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  • B&O Line East of Cleveland

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Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.

Moderator: railohio

 #1012794  by SwineCreekRick
 
Started researching the B&O Lake Branch Line recently. I grew up in Chardon and remember the railroad as a youth. Used to ride our bikes to the tracks to watch the trains roll by. In 2006 my brother purchased a house adjacent to the old B&O right of way on Swine Creek Road in Middlefield. The right of way borders the east side of his property and the overpass is right next to his driveway. The neighbors tell a story about "greasing the tracks" years ago and it gave the engineers a heck of a time getting up the grade into Middlefield. Anyway, we have a photo of one of the Malletts rolling through the Swine Creek area - we believe the picture was taken very close to my brother's property - as well as some photos of the B&O in Middlefield. The pictures are on display in our sugarhouse on the property - Creekside Maple. If you're ever in the area and want to stop by, head down Swine Creek Road and look for the Creekside Maple sign just west of the overpass.
 #1040410  by bluestreak81
 
SwineCreek: I've driven down Swine Creek Rd. to find the overpass this past summer. I bought a DVD that shows trains running over that over-pass and had to see it in person. Do you know if there's any track evidence left on the ROW? I know there's a park not far down the road where the ROW runs right through the park. I believe it will be converted into a rail-trail in the future as discussed on the news-herald. I was hoping to explore the ROW a little bit before anyone comes through and takes away any evidence that may be left of any tracks, ties, or spikes.
 #1040497  by SwineCreekRick
 
I've walked the ROW about a 1/2 mile southeast of my brothers place a couple years ago. Can't say I noticed a whole lot track remnants up there other than a few ties pushed off to the side, but I wasn't really looking either.
 #1040596  by bluestreak81
 
SwineCreek: Here's an article that discusses converting the ROW into a bike trail from its current end-point at Headwaters Park all the way to Reeves Rd. http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/07 ... =fullstory . This would include the Swine Creek Rd area. I've asked the Geauga Park District who owns the ROW if the Swine Creek Reservation area is walkable and they said the ROW is dangerous and not to hike or walk on it as there's wash-outs that need fixed before it will be a functional trail. Here's a map of the Swine Creek Resevevation that includes the area by the RR over-pass http://www.geaugaparkdistrict.org/docum ... ecreek.pdf I've always wanted to see something of the former railroad. The over-pass on Swine Creek Rd is pretty cool. I've found one rail and an old whistle post near Headwaters Park where the ROW is paved as a trail. There's also a lot of ties that were pushed aside like you mentioned too. It would be cool to find a spike to keep as a souvenir.
 #1229728  by mmi16
 
BaltOhio wrote:
shlustig wrote:
Herb,
Were you one of the very lucky phoyographers who caught a northbound train with triple-head EM's?
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.

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.
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