Back in the Fall of
1976 Amtrak made it's initial appearance into Athens
on an special
"Press Train" intending to impress
local dignitaries and the media with the upcoming scheduled
service on the B&O line.
Here are photos of that "Extra" ( note white flags on the engine
) train.
* the Train is seen
at the Athens station
as some folks get off and others board
* Engine
# 710 appears to have a homemade number
board on the left side
* looking
toward Union Street
* Train
is seen West of town just before the
Salem Rd. (County Rd. 9) crossing at Luhrig
Armitage(
now Conrail, ex-NYC and C&O crossing located North
West of Athens)
* Looking
North at Penn Central MofW area,
toward PC / C&O crossing - Feb. 8, 1975
* Pictures
of Track Equipment in PC MofW area, note
C&O
line to Athens in the
background which is a bike path today - Mar. 1975
* Setting
on the siding for a few days were 2 GP-9 damaged by runaway boxcar
in W.Va.
Front & Rear
view of Conrail #7232 . - Sept. 27, 1977
*
two
Conrail trains pass at the Siding's
North end , both with CSX cabooses. Seen here
is the southbound's cabose. A
wideangle photo as the Northbound's Conductor
aligns the switch, B23-7 #2017
( future CSX #3184 ) then cabose exits
Mar.17, 87
* Helpers
HLP251, with C30-7 # 6607 ( later
Helm #6707), are soon passed by
Northbound CODI-3 Dec.3, 1988
* Helpers
#6800 & 6844 set at Siding's
South end awaiting new crew - Oct.9,1990
* UP3828
SD40-2 (ex- MKT 620) is 2sd. unit of Train UBL passing
CODI-9 June 9,91
*
two hoppers on CODI-7 derailed south of Siding ( looking
South& North) - Nov.7,1991
* during
the UN Operation Desert Storm Conrail painted #6707 with a yellow ribbon
showing their support of USA troops. Rear
View & Front View -
Dec.3, 1991
* Looking
North at Train UAT-85 waits on the Main
for a southbound - April 10, 1992
* A rail
train sets on the siding's South end
Aug. 17, 1995
Grosvenor
Crossing & Tower
* Tower Operator
Woody Thomas ( water
damaged photo) - Sept.22, 1975
* a black
& white snapshot of Westbound
passes the Tower - Dec. 1976
* notice
the old NYC/B&O interchanges tracks
in this b&w photo - Dec. 1976
* a b&w
snapshot of an Eastbound Amtrak
just West of the tower - Dec.1976
* the St.
Louis Trailer Train #97 seen passing the Tower during snow flurries
- April 6, 1977
* Southbound
Conrail Engineer picks up written orders
as Train passes - Oct. 7, 1977
* another
Southbound
Train picks up orders, note
the ex-NYC F7a unit -
Oct. 26, 1977
* Tower
viewed looking East from St.Rt.682
( "Receive Orders" is displayed ) Oct. 7,1977
* Tower
viewed looking South along
Conrail - Dec. 1981
* Eastbound
Trailer Train gets orders as Operator Mullins watches
it pass - Dec. 15, 1981
* Eastbound
Train has old B&O Alco switchers #9033
& #9178 dead in tow behind the
road engines and also its Caboose
seen passing the Tower - May 17, 1977
* a B&O
trackcrew weilds the crossing
- Oct. 1977
* Operator Jim
Mullins types train orders - Feb. 1981
* B&O
Track
Inspector sets on HiRail pickup Feb. 12,1981
* Westbound
trio
of GP9s - Oct. 26,1977
above Train seen again ( notice the old
Grosvenor siding is still in place )
* Eastbound
Amtrak
passes tower - April 6,1977
* an Eastbound
passes Tower - Oct.1977 photographed while standing where the
AEP Electric company facility is located
today.
