Single-tracking NS in Mansfield OH

[ohiopower]

Crossing Rt 13 in north Mansfield this past weekend, I noticed that the NS line (Pennsylvania) has been single-tracked at the crossing, and the Pennsylvania position light signal has been removed on one side, so would seem to be permanent. This is right where the old B&O diamond is (now Ashland Railway) so they will have an easier time with maintenance. Seemingly there has been a reduction in traffic on this line which connects to NS at COLSAN in Bucyrus? West of Bucyrus of course is CF&E which as been single-track since the downgrade in early 1990s.

Does anyone know what the extent of the single-tracking is east of COLSAN? Kind of a bummer to see this, but if the traffic is lighter.....

[MSchwiebert]

https://1812blockhouse.com/business-pol ... mansfield/
Says 32.6 miles of track taken out of service, but it doesn't clarify the beginning & end points. As for traffic being down, that is definitely the case. In Conrail days going from Columbus to Pittsburgh via Crestline made a lot of sense, but with NS closing Buckeye yard and expanding the yard in Bellevue, it makes more sense to have freight from the south go to Bellevue to get classified and then go to Sandusky and on to Pittsburgh. The oil trains from the western railroads via Fort Wayne were a short lived thing (as has been Oil by Rail generally speaking).

[penn central]

Back in 2013 my company had me spend two weeks in Mansfield they put me up in a motel for two weeks oh trust me I had taken my cameras and thank goodness I did I got many photos of the mainline from Crestline to Alliance and Bucyrus to Crestline.

[DT&I]

Mansfield to Crestline is being single tracked as well as Lucas to Loudonville. Rail is now being removed between those two points.

[ohiopower]

On Google Maps, appears there were sections of triple-track between Loudonville/Perrysville and up to Lucas. Quite a wide ROW going down to a single line.

[DaveO]

On Google Maps, appears there were sections of triple-track between Loudonville/Perrysville and up to Lucas. Quite a wide ROW going down to a single line.

curiosity kicked in
google maps show that siding already disconnected and in the process of being removed

edit: wonder if they will leave a siding there since they had that one before

[bdconrail29]

I was in Crestline last weekend. It appears track 2 is now completely removed from County Line Road to a point almost to Horning Road, going east. Interestingly, the old long connection in the southeast quadrant of the crossing which was abandoned in 1999, has been removed from the Big 4 side east around the corner to the signal.

[bdconrail29]

On Google Maps, appears there were sections of triple-track between Loudonville/Perrysville and up to Lucas. Quite a wide ROW going down to a single line.

That's correct. The triple track was still in place from Oak Street Yard in Mansfield to CP LUCAS into the mid/late 1980's.

[ohiopower]

While we are at it, a few weekends ago I went to the Richland Co. fairgrounds. On N Home Rd, the old Erie crossing was paved over, which given that the GM plant closed in 2010, is not surprising. Are all the yard tracks still in place to the west, as they appear on Google Maps?

[redside20]

While we are at it, a few weekends ago I went to the Richland Co. fairgrounds. On N Home Rd, the old Erie crossing was paved over, which given that the GM plant closed in 2010, is not surprising. Are all the yard tracks still in place to the west, as they appear on Google Maps?

Yes because a plastics plant charter nex plastics out of Lexington oh has located here and other businesses who would like to locate here and utilize rail shipping thats if NS cooperates.

[bdconrail29]

While we are at it, a few weekends ago I went to the Richland Co. fairgrounds. On N Home Rd, the old Erie crossing was paved over, which given that the GM plant closed in 2010, is not surprising. Are all the yard tracks still in place to the west, as they appear on Google Maps?

Yes because a plastics plant charter nex plastics out of Lexington oh has located here and other businesses who would like to locate here and utilize rail shipping thats if NS cooperates.

Interesting because the plastics plant has been there for about 2 years and so far have not used rail service and there are no existing rail sidings even reaching the plant.