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RE: (erielack) Mahoning Division Yards
/agree
> Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:56:00 -0800
> From: wsmith5957_@_yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: (erielack) Mahoning Division Yards
> To: erielack_@_lists.railfan.net
>
>
> 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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