Weird railroad crossing gate in Ohio

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railrod1949
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Weird railroad crossing gate in Ohio

Unread post by railrod1949 »

On June 5, 1957 my parents, sister and I were travelled on US-25 on our way to the Great Smoky Mountain in Tennesee and North Carolina when I saw aweird looking railroad crossing gate on the east side of that highway and on the south side of the three railroad tracks. That gate arm had braces or cables on the outside and when it down it across three lanes. Another mile or so further down that highway, was another railroad crossing with gates and signals. Two railroads in the town was about two miles apart. My question is where was that weird looking crossing gate precisely located at? That gate poinjted southwest when is down. Couldn't located it on the map of Ohio. It's in Bowling Green, Lima, Wapakotema, Troy, Piqua or Dayton, Ohio.

MSchwiebert
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

I went to the ODOT website and downloaded the viewer and the 1957 version of the Ohio highway map. What makes this tricky is that parts of what would become Interstate 75 were already built and in use as US25. That being said though, I know Bowling Green can be eliminated, as the only tracks that would have crossed US25 (now State Route 25) would have been a spur to the quarry between BG & Portage - if this still did so in 1957. Continuing south, the next railroad to be encountered would be the B&O main at North Baltimore. The map lists this portion as "undivided multiple lane pavement" so it could have crossed at grade (but has since been wiped out as this is now where I-75 goes). Continuing south, the Nickel Plate main is crossed in Mortimer at grade, but the highway went through town and is two lanes.
At Findlay, things get interesting, as the highway would have crossed a B&O branch from Deshler, and the NKP from Fostoria to Lima, Muncie etc. However this part had already been upgraded to what is now I-75. I'd like to think that it was built with the overpasses over those lines in place though. From here to Bluffton, the highway reverts to a two lane format. The only rail line to be crossed would have been the AC&Y at Bluffton.

From Beaverdam to Cridersville, the Highway again assumes a 4 lane alignment that is now I-75. In the Lima area, it would have crossed the PRR main to Chicago, the Erie Main to Chicago, the DT&I & the B&O line to Cincinnati. I know the Erie was an overpass over the highway, and I'd suspect the others were highway overpasses when this segment was built.

From Cridersville to past Troy, the highway returned to it's original 2 lane alignment passing through the towns along the way. I don't think it would have been in Sidney or Piqua, but Troy is a small possibility. Unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with the NYC branches that peppered the area to know what towns they went through.

From Tipp City to Downtown Dayton, the 4 lane alignment used today as I-75 is used. Again I'd suspect they were built with the overpasses/underpasses used today on I-75.

vwwillie
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by vwwillie »

It might be Wapakoneta Ohio. the then B and O crosses old 25 from the east side to west side at a south west diagonal then about a quarter mile or less the NYC Peoria Ohio to St Mary's Ohio crossed 25. The old NYC line went by my Grandparents home, I got to see a few locals with a GP9s and cabooses rocking and rolling along at five miles per hours.

railrod1949
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by railrod1949 »

vwwillie wrote:It might be Wapakoneta Ohio. the then B and O crosses old 25 from the east side to west side at a south west diagonal then about a quarter mile or less the NYC Peoria Ohio to St Mary's Ohio crossed 25. The old NYC line went by my Grandparents home, I got to see a few locals with a GP9s and cabooses rocking and rolling along at five miles per hours.
That's not in Wapakometa, OH. The tracks in which the weird crossing gate is located on the south side of the set of four tracks and on the east side of the four lanes street within a town. Also, there was a street intersection just south of the north set of two or three tracks main and north of the south set of two tracks main. That weird looking crossing gate when is down is pointed in a southwesternly direction across the northbound two or three lanes street and the street intersection In Wapakoometa , Willipie Street 9old US 25) was and is a two lanes street and a single track B&O main withe the regular crossing gate arm and signals. About a mile further down on Willipie Street was a single NYC branch to St. Marys with only crossbucks sign. The set of two or three tracks main was in the southwest to northest direction. There were couples of short old US-25 by passes. One was located on the west side of Findlay, Ohio. (Don't what year that by pass was built in very late 1957 or early 1958). The other short old US 25 by pass was located on the east side of Lima, Ohio. That by pass was opened in very late 1957 or early 1958. Anyone know when these by passes were first opened? Main Street in Findlay was part of US 25 in the early 1950's prior to the opening of the by pass west of Findlay. Metcalf Street was part of US 25 in Lima, Ohio prior to the opening of the by pass east and south of Lima. I was only 8 years old at the time we travelled down to the Great Smoky in June, 1957.

vwwillie
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by vwwillie »

I have retraced US 25 form time to time, it is hard to imagine the amount of traffic flowing thru cities like Bowling Green, Findley and Wapakoneta. Driving from Wapakoneta to Cincinnati must have been a all day ordeal.

MSchwiebert
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

ODOT has archived highway maps available online. You have to download a reader, but it's worthwhile. 1973 Map (there may be others) has rail lines as well.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/maps/Pages/default.aspx

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MQT1223
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by MQT1223 »

Do we even know what the "weird crossing gate" is?
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railrod1949
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by railrod1949 »

It was the weird railroad crossing gate barrier that fold like a jack knife since the barrier that was long enough to stretch over four or five lanes somewhere northbound on old US-25 in June, 1957. I don't remember where that said gate was exactly located.

railrod1949
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by railrod1949 »

Any photos of the weird railroad crossing gate barrier that folded like a jack knife, that was located somewhere on old US-25 in Ohio, in May and June, 1957.

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Re: Weird railroad crossing gate in Ohio

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railrod1949
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Re: Weird railroad crossinhg gate in Ohio

Unread post by railrod1949 »

MSchwiebert wrote:ODOT has archived highway maps available online. You have to download a reader, but it's worthwhile. 1973 Map (there may be others) has rail lines as well.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/maps/Pages/default.aspx
How I access to the archive map viewer especially the 1957 Ohio railroad map archive on the Ohio DOT website. I couldn'i located the 1956 and 1957 Ohiop Transportation Map. Thanks!

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Re: Weird railroad crossing gate in Ohio

Unread post by NYCMan »

If the location was closer to Toledo, then there are a number of possibilities. In southern Michigan, US25 paralleled the D&TSL, and there were a number of gated (non-interlocked) crossings between D&TSL and NYC/MC. Several gated crossings also existed around Toledo. The DT&I also had a few gated crossings on its line both in Michigan and Ohio.

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Re: Weird railroad crossing gate in Ohio

Unread post by MQT1223 »

Oh that style of gate. Yeah sometimes they are still used in areas where height is an issue.
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railrod1949
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Re: Weird railroad crossing gate in Ohio

Unread post by railrod1949 »

Finally located that railroad crossing in Wapakoneta, OH with four tracks of the old B&O RR intersect Willpie Street aka old US-25. Those tracks run in the northeasternly-southwesternly direction in Wapakoneta, OH. I saw that weird looking crossing gate than stretched two roads at the intersection while I was with my parents and sister traveled through Wapakoneta on US-25 back on June 5, 1957 on our way to the Great Smoky in Tennessee, Does any one have a vintage picture (historical) pictue or two of that weird railroad crossing gate on the east side of Willipie Street aka old US-25 taken in late spring or early summer, 1957. If so, please post these pictures. Please check with the CSXT RR signal engineering office for the state of Ohio, also with the Wapakoneta and Augalaize County historical societies as well as the state of Ohio historical societies for any historic photos of the weird and vintage railroad crossing gate with wire cables around the gate arms on the east side of Willipie Street (aka old US-25) in Wapakoneta, Ohio in the 1950's.

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