B&O T 4 at Attica Junction ?

[03 1008]

Hello,

 

a German website shows this fine photo:

 

https://eisenbahnstiftung.de/images/bildergalerie/55265.jpg

 

The original text which may have been changed in the meantime was: "Wie der Fotograf vermerkte, gelang ihm diese Aufnahme um 7.53 Uhr mit der 89 X 85 der Pennsylvania RR Company bei Attica/Ohio an der Bahnstrecke zwischen Cleveland/Ohio und Fort Wayne/Indiana. (05.08.1955) Foto: R.R. Malinoski"

I'd think we're seeing a B&O freight possibly near Attica Junction. Could anybody shed some light on this, please?

 

Best wishes from Germany, Helmut

[ndbprr]

Well my German ist nicht gut. Ich vergess alle.  That being said, there is nothing in the background that would be an identifier as to location.  Interesting is the train going away is on a slightly elevated track indicating to me that this is a single track mainline.  The train coming toward the camera could be on  a passing track waiting for the other train to clear.  Since the photo caption indicates it is near a junction the foreground track could be for leaving cars for pick up by either railroad.  I do not think this is on the PRR because the caboose is not a PRR model that I have ever seen.  It would be highly unlikely that two trains of a competitor would be on PRR trackage.  That makes me think that the train is on B&O trackage near the PRR junction.  Please treat this opinon as I am not familiar with that area.  the photographer (Bob Malinoski) is a very well known photographer of trains in the USA

[Penny Trains]

Well, it looks plausible, western ohio is relatively flat farm country formed by the glaciers thousands of years ago.  Here's the B&O system map but it doesn't show either Attica or even Fort Wayne.

This one shows the B&O and the Pennsy comming together in Tiffin rather than Attica.  However there is (was) the Columbus, Sandusky and Hocking Valley between the two at Attica:

No idea if the line still existed in the 50's.

[gmpullman]

Seems awfully familiar to this 9-18-1955 photo by Bob Withers and the caption states that this T-3b, 5565, is on westbound #97 at Attica Jct. Ohio.

BnO_Attica_9-55 by Edmund, on Flickr

Google translate makes out the caption posted by the OP to be:

As the photographer noted, this shot was taken at 7:53 am with the Pennsylvania RR Company's 89 X 85 at Attica / Ohio on the Cleveland / Ohio railway to Fort Wayne / Indiana

If the photo is in the morning and he's eastbound, there must be a grade here, note the sand accumulation on the rails. I thought I had a track chart of this area but I can't put my finger on it at the moment.

Mr. Withers' photo shows a westbound, the pole line would be on the south side which would agree with the OP's photo. There could be sidings on both sides of the two-track main, obscured in the photos by the height of the main track.

This basic chart indeed shows a stiff grade on either side of Attica Jct.

BnO_Chi_Div_crop by Edmund, on Flickr

 

Regards, Ed

 

[MidlandMike]

PRR's Columbus-Sandusky line famously crossed the B&O mainline at Attica Junction.  It was big with steam fans, as the PRR 2-10-4s lasted there a long time.  The line mainly carried coal off the N&W to the lake port.  Eventually the line was sold to the N&W.

To me the photo looks like the 2 trains are on double track.  Wasn't the B&O main double tracked in the area west of Willard?

[BaltACD]

B&O's 'prefered' method of Main Line operation was double track with current of traffic signalling and directional passing sidings.  

[Jones1945]

MidlandMike

PRR's Columbus-Sandusky line famously crossed the B&O mainline at Attica Junction.  It was big with steam fans, as the PRR 2-10-4s lasted there a long time.  The line mainly carried coal off the N&W to the lake port.  Eventually the line was sold to the N&W.

Yes, A dozen oil-burning Santa Fe 5011-class 2-10-4's were leased to Pennsy between late April and early December 1956 to haul coal between Columbus and Sandusky, OH. It was just a few years after they scraped their 26 Q2 class 4-4-6-4.

PRR J1's and Santa Fe 2-10-4's at Sandusky, Ohio (1956):

[BaltACD]

gmpullman

This basic chart indeed shows a stiff grade on either side of Attica Jct.

 

BnO_Chi_Div_crop by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed

Referred to as Republic Hill - it was the ruling grade between Willard and Chicago 0.30%.  Not much of a grade in real terms, however, when you load locomtives to the maximum tonnage for the territory, any deviation from level or descending can be quite a struggle.  More than one train stalled on Republic Hill.

I suspect with today's trains being well in excess of a mile in length, the momentum of their length makes Republic Hill less daunting to today's engineers.