Railroad Photos by Chuck.com

The Penn Central, part of the Cincinnati division, ran through Springfield’s downtown on its path to Columbus.  Many of Springfield’s industries were located adjacent to the NYC tracks. The north-south DT&I main line skirted just north of the downtown, following Buck Creek and crossing the Erie Lackawanna at Maitland on the northwest edge of town by Snyder Park. The DT&I trackage was a little unusual, in that the engine terminal at York Street was adjacent to the NYC main but was about 2 miles from the DT&I’s Junction Yard on the east edge of town, requiring locomotives to share and cross the PC rails for service.  The Erie Lackawanna, part of the ex-Erie main from Marion to Cincinnati, avoided downtown altogether, crossing the DT&I at Maitland and paralleling the NYC at Cold Springs further west .

 

 

In the spring of 1968, the Penn Central had existed for a few months after the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads had merged.  But the merger was a failure, and the combined company declared bankruptcy on June 21, 1970, after only 2 years.  The road continued to operate while the court, Congress and the business world came up with a plan for reorganizing the railroads in the Northeast – becoming Conrail, which officially began operations on April 1, 1976.  Erie Lackawanna was also folded into Conrail.  Now this line is owned by Norfolk Southern. The DT&I, under control of the Pennsylvania RR, was sold to the Grand Trunk Western in 1980.  These former DT&I rails are now owned by the Indiana and Ohio Railroad.

 

My favorite spots, within walking distance, were the York St engine terminal of the DT&I, which was always busy, and the crossing and control tower at Maitland, on the northwest side of town.  These images were taken between 1968 and 1971.