Re: (erielack) EL around Youngstown

["Paul Stumpff" <urr304_@_alltel.net>]

Hi everyone:

Since I am getting the EL Mailing List digest sporadically this subject may
have been already explained.

Anyway, the Mahoning 2nd Sub was the original A&GW route [I think someone
brought this up]. It wasn't built as a "bypass", in fact when laid there
wasn't much to bypass, it actually went through the big deal of the area of
the time, Warren, even if it was to the north of the Court House Square area
by a half mile. Youngstown in early 1860s was not the big deal yet. 

Don't worry, A&GW/NYP&O/Erie wasn't the only one to go to Youngstown as an
afterthought, the LS&MS' Youngstown High Grade [and its ore traffic] was an
afterthought after they reconnected to their Jamestown & Franklin in 1871 to
get to the oil fields.

The Cleveland & Mahoning Valley which the A&GW crossed at Leavittsburg did
go to Youngstown and then in mid or late 1860s built to Shenango Valley
ending at Sharpsville, PA [Sharon RR, one of at least two companies by that
name]. The A&GW did have some control on C&MV and laid a third rail from
Leavittsburg to Cleveland to run their broad gauge trains to Cleveland.

I do not know if remainder of C&MV was ever "broad gauged". Timetables from
era show "narrow" or standard gauge scheduled for C&MV service connecting to
Cleveland [mostly for intermediate stops] and Youngstown [then Sharpsville]
from Leavittsburg. There wasn't any through service east of Leavittsburg via
C&MV.

About 1880, a line extension from east end of what we know as Ferrona Yard
was built near river level to connect at Pymatuning [Transfer] to the then
NYP&O. Old maps show this line actually hooking westward at Pymatuning
instead of the later known eastward [tangent] connection that we remember.
This line appears to have been lain in standard gauge, since Erie's standard
gauge change was only months away. Need to research this more.

The original C&MV line into Sharpsville went up an incline east of Ferrona
Yard area towards Sharpsville and was on a higher level. This line remained
active into mid-20th Century, I am sure S.Timko has better information. 

I am not sure of status of Ohio Central's Youngstown & Austinburg operation.
This is on the former Austinburg branch. But I believe with demise of
Youngstown Steel Door that there isn't any traffic. I am sure others can
update us on this.

The Lisbon branch from Niles [Niles & New Lisbon] has been gone a long time
and too bad. If around more recently, I think an operation such as Ohio
Central would have taken a chance on supplying rail transport to the Meander
Industrial Park. Unfortunately, the r.o.w. needed a lot of work, and bridge
over PRR/PC/CR/NS E&A was removed to clear autoracks. 

Paul Stumpff


	The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
	Sponsored by the ELH&TS
	http://www.elhts.org
	To Unsubscribe: http://lists.elhts.org/erielackunsub.html

------------------------------