Valley Run

NG501043

Valley Run

Passenger train

The decline in passenger business at Springfield has been paralleled in recent years by a decrease in car loadings as well. The closing of the huge Crowell-Collier Publishing Company plant in 1957 deprived the railroad of a considerable account at one stroke, and another large customer, the International Harvester Company truck plant, has reduced both the size of its operations and the amount of business it does by rail. Fortunately the industrial activity in the Miami Valley between Springfield and Cincinnati has boomed, providing an offsetting stimulus. Here is one of the trains which serves this area, the Advance "Valley Run", leaving Springfield westbound with 37 cars behind L-3 no. 3064. The train is on the westbound main, with Limestone Street in the foreground and the depot in the left background. The relatively short consist of the Advance Valley Run here will be augmented considerably before its arrival in Cincinnati by pickups at Hutchings Station (site of a large power plant, from which empty hoppers will be taken) and at Middletown. The head end, made up of cleaned and washed 40x10 boxcars, will be set out at Moraine, just below Dayton, for loading at the Frigidaire plant. This train, manned by a Cincinnati crew, is presently being run as a Dayton turn, but when the picture was taken, it was running into Springfield and laying over while the crew took their rest.

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor

2-1/4x3-1/4 neg

Apr-53

To buy a copy of this photograph; click here NG501043

HvyWt

313

L-3c

#3064

Alco

Springfield, OH

See NG501043a