NS Peavine talk

[CGPRR]

Was there ever much more business east of Winchester? I'm talking years ago. Always surprised there wasn't more lumber activity on the line. That's really the only industry in the region. Lots of timber sawn in Peebles and trucked down 32.

When did Clermont Steel Fabricators stop using their siding?

[tommaphet]

I can remember Carl Pertusset's lumber company. That's about it

[northstar16]

I think two back in the early 70s that was about it!

[heypal6878]

Ortner Freight Car was one of the biggest customers on the Peavine for NS. Daily hauls there to Portsmouth and Cincinnati from the early 60s to the late 70s. Also back in the day say early 70s NS hauled several military vehicles on the Peavine, tanks, and Jeeps. I would be under the bridge a Clare fishing and sometimes several flats of Jeeps and tanks would be going east on a haul. At one time Clare Yard was very active full of freights coming from Sharon Yard and other yards as well. Penn Central also ran right next to Clare on their tracks and often times they would switch some of their hauls over to NS at Clare. I know of one lumber company but might have been two one up past Seaman. There were several stops along the line most all of the business of the past has dried up, closed down, have been bought up and are hauling by truck now. NS priced themselves out of business. I kind of think they wanted to let the line die because there was one no money on the line after the early 80s. plus it was a hard climb uphill going east and as the 80s began NS started hauling stacks and the line can't take stacks. NS wants to dump all their short lines to pass off to short line railroads for three year leases as NS can still make money and have no labor or maintenance on the rails. It is a win win for them. This keeps the shareholders happy, the stock price up and their overhead down.

[CAPTAIN]

So, who wants the property in Mt. Orab?

[northstar16]

And that is the Million dollar question. Nobody knows...well somebody knows but nobody is talking. Should know by the end of January we hope.

[northstar16]

Found this picture today

Rendcomb Junction Tower still stands.jpg (24.76 KiB) Viewed 2895 times

[northstar16]

That building is located on the old Penn tracks off of Eastern Avenue. Think they are about ready to knock it down or it might be already knocked down. Been sitting there empty for several years.

[heypal6878]

You know I go pass that area a few times a month and I really don't pay much attention if that building is still there or not. The last time I went past like maybe in June I think there was ivy growing up the side of the building. I know Fairfax police over the years had issues with kids playing around the side trying to break in etc. I sure Midland Sub would know if that building it still there as the G&W uses the tracks there a few times a week. The next time I go by there I'll check it out.

Today the CET was moving several cars east from the siding down at Clare so looks like the Ag is still pretty busy. These were all grain cars left there from the weekend. Tracks are empty down there around five as I got some gas at Kroger's and didn't see any cars or tankers on the siding down there. The old steam building along the NS siding tracks is set to be torn down in a few weeks. That building has been there since the early 20s and has been empty for several years. Mariemont can't wait to see it go away. the next plan is to build homes and small townhouses down there. I was at a council meeting awhile back and the Mayor said there isn't any railroad activity down there any longer. He was wrong about that as NS brings tankers and grain cars down there two or three times a week and parks them on the sidings by the steam plant. That will be interesting when people start buying homes and find out that that siding is active and maybe more so later on in future.

[northstar16]

I drove down there today and yes the building is still there. The roof is almost off of the building windows are boarded up doors as well but you can see kids most likely have been in there or have pulled the wood away from the windows to get in. The stairwell is still there but chained up. The sign is still on the top of the building but the building itself is in bad shape. I figure the G&W doesn't want to spend the money to knock it down and think that might be in the city but close to Fairfax so not sure what property line it would be on but don't see either the city or the Village taking it down. It was owned by Penn Central at one time not sure who owns it now. Surprised it hasn't be burned down at least the inside. I was snooping around down there today, a Cincinnati Police officer was parked by the building was watching me but never said anything to me. I waved and he waved back.

[midland sub]

I assume SORTA owns the old Rencomb tower when they purchased the right of way from Oasis (basically where the Boat House is out to Valley where the Peavine connects. The I&O owns the old eastbound main (current active track) i.e. rails, ties and ballast and has the right to acquire the out of service westbound track, like they did from Rencomb into the yard at Undercliff. I would assume until the city condemns the structure and forces SORTA to tear it down it will slowly fall apart piece by piece.

