B&O Temporary Train Order Stations

mmi16 Sep 1, 2022

  1. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    There are myriad threads that wax and wane about interlocking towers and permanent Train Order stations and that is all well and good. However, railroads being dynamic in their operation and maintenance there develop needs for 'something out of the ordinary'. The Temporary Train Order Station. In the territory I worked, which was mostly double track with current of traffic signaling - West on #1 track and East on #2 track. To shorten the distances a train would have to be 'reversed' around track work or other situations, a Temporary Train Order Station would be established at a intermediate crossover. Being youngest on the Operators seniority roster, I caught more than my share of such situations - Carbon Crossover between New Castle and Center Street Youngstown, Tube Works Crossover at Haselton Yard Youngstown, Youngstown Passenger Station, Easton Crossover between Warwick and Sterling, Lodi Crossover between Sterling and Nova, Boughtonville between Greenwich and Willard.

    Boughtonville was unique in that it was a 'Shoo Fly' operation around a bridge on #1 track that had been washed out by the July 4, 1969 thunderstorm outbreak that deluged Northeastern Ohio, causing multiple issues on the Akron Main Line Subdivision of the B&O. To facilitate the shoo fly MofW installed a crossover from #1 to #2 track East of the damaged bridge and a crossover from #2 track back to #1 track West of the damaged Bridge. Once the crossovers were installed, but just before the TTOS was placed in effect, some coal trains were operated West on #2 track from Greenwich to Willard - the last one derailed 32 cars, as some part of the track structure wasn't secured and the rail ran.

    The attached pictures are from the Boughtonville TTOS. I was late to work the night of the Moon Landing, waiting to see it on TV. As can be seen from the pictures, no expense was spared in creating creature comforts for those working TTOS.[/sarcasm]
     

    Attached Files:

  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wow. A doghouse for your HQ. And even equipped with a fancy open door for air conditioning. Management probably thought they'd over spent on this facility? Was there a good nearby bush for your bathroom needs?
     
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  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Were any of these sites temporary?