* the
Tower's Operator looks at the Board -
Aug.19,1981
* the
Board showing
3 trains converging on
the tower simultaneously
* the
Tower's
levels - Sept. 1981
* another
look at the Board
* Looking across
the Operator's desk, note the morse code key
in the center of the photo
* Eastbound
seen a few hundred yards West of Tower (
notice the siding still in ) - Oct. 1977
* Eastbound
Trailer Train ( #96 ? ) seen a few miles West
of Grosvenor Tower - July 7, 1977
* Operator
McMantis works the last shift & last
Train to pass as active Tower - 1982
* the closed
Tower
burned on Aug 14, 1982 ( it was razed Aug. 23 ) -
seen Aug. 18,1982
* Conrail
Trainman
Presses button to get signal , after
the Tower closed - Aug. 16, 1982
* Westbound
Train seen East of Tower, at West
end of Athens passing siding
* probably the
last photo I took of the crossing ; Train XDI-535
- March 4,1989
* Conrail
train
CODI-1 with SSW#8069 B40-8
( later re# UP5678) - Sept.01, 1995
Dec.1994 a tank
car derailed
one
axle at Milepost 84.9 along Township Road #31.
The Southbound's lead unit is C40-8W 6133
built in 1991.
The 2sd. Unit is
1 of 3 ex-GM Demo 6840
purchased by Conrail in 1984.
Next is
C40-8W 6138 lastly GP38-2
8129 was built 1973 as PC8129.
C&O
Freight Station and nearby
B&O Mof W yard
( on Shafer St., were University Commons apartments are today )
* Work
Train Engine on B&O siding
( looking Southwest ) Sept. 1981
* Eastbound
passes B&O MofW yard - Mar.1981
* Looking
West into
B&O MofW yard - Mar.
9,1982
* Looking
North at C&O Freight Station -
Mar. 12, 1981
* Looking
West from Platform of C&O Freight Station
( B&O Mainline & siding shown top left) - Mar. 1982
Several
Views around the old C&O yard ( W. State
Street ) - Feb. 1983
* The
tail of the Wye was a Trestle used for
unloading hoppers into
trucks ( top & Bottom
views)
* Looking
Northwest around the West leg of
the Wye ( old McBee Building to the left)
* C&O
Yard Tracks looking West toward
Armitage
* Looking
Southeast into Yard from West end ( Switch goes to West
leg of Wye)
* C&O
Hocking River Bridge seen looking West
( Note Conrail Mainline in top left) ,
then viewed looking South
B&O Passenger Station( on Union Street
- once used by B&O, C&O, NYC )
* Eastbound
Trailer Train passes Station Feb. 1981
above Train's Baywindow Caboose passes
Station
* Work
Train setting on siding in snow Feb. 1982
* Westbound
Trailer Train along side Station Sept.
19, 1981
* Eastbound
WM5632 slowly moves by on passing siding
as an unseen Westbound passes
* Amtrak
Westbound #33 The Shenandoah
arrives ( engine# 713 ) Aug. 7,
1977
*
#32 the Eastbound Shenandoah seen near
Union Street and at the Station Aug.
1977
* Amtrak
Eastbound #32 at 10:05pm Sept. 21, 1981
* Amtrak
Westbound #33 at 05:22 Sept.
25, 1981
* Amtrak
Eastbound #32 Oct. 18, 1977
( Passengers disembark,
Attendant
on AmCafe )
* Passing
Siding is removed from the Station Feb.1983
* Concrete
Foundation
for old B&O Water Tank Feb.1983
*
the sign posted at the Station showing the
Trains'
schedule Aug. 1977
Race
Street ( near Ohio University's
Morton Hall )
* Eastbound
manifest glides around the tightest curve in the Division
- Fall 1981
* Westbound
approaches same curve ( Engine# 7600
leads ) Mar.1983
Mill
Street
* Eastbound
pauses to
pickup a boxcar at Abex Plant
- June 19,1982
Stimson
Ave.
* Eastbound
Work Train
beside RAX restaurant
- Nov. 13, 1981
* Westbound
Train has rare Gold Colored GM Demo lettered GM50
-
Feb. 1981
above Trains's Caboose crosses
street
* VW
bettle waits for Eastbound to pass by - Feb. 1983
Sewer
Plant area
( East side
of Town )
* Eastbound
passes under St.Rt.# 33 & 50 - Dec.
1981
* Westbound
rolls past
* Westbound
waits for signal, just West of City
Sewer Plant
* Eastbound
leave Athens at far East end of Town -
July 1, 1982