[heypal6878]

Midland when was the last time Rencomb was occupied? I know back in the 60 and early 70s when Penn was still active on that track west to east there must have been activity there at that building. What was the building used for?

[northstar16]

This is a picture I found today of Clare Yard a view from the Mairemont Bluff

[northstar16]

This pictures looks to be recent as there isn't much in the way of cars stored in the yard most of the time. Mostly it is used for a staging area for tankers and cars for the CCET to pick up and drop off. Still NS does have some workers down there a few times a week. The former Bultmatic business does get a few cars a week when they are busy so that is what you may see in the background. Been reading some Train publications on line that NS is in fact bringing back some lines that have been abandoned for years. They may lease these lines out to short lines but the fact that they didn't pull the rails and are thinking about brining the lines back to life is great as long as their are businesses on the line that will support rail service.

So just because the Peavine only have a little business never say never in the rail business. If some major companies decided to go out east and need rail service the CCET could do very well down the road.

[CAPTAIN]

I'm interested in where the Make America Great factories are going to wind up. Apparently something is happening around Mt. Orab. We'll know in February.

[AARR]

Is this where the Navistar's will be built? Something about inbound frames from CN and stampings from CSX. There's a post somewhere with the details.

I'm interested in where the Make America Great factories are going to wind up. Apparently something is happening around Mt. Orab. We'll know in February.

[h2466]

[quote="AARR"]Is this where the Navistar's will be built? Something about inbound frames from CN and stampings from CSX. There's a post somewhere with the details.
[quote}

Springfield Ohio. Ken

[heypal6878]

Yeah right Maybe the I&O is going to set up shop down there.

[lee45174]

This is a picture I found today of Clare Yard a view from the Mairemont Bluff

I used to ride my bike from Terrace Park back in the late 60's to hang out at Clare. I spent many an hour in the Clare Tower - I wish I had taken more photos especially of the Passenger trains. PRR had the Cincinnati Limited and lots of transfers from PRR, L&N. It was always interesting to see the 'dogs breakfast' of Alcos that would bring the transfer from DeCourcey Yard. N&W had the Powhatan Arrow (with a dome) and the Pocahontas. Got to ride the N&W yard job and transfer to Berry yard and also into Keebler (Strietmann) to pick up carloads of cookies and crackers that rode in front of the caboose, they were put on last to minimize damage from switching. I also wrote a letter to Herman Pevler, president of the N&W asking for a cab ride to Portsmouth and back. Although the answer was no I was surprised to receive a personal note from Mr. Pevler, a note that I still have! I really miss the activity on the line and the sounds of the trains as they pass through the valley

[northstar16]

Very nice thanks for the pictures. Yes many years ago my dad told me that Clare Yard was so active that box cars were thick in the yard and down the tracks that they couldn't get them all in there. The PRR was very active as well with many trains running to Terrace Park and beyond. I bet many of you don't remember this but back in the 30s and 40s there was a nine hole golf course down west of the south 80 just over the PRR tracks. My dad would play golf there and the passenger trains would go real slow past the golf course as people would wave at the golfers. The river finally took out the golf course with flooding every year so that was that. The flooding was so bad back in the day that the NS bridge would be closed for weeks and the PRR couldn't move anything by rail as the tracks would be flooded there and down by the Newtown bridge. My dad would eat at the restaurant down at Clare I kind of remember it when I was a kid. All the workers down there would have lunch and dinner there and they had sleeping rooms upstairs.

Times have changed not that many trains run on the old NS tracks down there anymore. I remember NS switching cars down at Clare and the old engines would be pushing them and letting them go crashing into cars that were stopped on the tracks with a big bang. Wow the people who lived up on the Bluff hated when that happened.

It is good to see the CCET getting some action on the line mostly storage tankers but at least you hear the horn blowing in Newtown every other day and the engines going over the Clare Bridge. Brings back memories. Most of the tracks are gone now. Not many tracks in Clare Yard all pulled years ago. Funny they still have all the lights on down there every night but only a few tankers in the yard or freights. Not sure why NS leaves all the lights on down there. The PRR tracks are all gone but they still have the sidings down there past Clare to Kroger. The old Mairiemont Steam Plant is still there but is supposed to be knocked down here soon. They been talking about that for a year still nothing going on. The PRR at one time did service the plant.