Barr Mills Alco Switcher

[sp4380]

When passing through Sugar Creek last weekend; we noticed a loop track going east off the OC main in Barr Mills, just north of Sugar Creek.
This track is severed from the main but the loop is still intact and has an old Alco switcher on it sitting next to a truck scale house.

My question is; what was this facility? When was it abandoned?

Any info is welcome.
Terry

[SousaKerry]

Here?

40.543817,-81.612344

holy crap that thing really is buried in the weeds.. Did it even have rails under it?

[sp4380]

Yes. Not really buried too bad. The entire loop track appears to be intact with the exception of where it is severed from the main.
I will try and post a picture later.

Terry

[sp4380]

Hopefully this works.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/100474706 ... 039271545/

[60Tonner]

Can't get picture to show. What's the deal with flicker?

[TC Man]

Can't get picture to show. What's the deal with flicker?

Hover over the link, right click and choose "open in new tab". Then it should show in a new tab in your browser.

[60Tonner]

Thank you.

[sp4380]

Any information on what this facility was?

Thanks

[Robert96]

The loop shows up on a 1978 USGS topo map but I don't see anything giving clues to it's use.

[SousaKerry]

Here is a better picture from 1989?

Reported to be an early genset (Zombie) remote control unit. Formerly an S2




6/10/89 Type: ALCO S2
BARR MILLS, OH.
REMOTE CONTROL ZOMBIE UNIT W/O LETTERING

From the background I would say it was a coal mine or transload facility?

[midland sub]

I bet that's the coal traffic the Ohio Central moved on the old WLE line before getting the old Panhandle. There's a pic in Trains or R&R from maybe '89 or '90 of a train on the line with coal traffic.

[Robert96]

Yeah, sure looks like a coal facility.

[sp4380]

If it was a coal facility, there Is no trace of it now. inside the loop track is a Farmhouse and Barn. There is a truck scale next to the locomotive.

[Standard Railfan]

Looking on Google Earth, there is evidence of significant restoration in the area around Barr Mills consistent with surface mining reclamation. The Ohio DNR mapping tool indicates a lot of coal mining in the area. Very likely that this site was a coal mine.

This just in.....
An interesting story about another Alco pulling unit coal trains from Barr Mills on the Ohio Central can be found here: http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com/loco13.html

[redcrumbox]

Years ago there was a silica mine near Barrs Mills. The sandstone was crushed and used in iron making furnaces in Pittsburgh. Later on coal came along. The area was known for strip mining coal.

Map image of the site.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1439732

Photo of the load out.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1439730

Mention of the siding @ mp 87.6

http://www.nkphts.org/databooks/wle/pages/page_53.html

Incredibly, this 2-8-0 pulled coal from the site in 1993

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/onephot ... isplay=501

[sp4380]

Thanks for the info. You never know what you will find.

[bdconrail29]

That's the former owner's personal restoration area. I've been there, can't go there unless you know him.