermodal pair? What about the oil
> trains? Are they still running?
>
> I'll probably just stick with NS anyway.

As far as I know, there is no longer any intermodal on this corridor now that the National Gateway clearance project is finished, and the oil trains to Virginia dried up a while back, too.

Along with coal trains, there are grain trains and possibly unit ethanol trains, along with scattered manifest traffic -- although I'm not sure now which way CSX prefers to send southeastern-bound ethanol these days (it could go via Cincinnati, too). Maybe the occasional unit frac-sand train to run down through Russell and then up the Ohio River to the Wheeling area? I can't be much more help than that, as the last time I photographed anything on this line is now about five years ago.

NS operates much more scheduled traffic over its Columbus District than CSX does over the Northern.

Thanks Toledopatch

Posted from Android

It doesn't hurt to drive out to Vauces Center Siding and do a quick check of the signals on the former C & O to see if anything is lined up. Eastern Ave is your friend in Chillicothe. Eastern Ave crosses the former N & W in between the absolute signals for Chillicothe, which is where the B & O Ohio Division main crossed until 1989 and Renick where the former CH&D B & O Wellston Sub crossed. NS crews still call out the signal at Renick as the CH&D crossing, almost a hundred years after the CH&D ceased to exist just to differentiate between the two B & O crossings within a mile of each other. Back to the point though you can quickly see if anything is lined up on the NS through Chillicothe by looing at the signals from Eastern. Continue east on Eastern and you can turn north on Douglas Ave to see if there is anything going on in what is left of the former B & O Douglas Street Yard. Back to Eastern you can continue east to US 23 if you need to chase something compass south / RR East or if you want to go to Lunbeck which is the eastern end of the double track through Chillicothe. Go further east on Eastern Ave and you'll cross over the former B & O Ohio Division right where the 'Cut Off' splits from the mainline to go to what was the Wellston Subvision and later the Renick Sub. From here you can take US 35 / US 50 east and exit to US 50 East after crossing Paint Creek. You will duck under the C & O on US 50 and then see Old US 35. Take Old US 35 to the right. Old US 35 crosses over the former B & O Ohio Division then runs beside the former C & O before ducking under it at VA Tower. You can continue to a left on Musgrove Rd which will cross the C & O at Vauces Center Siding. This allows you to see the signals in both directions for the C & O side of things. US Rail or whoever is operating the former B & O routes to Jackson Ohio does thier interchange with CSX at Vauces Center Siding and the locals from Chillicothe also pick up and set out stuff for the mainline trains there as well. If you find nothing going on at Vauces but here something on the NS you can continue on OlD US 35 to Higby Rd and cross the Scioto River back the NS side of things and follow Three Locks Rd back north (RR West) to Lunbeck and Chillicothe. If you go south on Three Locks Rd you can eventually end up at Omega then go onto Waverly if wanted to. The C & O can be followed toward Waverly as well. My Grandma and I used to drive down to Waverly on the C & O side and return on the N & W side. South of Waverly Ohio 220 and 335 follow the C & O but there are very limirted places to park. Going north from Chillicothe US 23 follows the C & O and N & W goes cross country for most of the way to Columbus. The big through truss bridge where the C & O crosses the N & W used to be a good place to watch both but like too many grat places it is totally treed in.

When in Chillicothe go visit Crispie Creme Donuts on Bridge at Second Street. In writing this I realize that if I skip sleep and start driving right now I can make it there about an hour after they open. Crispie Creme is not to be confused with Krispie Kreme Donuts in the south.

Picture) Thirty years ago you could sit here and watch everything here. Now you can sit here and just watch stupid trees.

Have Fun!

Jim

---