Ashland Railway Southbound at Shelby

[bdconrail29]

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayimage-64425.html

Pretty terrible shot, but I arrived extremely late and that's the only shot I could get of a southbound ASRY heading toward CP 67, where the CSX Big 4 crosses. Note B&O CPL's still active at the diamond.

[AARR]

Are those GP38's w/o air filter boxes, or GP39's, or 40's and I can not make out the 3rd radiator fan?

[cbehr91]

I think those are a variety of GP38.

This is going to sound really dumb but I never knew what their paint scheme looked like!

[strugglin]

This is going to sound really dumb but I never knew what their paint scheme looked like!

My brother has tried to see an Ashland Railway train on the move for like 10 years now, everytime he drives from Cleveland-Columbus and back he drives through Mansfield and Ashland, and also always looks for them when he railfans Willard, no such luck in all that time. He was beginning to think they didn't really exist!

[StupidFlee​t]

Last I knew they normally run to Willard at night.

[bdconrail29]

Yes, correct. Most of the runs on the B&O are nocturnal. The other problem is that there are 3 runs. The first is Mansfield to Shelby and turn. The other turns are Mansfield-Plymouth and Mansfield-Willard. The Mans-Shelby turn is more frequent, as is the Plymouth turn. I believe those are 3-4 days/week. Last I knew the Willard turn was twice/week. Even worse, the Erie route is somewhat sporadic. That route has 2 turns, Mans-Ashland and Mans-West Salem. The West Salem run is once weekly on Wednesday. At one time, the Ashland turn was 3 days per week, but looking at the tracks recently, I doubt that is true anymore.

They dispatch the line on yard limits, and you can tune in at 161.175. The B&O CPL's are still up at Shelby diamond.

[bdconrail29]

Just to try to start to iron out a bit of a schedule here, I've noticed that on Friday during the day, via scanner and observations, there is a turn that works south from Shelby to Mansfield. The cars looked like they came from CSX at Willard, so I wonder if the crew comes on duty in the early morning and works Plymouth, Shelby, and then heads on into Mansfield. The train passes Shelby diamond around 12-1pm.

The other observation is that while at work, I've heard the Ashland head from there to Mansfield in the 3-5 pm range on Tuesdays for sure. Other days I will have to get. Again, I'm sure the crew came eastbound to Ashland in the morning.

Lastly so far, the West Salem run certainly runs mostly on Wednesdays, and I've seen it leaving Ashland for West Salem as late as noon. However, I have seen this run completed on Tuesdays for some odd reason.

In other notes, the Ashland has been using the B&O/EL connection in Mansfield, east of the PRR. This would eliminate the need for a crossing with the PRR and the crossing at South Mans (MD) with the EL. Essentially they don't need the line beyond West Mans, because they can come off the B&O and go east up the EL, then back down the other connection to the PRR to enter Oak St. yard that way.

Additionally, they have removed all cars and equipment in the yard just west of the PRR, and have torn down the B&O CPL's at WEST MANS.

[Mr. Tops]

Are those GP38's w/o air filter boxes, or GP39's, or 40's and I can not make out the 3rd radiator fan?

ASRY has 4 straight GP38s, among other power on their roster. ASRY 2022-2024 and 2027. 2022-2024 were built as MGA (Monongahela) 2002-2004 in 7/1969; then to Chicago Central 2002-2004, RMGX 2002-2004 and then to Ashland. These units are somewhat of interest because they are some of the very few GP38s that never had paper air filters added. Of the earlier GP38s built without air filters, most had them added later. The lack of air filters makes these look identical to C&O's (and later CSX) GP39s, only differnce being internal as the 38s are roots blown and 39s are turbocharged, turning 300 more horses. Lastly, ASRY 2027 was built as PC 7787 in 10/1969; to CR 7787, to CMNW 2033 and also wound up on the Chicago Central as CC 2007 before going to Ashland.

[AARR]

Are those GP38's w/o air filter boxes, or GP39's, or 40's and I can not make out the 3rd radiator fan?

ASRY has 4 straight GP38s, among other power on their roster...

Thanks Tops. I enjoy the history on them too Like you said, the lack of air filter boxes makes them very rare among GP38's still in operation.

[bdconrail29]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... 7931959209

Here's the 2027 you speak of. Thanks for the discussion.