    Akron Jct., OH.
    Alberton, MD.
    Alexa Jct., (Alexandria Jct.), MD.
    Allingdale, WV.
    Altamont, MD.
    Arlington, IN.
    Ashford, NY.
    Avenue, Springfield, IL.
    Bakerstown, PA.
    Barnesville, OH.
    Bates, Rossford, OH.
    BA Tower, Baltimore, MD.
    Bayview, (BA Tower), Baltimore, MD.
    Bellaire, OH.
    Belpre, OH.
    Benwood, WV.
    Benwood Jct., WV.
    Bingham, PA.
    Bond, MD.
    Bowling Green, OH.
    Bradford, PA.
    Breese, IL.
    Bridge 460, Cleveland, OH.
    Broad Ford, PA.
    Brockway, PA. (B&O Office)
    Brockway, PA. (Erie Lackawanna RY Office)
    Brooklyn, Baltimore, MD.
    Brooklyn Jct., New Martinsville, WV.
    Brooks Ave., Rochester, NY.
    Brunswick, MD.
    Buckhannon, WV.
    Burnsville Jct., WV.
    Butler, OH.
    Butler, PA.
    BX Tower, Baltimore, MD.
    BZ Tower, Zanesville, OH.
    Cambridge, OH.
    Camden, Baltimore, MD.
    Canal Fulton, OH.
    Carroll, MD.
    CB Jct., Curwensville, PA.
    CG Tower, Columbus Grove, OH.
    Chardon, OH.
    Charleston, WV.
    Chicago, IL.
    Chiefton, WV.
    Chillicothe, OH.
    Chrisman, IL.
    Chrisman Tower, IL.
    Cincinnati Jct., OH.
    Cincinnati Union Terminal, OH.
    Clarion Jct., Johnsonburg, PA.
    C&M Jct., DuBois, PA.
    Cochran, IN.
    Commiskey, IN.
    Cone, East St.Louis, IL.
    Confluence, PA.
    Connellsville, PA.
    Connersville, IN.
    Cottage Grove, IN.
    Cowan, PA.
    Creekside, PA.
    Cumberland, MD.
    Dayton, OH.
    Dayton, PA.
    Dayton Int., OH.
    Dearborn, Lawrenceburg, IN.
    Decatur, IL.
    Defiance, OH.
    DeForest Jct., OH.
    Deshler, OH.
    DK Cabin, Huntington, WV.
    Dola, WV.
    Dover, OH.
    DuBois, PA.
    DuBois Yard Office, PA.
    East Grafton, WV.
    East Norwood, Cincinnati, OH.
    East Salamanca, NY.
    East Side, Philadelphia, PA.
    Echo, PA.
    Eidenau, PA.
    Elkins, WV.
    Ellicottville, NY.
    Elyria, OH.
    Emory Grove, MD.
    Erie Jct., Lima, OH.
    Etna, PA.
    Fairmont, WV.
    FC Tower, Falls Creek, PA.
    Flora, IL.
    Ford Park, Lima, OH.
    Fort George G.Meade Jct., Savage, MD.
    Fostoria, OH.
    Foxburg, PA.
    FY Tower, Willow Grove, PA.
    Gaither, MD.
    Galatea, OH.
    Garrett, IN.
    Gassaway, WV.
    Gaston Jct., WV.
    Gettysburg, PA.
    Glendale, Cincinnati, OH.
    Glenwood Jct., Pittsburgh, PA.
    GN Tower, Greenwich, OH.
    Grafton, OH.
    Grafton, WV.
    Gratztown, PA.
    Greene Jct., Connellsville, PA.
    Greenville, OH.
    Greenwich, OH.
    Grosvenor, OH.
    Halethorpe, MD.
    Hamden, OH.
    Hamilton, Oh.
    Hamler, OH.
    Hannibal, WV.
    Hardman, WV.
    Harmony Jct., PA.
    Harpers Ferry, WV.
    Haselton, Youngstown, OH.
    HA Tower, Holloway, OH.
    Highfield, MD.
    HN Cabin, East St.Louis, IL.
    Holgate, OH.
    HO Tower ("Hobbs"), Hancock, WV.
    HX Tower, Baltimore, MD.
    Hyndman, PA.
    Indiana. PA.
    Ivorydale Jct., Cincinnati, OH.
    Jackson, OH.
    J&B Jct., Mt.Jewett, PA.
    J Tower, Willard, OH.
    JD Tower, Hyattsville, MD.
    Jessup, MD.
    JN, Anacostia Jct., DC.
    Johnstown, PA.
    JO, Akron, OH.
    JO Tower, Seymour, IN.
    Kane, PA.
    Keyser, WV.
    Knox, PA.
    KN Tower, Leipsic, OH.
    Laughlin Jct., Pittsburgh, PA.
    Lawrenceville, IL.
    Leipsic, OH.
    Leipsic Jct., Oh.
    LeRoy, NY.
    Lester, OH.
    Lexington, OH.
    Lima, OH.
    Limestone, PA.
    Loveland, OH.
    Lumberport, WV.
    MA Tower, Mount Airy, MD.
    Mace, Massillon, OH.
    Machias, NY.
    Marienville, PA.
    Marion Center, PA.
    Martinsburg, WV.
    MD Tower, Clarksburg, WV.
    Mexico, Cumberland, MD.
    Midland City, OH.
    Milan, IN.
    Miller (R Tower), Cherry Run, WV.
    Mitchell, IN.
    MK Tower, McKeesport, PA.
    MK Tower, Rowlesburg, WV.
    MN Tower, Mt.Vernon, OH.
    Monroeville, OH.
    Montezuma, IN.
    Moorefield, Indianapolis, IN.
    Morgantown, WV.
    Mosgrove, PA.
    Moundsville, WV.
    Mountain Lake Park, MD.
    Mt.Jewett, PA.
    Musselman, OH.
    NA Tower (Martinsburg), WV.
    Newark, OH.
    New Castle Jct., PA.
    New River Jct., Hamilton, OH.
    Newton Falls, OH.
    Niles Jct., (RS Tower), Lordstown, OH.
    NK Booth, Newark, OH.
    North Dayton, OH.
    North Excello, OH.
    North Siding, Mansfield, OH.
    North Vernon, IN.
    Nova, OH.
    NS Tower, Lima, OH.
    NX, Punxsutawney, PA.
    NYC Jct., Clearfield, PA.
    OB Tower, Parkersburg, WV.
    O'Bannon, OH.
    Odin, IL.
    O'Fallon, IL.
    Ohio Jct., Youngstown, OH.
    Olney, IL.
    Orchard Park, NY.
    Osgood, IN.
    Ottawa, IL.
    Oxford, OH.
    Painesville, OH.
    Parkers Landing, PA.
    Park Jct., Philadelphia, PA.
    Penn Mary Jct., Baltimore, MD.
    PE Tower, Painesville, OH.
    Philadelphia, PA.
    Pine Grove, WV.
    Pine Jct., Gary, IN.
    Pittsburgh, PA.
    Point Mills, WV.
    Point Pleasant, WV.
    QN Tower, Washington, DC.
    Queensgate, Cincinnati, OH.
    Ravenna, OH.
    Ravenswood, WV.
    RG Tower, Philadelphia, PA.
    RH Tower, Flushing, OH.
    Ridgway, PA.
    Riker, Punxsutawney, PA.
    Riverside, Halethorpe, MD.
    Roachdale, IN.
    Rockton, PA.
    Rockwood, PA.
    Russellville, IN.
    RV Tower, Rossville, MD.
    Salem, IL.
    Sand Patch, Meyersdale, PA.
    Shattuc, IL.
    Shelby Jct., OH.
    Sherwood, OH.
    Shops, Washington, IN.
    Silver Spring, MD.
    Smithfield, PA.
    State Street, Indianapolis, IN.
    Sterling, OH.
    Storrs, Cincinnati, OH. (One half mile east of Storrs Jct.)
    Storrs Jct., Cincinnati, OH.
    Sugar St., Lima, OH.
    Summit Siding, OH.
    SW Tower, Benwood, WV.
    SX Tower, Parkersburg, WV.
    SX Tower, Somerset, PA.
    Tates Point, Dayton, OH.
    Taylorville, IL.
    Terra Alta, WV.
    Tiffin, OH.
    Tontogany, OH.
    Trenton, IL.
    Troy, OH.
    Tygart Jct., Philippi, WV.
    TY Tower, Tuscola, IL.
    UD Tower, Joliet, IL.
    Union Station- St. Louis, MO.
    UN Office, Brunswick, MD.
    UN Tower, West Pittsburgh, PA.
    US Tower, Columbus, OH.
    Utica, OH.
    Viaduct Jct., Cumberland, MD.
    Vincennes, IN.
    Vincennes Street, New Albany, IN.
    Walbridge, OH.
    Wapakoneta, OH.
    Warwick, Clinton, OH.
    Washington, DC.
    Washington, IN.
    Washington C.H., (Washington Court House), OH.
    Waterford, OH.
    WB Tower, Brunswick, MD.
    Wellsboro, IN.
    West Cumbo, (W Tower), Hedgesville, WV.
    West Dana, IN.
    West End, Grafton, WV.
    West Jct., Vigo, OH.
    West Keyser, WV.
    West Marietta, OH.
    Wheeling, WV.
    Willard, OH.
    Wilmington, OH.
    Winchester, VA.
    Winton Jct., Cincinnati, OH.
    WI Tower, Brockway, PA.
    WJ Tower, Landenburg Jct., DE.
    WN Tower, Cohen, WV.
    WR Tower, Springfield, IL.
    WS Tower, Butler Jct., PA.
    WS Tower, Watson, IN.
    WY Tower, Xenia, OH.
    XD Tower, (Cloe Yard), Punxsutawney, PA.
    YD Tower, Lorain, OH.
    Youngtown, Louisville, KY.
    Zaleski, OH.
    Zanesville, OH.
     
