Scioto Division/Columbus District line relocation?

[NW Mailing List]

I am not sure of this, but am fairly confidant that the Scioto Valley
(probably) or N&W made the 'jog' over to the town of Lockbourne from the
beginning Or at the very least, pre- air base.  The C&O alignment moved the
old Scioto Valley Traction alignment over more towards the N&W when they
built their elevated track through the town during the construction of the
C&O Northern.  However, the granary on the N&W was already there at
Lockbourne (north of the co-op) in the 'teens if my older photos are right.
But, the straight alignment obvious from the photos are compelling.....  It
may be that the Scioto Valley stayed straight and kept to the east side of
the Ohio-Erie Canal bed until farther north and crossing it and it or the
N&W didn't move closer to town until later.  It must be remembered that the
SVRy built through here in 1876-1877.  Changes made 1890-1900 can be really
hard to track down.  But, it may be that the N&W 'jogged' over during the
line improvements made before the C&O trackage rights agreement 1917-1927.  

 

Note that the Columbus Feeder came off of the Ohio-Erie Canal right there to
the west of the 'kink'; you can see the canal locks and stones from the C&O
easily.  I have an old real-photo postcard showing an SVT car zipping past
the Feeder lock 1910-1915 time period taken from either the N&W tracks or a
tall-ish structure that would have been where the co-op store/metal building
is today.  The N&W and the SVT both had depots at Lockbourne; the N&W's was
a standard wooden 2nd Class type.  

 

The N&W may have altered the curve at the west end of the runway so that the
runway could be extended.  There was a project to change the elevation of
the track and adjust the curvature south of town to get rid of a sag there,
that may be what the airbase documents are referring to.   I have some late
1930's or early 1940's photos of the N&W and C&O overpasses taken by Dave
McNeil during an excursion out to the Scioto Valley Traction/Ohio Midland
that essentially show the existing track layout there at Lockbourne with the
current elevations.

 

(I have an SVT history slide show that shows the above discussed images.) 

 

Gary Rolih

Cincinnati  

 

 

  _____  

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:57 PM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject: Scioto Division/Columbus District line relocation?

 

While trying to find some info on an N&W derailment at Lockbourne, OH east
of Columbus, I found the following note in the history of Rickenbacker Air
Force Base - "Also in April (1942), Norfolk and Western Railroad began
laying new mainline tracks along the western side of the base." 

Growing up just south of Rickenbacker I had no idea N&W relocated the
Columbus District as the base expanded. Looking at an aerial photo such as:
 <http://tinyurl.com/5zok3f> http://tinyurl.com/5zok3f

it is very obvious from a current day property/tree line that lines up
perfectly with a straight north-south alignment of the Columbus District
from London-Groveport Road (SR317) to the the south end of Rickenbacker.
(Note you will need to turn labels and scroll around some on the link)

It appears that the 1926/27 construction of the parallel C&O, was already
along an alignment further west that did not require any relocation.

Comments/Thoughts?

Whit Wardell
Canal Winchester, OH



 

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