New Class III Railroad Powhatten Point Ohio

[deepcrk06]

Just wondering if and when Ohio Terminal Railway Co (OTRC) might start operations from Hannable Ohio to Powhatten Point Ohio and stretch of track 12 miles long and where their termimal\equipment will be stored. I understand this is a new class III rail road.

[mowingman]

The aluminum company that owns the old Omal plant, has owned this stretch of railroad for years. They purchased it to keep the rail line intact in case they had a need for it. No trains have moved over this line for probably 10 years or more.
About half of the aluminum facilities were idled some years ago, and the rest of it lives from year to year on life support. I believe the closed part of the plant is what is now the new industrial park.
I hope the oil and gas boom can provide new life for this old Pennsy line.
FYI: At one time, there was talk of completing this line down along the Ohio river to Marietta. There, it could have had a connection to the old Marietta Branch of the Pennsy. When Interstate 77 was built in Marietta, a large metal culvert-type railroad tunnel was installed under the embankment going up to the bridge over the Ohio River. The line never was built, but that old tunnel remained for 20 or 30 years before it was filled in.

[deepcrk06]

Thanks for info, now just how far south does this line go or did go after the little yard at Ormet? I seem to recall ( old memory ) that the line did go a ways south of the Ormet Plant? Could it be possible at later date that it might cross the river into WV at New Martinsville and connect with CSX their?

[mowingman]

The line was never extended south of the yard and plant at Omal. As far as a connection with other railroads goes, the only outside connection will be at Bellaire. There is a RR bridge across the river at Bellaire, as well as the active line up the west side of the Ohio River also.
Jeff

[deepcrk06]

Does NS still have coal loading docks in Powhaten? if needed would this new class iii OTRC be able to exchange with NS there
or have trackage rights to Bellaire and exchange with the W&LE or transfer to Benwood WV and exchange with CSX? Be nice to
see more then coal traffic on the line from Powhaten up the river to Bellaire or Benwood. Being raised in McMechen, the traffic
use to be great to watch. Was sorry to see all the tracks in Wheeling and the Benwood yard be taken out. Not what it use to be
anymore. Lots of things have changed since I moved away from that area.

[mowingman]

Coal still moves out of Powhattan Point by rail, from a couple of mines. This would be the logical interchange point for the new shortline. I don't know if they can get any trackage rights to interchange with other carriers on up the river.
I grew up in Marietta. It is sad to see how rail activity has decreased up and down the Ohio Valley.

[deepcrk06]

I miss the days that my friends and I would go to the Benwood Yards and see the engines being fueled and moved about. Looking into the engine round house and seeing engines being worked on or just watching the trains move around the yard. I remember the south bound dual tracks from benwood to moundsville and now it a single track. Wish I had taken the time then to take pictures of all the activity. Watching the trains in benwood under the bellaire bridge and all the movements into the city of Wheeling and all the different rail lines (NKP, B&O, C&O, PRR, W&LE, NW, NS) are some of the marks I can remember. At one time it was almost impossible to not hear a train whistle somewhere in the area. AAhhh, how I miss the days of old, (LOL).

[rogruth]

I remember much of the above mentioned stuff.My hometown was Bellaire,Ohio.I would ride my bicycle all over the area on both sides of the river to see trains.

It seems to me that the NS[PRR]tracks to the Ormet plant from Powhattan have been idle for more than ten years but I am not sure.
The old B&O bridge across the Ohio River from Bellaire to Benwood seems to be used only by the W&LE at this time.The B&O and the PRR tracks were parallel north from Bellaire to Bridgeport.
One track has been removed and the old PRR track is now used by the W&LE to connect with CSX in Benwood.

It is very easy for me to get nostalgic about this area but there is not much there now to attract a rail fan.In the late 1940s within a 20 mile radius trains could be seen on the B&O,PRR,W&LE
{NKP,N&W],P&WV and NYC.Steel mills had there own railroads some of them were standard,narrow and broad gauge and some were even powered electrically.Many small factories,powerplants,coal mines,etc. also had railroads.It was a gret area for train fans at that time.

[rogruth]

The last i heard NO coal was being transported on the old PRR line anymore as all mines south of Bellaire are closed.