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1950 "Blizzard Bowl" Train

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1950 "Blizzard Bowl" Train
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 14, 2008 10:19 PM

I posed this question in a reply to an earlier posting, but I'll re-submit it here since it deals with trains and college football, not Major League baseball:

Does anyone know what railroad had tracks that went to Ohio State's football stadium in 1950?   The reason I ask is I've been a diehard Wolverine fan my whole life, and in 1950 Michigan travelled to play OSU by train.  Their train, as it was described to me, pulled right up to the stadium in Columbus in the middle of a raging blizzard and ~53,000 fans were there to see Michigan win 9-3 (and no that's not the last time Michigan beat Ohio State). 

I'm thinking Michigan would've probably taken the NYC from Ann Arbor, but it also looks like the C&O could've been a choice as well.  Does anyone know whose trackage went to "The Horseshoe" in Columbus back then?

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Posted by rrnut282 on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 9:38 AM

I found a 1918 rail map of Ohio and in the Columbus detail area it shows the Hocking Valley (C&O) on the West edge of the campus.  It shows a CD&M which I assume is an interurban going through the mid-Eastern part of the campus.  Since I'm not a fan of the zeros, I don't know what part of the campus  the stadium is in.  If it's on the South edge there are two choices also.  Take a look for yourself at the following link.  The Columbus detail is in the Southeast quarter.

  http://railsandtrails.com/Maps/OhioRRCommission/1918/1918RailroadMapSE-100.jpg

Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 10:07 AM

As I remember the campus (I worked for 2 years at Battelle which is real close to OSU), it looks like the C&O line would've run closest to the stadium.  That's a great map. 

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Posted by rrboomer on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 10:21 PM
I'd guess they left via the Ann Arbor as it runs right next to the stadium and parking. May have got on C&O at Toledo.
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Posted by alcodave on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:31 AM
i would figure they came down the C&O from toledo . that is still a busy line today.
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Posted by ValleyX on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 5:36 AM

The zeros????????????  Hmmmm.

Concur, most likely they came to town on the C&O.

Go Bucks!

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Posted by rrnut282 on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 8:22 AM
Didn't mean to insult everyone.  We had a rabid OSU fan at work that always wore something with a big "O" on it.  It was an inside joke to refer to him as Mr Zero or just zero.  I kinda forgot this is a national forum.  Mea culpa.
Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 9:45 AM

 rrnut282 wrote:
Didn't mean to insult everyone.  We had a rabid OSU fan at work that always wore something with a big "O" on it.  It was an inside joke to refer to him as Mr Zero or just zero.  I kinda forgot this is a national forum.  Mea culpa.

That's funny - I didn't feel insulted! Wink [;)]

GO BLUE!

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Posted by alcodave on Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:04 PM
It is definatly the C&O that they came down on. I was down there yesterday and about a block from the stadium is an underpass that still has cheasapeak and ohio written on it.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 17, 2008 4:14 PM

 alcodave wrote:
It is definatly the C&O that they came down on. I was down there yesterday and about a block from the stadium is an underpass that still has cheasapeak and ohio written on it.

Thanks!  That answers that question.  I hope you stopped at the Great Steak & Potato Co. down there.  That place was in a mall (maybe still is)  when I lived there and it was run by two Albanian guys.  They'd see me in line and knew exactly what I wanted: 1 full-size Chicken Philadelphia w/extra cheese and hold the peppers.  It'd be all ready for me when my turn came.

I can still taste those sandwiches.  Hmmmmm....

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