Re: (erielack) EL around Youngstown

[Smtimko_@_aol.com]

The Youngstown area was a maze of railroads when I started with EL in  1965.  
The major player in the valley was the EL, with the P&LE  following.  The EL 
had five crews per day in YS&T--Brier Hill Works  working as captive crews 
along with the YS&T narrow and standard gauge  operations.  At YS&T Campbell 
Works, the P&LE had the captive crews  and Campbell also had their own standard 
and narrow gauge railroads.   Republic Steel at Youngstown and USS at Youngstown 
both also had narrow and  standard gauge railroad operations as well as 
Carbon Limestone.    There were well over 100 industrial locomotives in the greater 
Youngstown area,  in addition to the railroad operations.  NYC, B&O and PRR 
were players  to a smaller extent in the valley.
 
The EL had a division office (Mahoning Div) in Youngstown and at one time,  
until the early 1960's had the Western District Office there also.  Brier  Hill 
had the major shop, yard, and support facilities.  Other yards in the  area 
were Leavittsburg, Niles, NK (Youngstown), Ferrona (Sharon, PA) and other  
small outposts.  I seem to recall about 25 yard crews per day in Youngstown  on 
EL, including the depot job that worked the passenger trains.  Ferrona  Yard had 
about 10 or 11 yard jobs per day.  In addition, there were locals  to Warren, 
Hubbard, New Castle, Lisbon and other locations.  Hot Metal  trains ran every 
four hours from Youngstown to Warren, two or three  times a day Youngstown to 
Sharpsville and at least once a trick between  Youngstown and Hubbard.
 
The "freight cutoff" ran from Pymatuning to SN Jct, about 29 miles, was a  
roller coaster of a route with short grades that reached  1.25%.  Single track, 
TCS with a siding at Pymatuning (135 c/l),  Johnsons (166 c/l) and at 
Leavittsburg (130 cars, un-signaled, spring switch at  east end).  The line saw about 
15-20 through freights per day and  afternoons, the line was quite crowded 
with the last of the 100's, all of the  98's and all of the 99's.  Some of these 
trains occasionally went 1st Sub  Division (through Youngstown) due to 
opposing traffic.  If a train was  going to be delayed for more than 30 minutes, it 
would operate via Youngstown  (if there was a clear alley).  The train would 
loose 30 minutes westbound  and 40 minutes eastbound operating via Youngstown.
 
Shameless plug:  Morning Sun Books to release Trackside Around  Youngstown 
with Dave McKay by SMT in May.  230 color photos of railroads in  the Youngstown 
area, 25% of the photos are Erie and EL.
 
SMT
 
 
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