Spencerville OH B&O crossing

Somehow I just woke up to the fact that the Erie crossed the B&O here as well as the Miami & Erie Canal.

I can't quite figure out what this B&O line was all about or when it was taken out.

What kind of an interchange did ERIE / EL have, if any, with B&O here ?

AFAIK, the B&O never reached Spencerville. Closest B&O line was the CH&D north/south route through Lima.

There is no indication of another roadbed at Spencerville on the maps or aerial views, just the former canal route.

What source do you have that there was a B&O junction at Spencerville?

I first noted it in an ELHS publication map of the ERIE, then came across another reference about it in passing which jogged the original knowledge there was a line there. Since then I found this webiste on abandoned Ohio Railroads which leads me to believe it was abandoned in 1923.

http://www.abandonedrails.com/Delphos_to_Dayton

Built as a narrow gage in 1879 by the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis and later standard gaged and when taken over by the CH&D in 1904. B&O got it in 1916 and abandoned it by 1923.

Not sure what if any kind of interchange existed with the ERIE.

Seems to have been a rather obscure line.

That is really going back aways!

IIRC, the CH&D archival records are located at Wright State University in Dayton, probably in the Special Collections Dept. of the Library. There might be additional information there.

Also, have you tried the B&O Society for any info??

Sheldon,

Thanks for the leads, much appreciated. I have not tried either one.

Doug Ellison

Also, the Allen County Museum / Historical Society (in Lima) has an extensive railroad collection which may contain some information on this.