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Re: (erielack) Mahoning Division Yards
Steve,
This was the best, clearest, explanation of how things worked in the Youngstown area I've ever seen & I worked at SN, DeForest, Valley street, & NK target when I was furloughed from engine service. You should have put it in ur book.
Regards & Merry Christmas
Walt Smith
________________________________
From: "Smtimko_@_aol.com" <Smtimko@aol.com>
To: erielack_@_lists.railfan.net
Sent: Wed, December 9, 2009 9:31:10 AM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Mahoning Division Yards
In a message dated 12/7/2009 8:30:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
llyengalyn_@_hotmail.com writes:
From the maps I've looked at Brier Hill was a major classification yard,
with minor yards also in Girard, Niles and Leavitsburg. This seems like alot
of sub yards in 15 miles of track. Can anyone elaborate on the
function/operation of all these little yards in close proximity? I've read
Leavittsburg served as the base for the west and eastbound locals on the 2nd Division,
and Girard's yard mostly served as a place for loads of ore.
...
Brad
Leavittsburg was a four track yard located between, and accessed at each
end from both the 1st sub and the 2nd sub. The 2nd sub access was via the
New Siding at SB or SN. It was used basically as a serving yard for the
industries at North Warren and Cortland and also for Kent/Ravenna. Four or
five yard crews worked out of there, one switching in the yard at night and
the others doing switching and heading to North Warren and on to Cortland as
required. The morning local to Kent and the evening local to Ravenna also
worked from Leavittsburg.
Warren did not have a yard, but ore was set off on the Eastbound side at
Burton Street or at Deforest Jct onto #1 or #2 Pipe Line or extension
tracks. The B&O then pulled the ore and delivered it to the Trumbull Cliffs
Furnace (Republic Steel) at Warren. They also pulled the ore empties and
shoved them to the same tracks for the Warren Run to handle. Since the B&O had
to drag the hoppers across Pine Street at the mill and again at Pine Street
(the depot) and Park and Main for head room, they were worked and had air
in them. The Warren Run would then cross them over at Burton Street and
put them in the Westbound Siding for further movement to North Randall or
Cleveland.
Mosier Yard at Girard was more of a hopper storage yard than anything
else. Empty ore hoppers pulled out of the Joint Yard (Ohio Works) or out of
the Brier Hill Works were dragged to Mosier Yard by yard crews using sidings
and yard tracks so as not to occupy the main track. Thus, the cars did not
have to have air or be inspected. The cars were placed in one of the seven
tracks to be worked by the car inspectors. The inspectors would oil the
journals, make certain the doors were closed and plug any holes in the car
sides with rags, foam, etc. Then, when needed a crew would be called at
Brier Hill and take a caboose up Girard Siding, tie it on and make an air test
and depart for North Randall or Cleveland. Empty ore hoppers from the
Campbell Works of YS&T came out of the P&LE, thus they were already "worked"
and ready for further movement. Cars out of Sharon Steel were likewise,
worked as there were car inspectors at RO Yard where the cars were held.
When hoppers were returned from the P&LE or from Sharon Steel, it was a good
practice to recrew them on the main track at Brier Hill and move to
Cleveland as they were ready for reloading. Ore, for the most part, was not held
at Mosier. The mills wanted the ore ASAP, they wanted 100 to 200 cars of
ore "against the dumper" at all times. Ore came from different points, and
had different qualities and the plants wanted two or three kinds stockpiled
in the ore yard for them to use as required. The did not want to "bank" a
furnace account no ore. Banking a furnace means to fill it with coke, put
the bell on the top and place it on low heat so the coke glows and keeps
the furnace (fire brick) hot. If a furnace cools, the brick breaks up and
falls out and that results in millions of dollars to reline the furnace. The
Mahoning Divn placed as much emphasis on ore (and coal for coke making)
than some railroad place on perishables.
Brier Hill Yard was the switching yard for the Youngstown area. It had a
dozen yard crews per day and an additional half-dozen crews worked in the
Brier Hill Steel--the YS&T Brier Hill Works. These captive crews were EL
crews that used EL locomotives and stayed strictly inside the mill and worked
for the mill yardmaster. Ore for YS&T Brier Hill Works was set off by
road crews on #1 and/or #2 South Yard east and/or west of the middle
(crossover) The South Yard was two tracks that ran along the EB main track at Brier
Hill and the ore could be pulled out the east end by the YS&T crews using
YS&T engines. Empties came out the same way.
Just west of the Youngstown station was a small yard, known as the Depot
Yard, Fifth Avenue Yard, RN Yard, or the Coach Yard. It held cars for the
Yo Freight House and perishable cars for Kaleel Produce, coal for Ohio
Edison's North Avenue Steam Station, and of course, passenger cars: coaches,
Pullmans, baggage cars and the Tavern Lounge cars. Occasionally a diner could
be found there. Some of the Business Cars were stored there between runs
also.
East of Himrod on the Haselton Branch was NK Yard. That was the serving
yard for Republic Steel Youngstown, a couple of scrap dealers, and other
industries. They also handled the interchange for the NYC, PRR and B&O from
NK. There was at least one daily drag of 50+ cars in each direction between
NK and Brier Hill.
Cars interchanged to the P&LE were operated by Brier Hill Yard crews,
known locally as the P&LE Drag. They operated directly into the P&LE Gateway
Yard, dropped their train and returned lite with caboose. The P&LE pulled
the EL cars usually to the EL westbound at NK and left them for a crew to
drag to Brier Hill to be switched. There were usually two P&LE drags in each
direction each day. They usually were 80 to 100 cars each. Ore destined
for the P&LE (YS&T Campbell Works, Shenango Inc., Neville Island, and
Pittsburgh Steel, Monessen) was delivered directly into the P&LE by the EL road
crews. In the event that a road crew did not have time (less than two
hours to work when passing Brier Hill) a yard crew would be put on the train at
Brier Hill and take the train to the P&LE.
There was a four track serving yard at Hubbard. Box cars were cleaned
there for Sherwin Williams and a few other industries. Hubbard was worked by
the Hubbard Run from Ferrona Yard daily. Cars out of the industry would
either work back to Ferrona on the Hubbard Run for further movement or the
Hubbard Run would line up the Westbound cars on the west end of a track for
Train 95 or some other train to pick up. This was a problem as a long train
would block the SR 62/7 crossing, Main Street at Hubbard. Moving the cars
back to Ferrona worked better.
RO Yard was located at the State Line and used to serve Sharon Steel from
the north end. SSX could also be accessed from the New Castle Branch,
Crews worked to and from RO all day and night out of Ferrona Yard. There were
a couple of other industries at RO that the yard crews worked. They also
handled the ore into the mill and pulling the empties back to RO to be
worked.
Ferrona Yard just east of Sharon was the serving yard for about 30
industries in the Sharon area. Shenango Inc at Sharpsville, Sharon Steel,
National Malleable Castings, Westinghouse, Golden Dawn (foods), Kopen Beverage,
Copeys Transfer (piggy back ramp), GATX, Sharon Tube, Sawhill Tube, and many
others.
This wraps up most of the yard operations between Leavittsburg and
Sharpsville. A lot of the main track between these two points had a siding,
extension track or running track along the main so the yard crews could move
between industries and yards without accessing the main track.
SMT
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