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  4. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    The towers listed below are from your list that I've seen while railfanning long ago. Some locations on your list had multiple towers. I've added telegraph calls in bold on some on my list. I've seen photos of B&O towers at Bond and Confluence. I tend to think that most everything on your list was a proper structure; many of the location names look familiar. The PRR and PC too made use of temporary train order "offices".

    Altamont, MD.
    Cumberland, MD.
    Deshler, OH.
    DK Cabin, Huntington, WV.
    East Grafton, WV.
    Fostoria, OH.
    Glenwood Jct., Pittsburgh, PA.
    GN Tower, Greenwich, OH.
    Grafton, WV.
    Hardman, WV.
    HO Tower ("Hobbs"), Hancock, WV.
    Hyndman, PA.
    JO Tower, Seymour, IN.
    Keyser, WV. (KY was in the depot)
    Leipsic, OH. (XN, RO and KN Towers at Leipsic. Confusing; I think XN is what I saw.)
    NS Tower, Lima, OH. (NS Tower seen, confusion as to who crossed here, NKP/DT&I/B&O? Lima had other towers too.)
    MD Tower, Clarksburg, WV.
    Mexico, Cumberland, MD.
    Miller (R Tower), Cherry Run, WV.
    MK Tower, Rowlesburg, WV.
    NA Tower (Martinsburg), WV.
    New Castle Jct., PA.
    Nova, OH.
    Ravenna, OH. (RN Tower seen (PRR/B&O). RAVE was PRR/NYC)
    Sand Patch, Meyersdale, PA.
    Terra Alta, WV.
    Viaduct Jct., Cumberland, MD.
    Washington, DC. (K Tower)
    WB Tower, Brunswick, MD.
    West Cumbo, (W Tower), Hedgesville, WV.
    West Keyser, WV. (Z Tower)
    WS Tower, Butler Jct., PA.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2022
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  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have some from PRR/PC/CR which I know were temporary. At least one PRR I can recall off hand, which was named "Xxxxx TBS" Some were at crossovers. A have a very few orders which state something similar to "temporary block station at ______ is open."
     
