kinter2 wrote:My father-in-law was born in Fairport and lived all his life in that area. He told me that there used to be a roundhouse and turntable in Painesville between Richmond Street and Richmond Road where Sanford meets Richmond Street. He also told me that the trains would stop in Painesville and the "Malleys" would be turned around while cars were taken to Fairport by switchers. At some point, the turntable/roundhouse was replaced by a wye, I believe. The historical association might know.
I don't know the specific streets, but B&O's engine facilities (along with the rather austere-looking wood passenger and freight stations) were located just south of the NYC crossing and looked like they dated back to the narrow gauge days. In the mid-1950s, steam locos were turned on a wye west of the engine house. By then, too, the servicing facilities were rather crude -- e.g., locos were coaled via a portable conveyor. I'm not sure I'd dignify the engine house as a "roundhouse" -- it was a three-stall rectangular wood shed. Road trains would arrive and depart from the yard north of the crossing with their road power, although transfer switchers worked up to the NKP interchange.
In steam days, heavy westbound (northbound) trains would have at least two engines (EM-1s, when I saw the operation, EL Mallets and 2-10-2s before that) between West Farmington and Chardon. At Chardon, the helper engine (which was the lead engine at this point) was uncoupled and run light down the hill to Painesville while retainers were set on the train. The single road engine would then bring the train down into the yard.
It was a fascinating, rather primitive operation -- sad to see the line, docks, and industry gone now.