Columbus Railroads Site

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 24, 2012 11:52 pm

While looking for something else, I came across this site on the railroads of Columbus, Oh. There seems to be a lot of information here, including images that I don't recall seeing elsewhere. Class Ones, steam, interurbans, street railways, and the long-gone Columbus Union Station are all here:

Home page:

http://www.columbusrailroads.com/new/

Some sample pages from the site, featuring the Pennsy. First up, a reprint of a newspaper story from 1955 on the change to diesel power:

http://columbusrailroads.com/PRR%2020th ... 0shops.htm

An enlarged photo from this story:

http://columbusrailroads.com/photogalle ... 3-1200.jpg

"Then" (1903) and "now" (1955) shop photos; of particular note are the long-extinct Baldwin passenger Shark units in the latter picture:

http://columbusrailroads.com/photogalle ... 4-1200.jpg

http://columbusrailroads.com/photogalle ... 5-1200.jpg

For some reason, there isn't a link to the PRR in the "table of contents" or the site map, but that particular page is here:

http://columbusrailroads.com/PRR.htm

"The Boneyard," featuring photos of retired PRR steamers--some heartbreakers for us steam fans, I fear:

http://columbusrailroads.com/prr%20bone%20yard.htm

Some of the "Boneyard" pix:

http://columbusrailroads.com/photogalle ... yard-3.jpg

http://columbusrailroads.com/photogalle ... yard-5.jpg

http://columbusrailroads.com/photogalle ... yard-4.jpg

Of particular interest is the greenish colors of these retired engines. The question becomes, is this any sort of accurate rendition of the colors of PRR steam? I know the Pennsy painted its steam locomotives "Dark Green Locomotive Enamel," and it was very dark, but these look more olive in color. Is this a fading of the paint, or a color shift in the film? I am particularly puzzled at certain other colors. In some the running gear appears to be black, suggesting PRR painted engines something like the way Southern Railway did (but with a different shade of green), while at least one other photo suggests the whole engine was green, as was the practice at Baldwin for a standard factory paint job. And guess who is trying to decipher which is the right way to paint a model?

Have fun exploring, and let us also be thankful for Alex Campbell, with his passion and resources to share this material.

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1083

thanks for sharing

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:44 pm

With the obvious disclaimer that "I wasn't there," but I have been around similar locos in similar state of neglect:

That greenish tinge in those photos most likely owes much more to color shift in aging color film and/or attempts to "correct" such color shifts in Photoshop/whatever than it does with the actual color of the locomotives at the time. I've personally handled many a faded Ektachrome and aged drugstore-processed color print in my day, and this is typical of what to expect--I've seen similar color shifts on color prints and slides of N&W black loco photos, B&O steam photos, and PRR and PC "dip black" diesels and electrics. The shot of I1s 3445 looks at least reasonable for the bright sun hitting oxidized black paint, but the J1 looks freakish. By the time these photos were taken in 1958, the locos had been sitting undisturbed for a minimum of one year and more likely several years. How good does your paint job look after five years (or more) undisturbed?

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

An old friend, now sadly no longer with us, related the following about a visit to Columbus in the spring of 1957.

He and a couple of other railfans went to Columbus by train and rented a car, with the knowledge that NYC, N&W and PRR steam was still active in that vicinity. When they arrived at the PRR roundhouse in Columbus, they saw a number of engines, including I-1, L-1 and H-9/10 class engines, under steam. They went to the office to inquire as to the whereabouts of the J-1 2-10-4's which they were especially interested in seeing. The foreman gestured over his shoulder behind the roundhouse. "Out there," he said. "We dropped their fires the other day." When they walked out back, they saw perhaps a dozen of the massive machines lined up on two parallel tracks. Their tires were still shiny, and when one of the group felt the firebox of one of the engines, it was still warm. Seeing a couple of NYC 0-8-0's and 2-8-2's under steam, along with some N&W A's and Y's, did not reduce their disappointment.

kevin kohls · **Joined:** Tue May 03, 2005 8:35 pm **Posts:** 298

WOW ! After seeing those photos of the PRR J-1 cut-up into pieces I almost needed a handkerchief ! All those beautiful steam locomtives in line waiting the end. And who would have thought that not only are all of those locomotives gone, but all of those building as well and a major highway runs right through it !
A friend of mine who lived in Columbus during that time related a story that was told to him by a friend: When they scrapped those locomotives they sorted the scrap; cast iron, brass, etc., and he recalls there was a big pile of locomotive number plates and builder plates in that pile !!! Just think what that SCRAP would be worth today !

Kevin K

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

In those days, when the PRR was scrapping steam locomotives, the scrap order contained specific instructions for the disposition of specific parts. Builder's and number plates, bells and whistles were to be returned to the storehouse at Altoona, along with certain air brake components. For some years after the end of steam on the PRR (November 1957), employees could purchase plates at very low prices. I own an I-1sa builder's plate that was purchased for $5 in 1959. I have the original receipt, which came to me when I was given the plate after the original purchaser passed on. When the E-44 locomotives were under construction, the PRR sent bells from scrapped steam locomotives to Erie for the new motors.

joe6167 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:03 am

Here's a thought, when guys were cutting up all those stream locomotives, i wonder what the level of asbestos exposure would have been for those workers, and better yet, how many of said workers developed health problems from that particular job.

Scrapping all of the engines out in the open like must have been an environmental catastrophe.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 2:02 am