The only photo I've ever been able to find of this line. A very impressive steam locomotive. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=343029
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Moderator: railohio
BaltOhio wrote:shlustig wrote: Herb,Yup -- two or three times, as I recall. I think Bill Vigrass and I were the only ones who caught such an operation, in fact. At the very end of the steam era, B&O began making the coal trains heavier, using two EM-s as road power and one more as helper between Failes Spur (W. Farmington) and Chardon. The helper was always supposed to be on the rear up the twisting Swine Creek grade to Middlefield, then was moved to the head as far as Chardon where it was uncoupled to run to Painesville.
Were you one of the very lucky phoyographers who caught a northbound train with triple-head EM's?
But on one occasion three light engines were dispatched from Painesville to pick up 127 coal cars at DeForest Jct. that had been left there by a New Castle Jct.-Willard crew. It was on Labor Day weekend and the crew was anxious to get home, so all three EM-1s were placed at the head to avoid the time taken switching around at Middlefield. That didn't work so well. A drawbar let loose on the 3rd or 4th car back as the train was struggling around a curve on Swine Creek Hill, leaving three articulateds to pull a three-car train to Painesville -- and the local Amish farmers got some coal for the winter. I was told that the superintendent and the conductor had a nice chat afterward.
Herb H.