Eastern Railroad Discussion > The Springfield Train Show after the Springfield Train Show

Sunday Dec 1st 2019 started out bright and sunny, my friend and I came up to Springfield Ohio to the big train show at the Clark County Fairgrounds. Coming out the weather had turned to overcast and light drizzle. I took a look at the signals at St Rt 41 and thought something should be lined to come east. By the time we got to Burnett Rd the eastbound already had the crossing gates coming down. On the scanner someone was switching in the former Detroit Toledo and Ironton Junction Yard which is now the main yard that the Indiana and Ohio Railway uses in Springfield. A quick drive around and stop for food and the signal at CP 182 finally cleared for a westbound. 
1) NS 117 crossing Linden Ave, the track in the foreground is the west leg of the wye for what was the Bellfontaine Branch.
2) NS 117 going under Spring St, with the Lehigh Valley heritage unit.

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I then drove around Springfield to give my friend Robert an idea of how the railways all came through town. Springfield was an early and important railway center in the 1800's. I got Robert to a bridge across Buck Creek on the Mechanicsburg Branch when we heard the horn from the I & O Springfield Job which had came up from the yard engine light.
3) Lone engine on the former DT&I passing one of many old factory buildings that populate the city of Springfield Ohio.
4) Coming around the connection between the DT&I and the former NYC Mechanicsburg Branch. This connection was installed around 1994 or so back when the Grand Trunk Western still operated the DT&I through here but I&O had took over the Mechanicsburg and Bellfontaine Branches from Conrail.
5) They tied onto around eight cars sitting on the Mechanicsburg Branch just past Champion Ave.

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We chased the yard job back to the yard. In theory you could come around the connection at Lagonda, head south to the east leg of the Wye at Warder St continue east through CP 182 to the DT&I original main (Springfield Jackson and Pomeroy) then take the north leg of the wye at the yard and head back to Lagonda to the connection to make a complete circle.
6) Lagonda still has a hand operated Tilting Target Signal with an old target.
7) Crossing Columbus Ave
8) Crossing High Street / Ohio State Route 41 in light misty rain.

Thank you for looking!

Jim

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Thanks for posting, great shots, you did very well in that weather.  The Penn Central Historical Society just did a very good article in their publication, the PC Post, on PC operations around Springfield.  There are plenty of great photos, including the downtown street trackage, and a nice explanation of how PC utilized the various lines in the area.  

Neat photos, Jim.