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  6. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    All the following were PERMANENT offices at one point in time or another, either as a straight out Train Order office or as a Agent/Operator position. Those that I have highlighted in BLUE are locations that I worked. As a Train Order Operator I worked the B&O St. Louis Division, Pittsburgh Division and Akron Chicago Divisions. As a company official I worked on the Akron-Chicago Division and the Baltimore Division.

     
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  7. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    Boughtonville was a Summer TTOS. The Winter TTOS were large enough to have a caboose, pot belly stove - get one side medium rare while the other side froze. In as much as the railroad tends to follow a water level grade - wherever flowing water can be found - water in rural areas is the home to whole colonies of bugs of virtually any variety. Mosquitos were #1 in the hierarchy. First thing you learn is to keep your light source OFF, as it attracts all the night time bugs.

    The Operators labor agreement stated that working 'without shelter' entitled the Operator to Time and a half for his efforts. The TTOS 'shacks' were considered 'shelter' in accordance with the agreement. At Boughtonville, one had to park about 1/2 mile from the location on the side of a county road that ran under the railroad, climb the embankment and walk the 1/2 mile to 'the office'.
     
  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Something went sideways. Am not seeing a list with blue highlighted items? :(
     
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  9. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    Because I quoted a long list - the functions of this forum only show a small part of the list straight away - at the bottom of the middle of the list there is a somewhat hard to see 'click to expand'; which will display the entire list when clicked.
     
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  10. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Oh, now I see it. Wow, you really got around the system!
     
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  11. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    I didn't identify all the locations I performed service at while a non-contract official, both in 1st level operating supervision and a decade involved with the Headquarters functions of the Operating Department in designing, programming, installing and providing long term software maintenance of the Chessie System's network of 19 Terminal Services Centers. I'll go back to the original quoted list and highlight the places I was at in Official capacity in RED

    Trying the edit the list - the post exceeds the character limits for threads in this forum.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2022
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  12. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    My screen and my olde farte vision make that link hard to see. Wow. You were truly a "boomer!" You must have worn out the extra board.
     
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  13. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    Not a boomer. The St.Louis Division extra board covered everything between 8th Street in Cincinnati to East St.Louis as well as the branches from North Vernon to Louisville and from Beardstown to Shawneetown in Illinois. I transferred to the Pittsburgh Division when our family moved to Pittsburgh and worked the P&W Subdivison jobs during the Summer of 1967. I transferred to the Akron-Chicago Division in the Fall of 1967 so I could attend college and worked most all the Operator jobs on the division until I accumulated enough seniority to bid in the Wire Chief Relief in the Division Offices in Akron. During this period of time I also bid in the opportunity to qualify as a Extra Train Dispatcher, which required me to become qualified on the different rule sets various subdivisions operated on as well as the physical characteristics of all the subdivisions on the Division - Pine Jct. through Willard to UN Tower at New Castle, the Lake Sub from Ohio Jct. to Painesville, the Old Line from DeForest Jct. to Newton Falls, the CT&V from Cleveland through Akron to Mineral City, the Cleveland Sub from RD Tower in Cleveland to Lester, the CL&W from Lorain to Sterling and Warwick to Hollaway.

    After graduation I was promoted to a Official Trainee position in Akron and subsequently transferred to Baltimore as Assistant Terminal Trainmaster and ended up working all the yards in Baltimore, except Curtis Bay, as well as Jessup, Wilmington and Philadelphia before getting involved with computer side of Chessie Systems Terminal Service Center, which existed at 19 locations on Chessie System.
     
  14. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    mmi16, I salute you for your initiative, perseverance, and success. You've earned your retirement. I hope you're able to enjoy it for long years. Though, more importantly, I thank you for the knowledge and experience you bring to the TB from the operational side, a side we rarely see. Thank you.
     
