City Job

NG501048

City Job

Steam Locomotive

Wily Springfield motorists driving in the northeast section of town avoid Warder street where it is crossed by the NYC, knowing from frustrating experiences that it is blocked more often than not. Railroadwise, this is because Springfield yard connects with the Sandusky Division right at the crossing. To elaborate a bit: in the first place, most of the switching is done at this (west) end of the yard, near the yard office, on a lead known as the "drag"; second, all trains which make up, break up, or turn here use this lead, with the sole exception of the Delaware branch local (the Delaware branch begins at the east end of the yard); and third, long Bellefontaine-Cincinnati freights with work to do here are yarded, not only to clear the main for other trains but also to avoid tying up important street crossings, and since the yard is accessible to these trains at one end only, they must back in (westbound) or out (eastbound). Add through movements to all of the foregoing, and it is easy to see why the railroad is unpopular with local motorists. In the scenes above, six-wheeled switcher no. 6721 shoves a cut across Warder Street, westbound on the main track. Beyond the hood of the waiting vehicle on the left is GM telegraph office, at which an operator-switchtender controls movements to and from the yard. In the middle background, switchers 7829 (steam, eight-wheeled) and 8951 (diesel, 1200 HP) occupy the lead. GM office also blocks trains and controls the switches at the end of double track; the switch where the second main begins is just beyond the pavement, beneath the 6721. The track in the foreground is a siding called the "hog track"; it is used in particular for setouts and pickups by ON-1 and ON-2, the Bellefontaine-Cincinnati merchandise trains, which do not enter the yard.

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor

2-1/4x3-1/4 neg

Apr-53

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0-6-0

319

B-11k

#6721

Alco-Schen

Springfield, OH

See NG501048a