[SW]

When I was doing some work in Mansfield, OH, I sometimes would see ASRY at work in the industrial area just north of Shelby, west of OH-61, in the late afternoon on Fridays as I was leaving town. On Friday 3/18 I caught the 2027 sitting next to N. Main St. in Mansfield, about 1/2 mile south of US-30.

[Bellevue_Guy]

While driving into Mansfield on Bowman Rd I saw what I'm pretty sure was an Ashland Railway engine pulling some flat cars loaded with steel coils away from AK Steel. It wasn't one of their black and yellow engines, but rather a maroon one, and I couldn't tell what type it was. All I got was a quick glimpse of it.

[bdconrail29]

While driving into Mansfield on Bowman Rd I saw what I'm pretty sure was an Ashland Railway engine pulling some flat cars loaded with steel coils away from AK Steel. It wasn't one of their black and yellow engines, but rather a maroon one, and I couldn't tell what type it was. All I got was a quick glimpse of it.

Yes they also have maroon units, namely 31, 32 and 33. I caught a set in November, but not leading. I post here links to the units before and after the paint jobs. Here is 33 southbound at Shelby in May 1999:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... 9409479461

Here is 2027 leading similar 31:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... 7931959209

Here is 31:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... 7931959209

[bdconrail29]

If anyone is ever interested in following the Ashland Railway from Mansfield to Willard, I now have confirmed as fact the schedule that is regularly followed. SY-2, the northbound from Mansfield to Willard, will certainly leave Mansfield Yard at 4:00pm sharp on Thursday, heading north. The crew works Shelby industrial park north of Shelby at London West Road. They then head to Plymouth and do a set out on the W&LE transfer. After that, they go to Willard. The next morning, Friday, they depart back to Mansfield, passing Shelby about 11-12ish. Sometimes they work Shelby yard again, sometimes not. But this is a definite schedule and has been followed every Thursday/Friday since October.

I'm still working on the Ashland/EL side of the operations.

[AARR]

I enjoy your trip reports and their operations. Can you respond to a few quiestions I am interested in. How many cars will they have typically? Can you list some of the customers they service?

[Bellevue_Guy]

Thanks for that schedule bd, I might have to try and see them sometime. That brief glimpse I got of them last Tuesday was only the 2nd time I've ever seen them in motion....and the first time was seeing the last few cars of a train go by in downtown Shelby when I was a kid and didn't know what railroad it was.

[redside20]

At Willard, Ashland switches out RR Donnelleys and gets boxcars of paper..how do I know, I used to work there from 2000 to 2004. Gets interchange traffic from the Wheeling at Plymouth. Switches out two industrial parks in Shelby, one, Central Ohio Warehouse and the other, Shelby horizons..Then we have Milliron near Route 39 and Lexington Springfield Road between Shelby and Mansfield. And finally, Mansfield Railport, AK Steel, and NS interchange traffic at Mansfield.

[bdconrail29]

At Willard, Ashland switches out RR Donnelleys and gets boxcars of paper..how do I know, I used to work there from 2000 to 2004. Gets interchange traffic from the Wheeling at Plymouth. Switches out two industrial parks in Shelby, one, Central Ohio Warehouse and the other, Shelby horizons..Then we have Milliron near Route 39 and Lexington Springfield Road between Shelby and Mansfield. And finally, Mansfield Railport, AK Steel, and NS interchange traffic at Mansfield.

They also switch Donnelly's cars Lukas. Well, northbound anywhere from 5-15 cars typically with a setout at Shelby, therefore going shorter north of there. At Plymouth they also set out, so into Willard much lighter. Southbound is the bigger one. They pick up at Willard, Plymouth, and Shelby, and I've seen the Friday southbound with as many as 30 cars. Now keep in mind that this is an easy chase, because track speed is 10 mph.

I would also like to note that these are not the only days of the week they run. Some runs are to Shelby and back to Mansfield only. Those are harder to predict, because one of them is at 3:00am.

I heard the Ashland going westbound out of Ashland to Mansfield this evening at 6:30 pm, so I imagine they left Ashland at 6. More to come on that. I do know the West Salem run is once/weekly but the days seem to change, here and there. For instance they ran today to West Salem (Tues) whereas that schedule had been Wed.

[bdconrail29]

A few from today's northbound SY-2:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdconrail3 ... hotostream

Thank you.

[AARR]

Nice pics bdCR. I see they handle a few box cars and there was a blue GTW one in the consists too Do those box cars go to a paper company?