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  15. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    When I went back into the Dispatcher's craft for CSX at Jacksonville I worked a number of territories, starting with what in 1990 was the Tampa Division that included the territory from Savannah through Jacksonville and on both the A and S lines to Tampa, Miami and Homestead including the Bone Valley.

    When the Tampa Division was reorganized out of existence I then went to the Atlanta Division, which at the time was the territory from Atlanta to Abbeville, Atlanta to Waycross, Atlanta to Montgomery and Manchester to Parkwood.

    Later I got the opportunity to bid to the Mobile Division account better rest days; that territory included Nashville to Birmingham to Montgomery to Mobile to New Orleans as well as several smaller subdivisions around Birmingham. After a year or so, the Mobile Division was reorganized out of existence and I went to the reconfigured Atlanta Division which incorporated both Etowah and Chattanooga to Atlanta, Atlanta to Abbeville, Atlanta to Montgomery, Atlanta to Manchester to Birmingham. Birmingham to Montgomery to Mobile to New Orleans. Montgomery to Thomasville (The Bow Line). After working those territories for several years the Dispatching Center Management featured that the territory was too big for a single job to handle it and it was split into two jobs - When the jobs were split I bid onto the Baltimore Division, however for approximately 3 months I was prevented from performing duties on the Baltimore Division as I was being held on the Atlanta Division to train individuals that had bid in the Atlanta North and Atlanta South jobs. Even after I was released to the Baltimore Division I would frequently come in to work my Baltimore Division job only to be instructed to work one or the other of the Atlanta jobs.

    I was on the Baltimore Division whose territory at that time was from Garrett, IN through Willard through New Castle and on to Baltimore and Philadelphia, via the P&W Sub as the P&LE was being operated as the Three Rivers Railroad and it was subsequently acquired by CSX. After the construction to enhance the railroad for the CR acquisition was mostly completed and just before the actual date of the deal, CSX reconfigured the territorial Divisions again. With the reconfiguration the lines New Castle and West became a part of the Great Lakes Division. The Baltimore Division began upon Eastward departure from New Castle including both the P&W and P&LE routes to Pittsburgh and on to Baltimore and Philadelphia. At this time the Baltimore Division acquired the former ConRail Bennings operation and the ConRail lines to Southern Maryland. The Baltimore Division also acquired the RF&P Sub to Greendale from the Florence Division. In gaining the former ConRail territory the Baltimore Division also gained one former ConRail Dispatcher to do dovetail into the CSX Baltimore Division Dispatcher's seniority roster.

    In 2008 CSX decided to decentralize the Dispatchers. I followed the Baltimore Division to Baltimore. While at Baltimore, the P&W Sub was leased off to the AVL and the B&P, the W&P Sub was sold to the AVL. About 2010 or 12 the Baltimore Division was given the Mountain Sub between Cumberland and Grafton as well as several subdivisions the fed coal to Grafton from the Huntington Division. Later on, about 2015 when the Huntington Division was dissolved, the Ohio River and several other smaller subdivisions were assigned to the Baltimore Division extending the Division to Huntington, WV.

    I pulled the pin in December 2016 after 51.5 years. In September 2017 the Baltimore Dispatching Office was moved back to Jacksonville. In 2018 the Baltimore Division offices were relocated from Halethorpe, MD where they had been since Camden Station was vacated so Oriole Park at Camden Yards could be constructed, to space at the Curtis Bay Coal Pier.
     
  16. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    WOW, mmi16, you've had a wonderful, yet convoluted career, Though you offer no dates, you probably dispatched a southbound 12-unit power plus one box car past my Gulfport, MS house 15-25 years ago. I posted my observation on TB that it appeared to be running at track speed. You responded that lone power had to run at 35 (IIRC), but a "train" that included at least one(!) car, could run at track speed. I've repeated that many time to my associates at the Museum, to their delight. Thanks for your contributions, they're wonderful reading.
     
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  17. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    Today December 19, 2022 is the 6th anniversary of my retirement. Thankfully I got out before the cancer of PSR afflicted CSX.
     
  18. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Congratulations for your successful escape. (y)
     
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  19. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Congrats on your retirement, freedom!(y)
     
  20. BnOEngrRick

    BnOEngrRick TrainBoard Member

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    At Leipsic where the NKP and the B&O crossed was XN (NKP)/RO (B&O) same tower, different call letters. B&O's XN tower was where the DT&I crossed (and later ran on) the B&O to Lima. NS Tower was where the NKP (LE&W) joined the B&O and had joint trackage to Erie Jct, and they crossed the PRR.

    A single lite locomotive is restricted to 30. 2 or more can run track speed.
     
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