This is the latest installment in the series of driving trips of myself and my former coworker John. For those familiar with these trips, as always we hope you enjoy our latest adventure. For those unfamiliar, we hope you'll tolerate my ramblings about nothing in particular. A SPV Rail Atlas of Ohio will come in handy for following along.

Most railfans have a particular aspect of the hobby that they take a special interest in. Some are into motive power, others focus on railcars, some find structures there big draw. While motive power gets all of the attention, for me signals have always piqued my interest. The sentinels that convey to the train crew the condition of the track ahead, also at one time gave you a clue as to who owned the track. A signal with three horizontal amber lights and you knew were on the PRR, for example. Today new signal installations are very homogenous and for the most part look the same.

Here in Ohio, at one time we could sample from a plethora of signal types. Those that come to mind, the variations of position light signals from the B&O, N&W, and PRR, "traffic light" type signals on the C&O, NKP, and NYC, and searchlight signals on Erie and W&LE. I'm sure I'm missing others. Bottom line is that there was a lot of variety!

Over the past decade the railroads have gradually replaced the older signals. As late as 2020, two long stretches of mainline trackage in Ohio still had "legacy" signals governing movements: NS (ex-PRR) Ft. Wayne Line from Bucyrus eastward, and CSX (ex-B&O) Dayton and Toledo Subdivisions from Hamilton to Toledo. NS began replacing the PRR position light signals in 2020 and most had been removed by the end of 2021. CSX had replaced some B&O signals with newer fixtures in places, however most of the control point signals still were governed by B&O position light. "Trains" magazine December 2021 suggested that seeing the B&O signals was something to do in 2022 since they are likely on borrowed time, so John and I decided to make this our first trip of the year.

Since we had logged the B&O signals at Hamilton, OH on our August 2, 2015 trip, we decided to start further north. The "Trains" magazine article stated the next set of signals was in Tipp City, OH so that's where we started. Our route to get to Tipp City meant following the abandoned Conrail (ex-CCC&STL) line from Delaware to Mechanicsburg. This line has been gone for some time and is non-existent in some places. Bridge piers over a creek still stand in Milford Center where it used to cross the Conrail (ex-PRR) Panhandle line (abandoned in the early 1980s).

The line comes back to life in Mechanicsburg to serve a decent sized grain elevator. G&W now operates the trackage which extends down into Springfield. The elevator's tracks were empty with no recent activity judging by the rust on the rails. The track furthest from the elevator was jointed 100 lb. 1914 vintage rail, but the main line trackage was much heaver. An old switcher long overdue for a paint job was parked near the elevator.

Looking southwest in Mechanicsburg, OH. The town's train sttion used to sit just beyond the white building in the distance on the right side.

Looking northwest in Mechanicsburg, OH. The building on the right side has an elevated door used for loading/unloading boxcars.

The paint job on this switcher just south of the elevator has seen better days!

At Catawba on the SPV map is this old grain elevator slowly falling down on itself.

We followed the line to Springfield where it eventually joins up with other G&W and NS trackage. Springfield has a somewhat confusing track layout which I'm not going to try and describe (it's worth an hour or two on its own to see all of it). We stopped at what is listed as LAGONDA on the SPV where the Big 4 line we have been following crosses the former DT&I line now also operated by G&W. Here are a few photos of the interlocking.

Looking west from near Lagonda on the ex-DT&I trackage. Neat to still see wires on the pole line.

Looking east toward Lagonda (note the Indiana & Ohio Railway sign on the right). RofW is wide enough to support two tracks.

Here's the view at Lagonda looking northeast. The line we saw in Mechanicsburg is in the foreground with the DT&I crossing from left to right. Note the tilting target signal that used to govern. The old factory building has seen a lot of train activity over the years.

Looking north on the Big 4 line to Mechanicsburg. I wonder if the truss bridge is tall enough for double stack cars???

We also made a brief stop a little further south at a spot called BELL on the SPV. The Big 4 line to Mechancisburg at one time split at this location and had another line that went north-northwest toward Urbana and Bellefontaine. The route to Urbana used to have a decent amount of traffic when it was still connected to the Big 4 lines in Bellefontaine. The SPV shows this line in service as of 2004 but I think this part of it had been pulled up by then (the line to Urbana is accessible via the ex-DT&I line on the west side of Springfield). Within Springfield the line is now a bike path.

At BELL looking north, we see the line to Mechanicsburg curve to the northeast. The signal bridge for the other line to Urbana still stands even though the line under it has been gone since the late 1990s.

Heading west we drove on Rt. 40 (aka "The National Road") through Donnellsville. John noted that the SPV listed an interurban line and the same Big 4 line we left behind in Springfield crossing each other somewhere around this town. We didn't find the interurban line but we did find the Big 4 RofW a mile or so west of town where it crosses Rt. 40 and runs behind Tecumseh middle and high schools (the kids have no clue a rail line once ran through their school!). It's nothing more than a line of trees today and could easily be overlooked as a property line.

We continued northwest through New Carlisle where the Big 4 line crossed on the southwest side of town. There's nothing left of the line in town however a grain elevator and its angular layout in town gives a clue how the line ran through. John and I were amazed at how there was basically nothing left of the line so we thought it had to have been gone for a while. This nice article in the New Carlisle News makes reference to the last train running on March 31, 1976 so the line was a "Day 1" casualty of Conrail. Hard to believe that was almost 46 years ago! Just west of town at a spot called BROWN we missed where a depot on this trackage has been incorporated into someone's home. Here are the Google Maps overhead view link and the road view link.  Check out Dan West's Ohio depot page here for some information about the line and depot.

We finally reached Tipp City (which the SPV map has misspelled by listing it as "Tripp City"). The CSX (ex-B&O, CH&D) line threads its way through the west side of the downtown area. The former CH&D passenger station still stands near the track. Just west of the depot is a set of B&O position light signals governing the south end of the Tipp City siding. It's amazing how close the northbound signal is to the private structure to the right. The track here is welded 136 lb. 2008 vintage rail.

Looking north on CSX in Tipp City, OH. It was a breezy morning as noted by the flag.

Looking south at Tipp City, OH. The rail line threads the needle through town with little space on either side of it.

Here are the southbound signals at the end of the Tipp City siding (MP 74.2).

At the south end of the Tipp City siding looking south. The brick building on the right looks to have been rail served at one time.

Dwarf signal governing the south end of the Tipp City siding.

We then started our trip northward following the CSX Toledo Subdivision. This line is largely single track with several sidings dotted along the way, including a somewhat rare lap siding in Cairo (pronounced "kay-row" because in Ohio we pronounce things differently!). Given the trend to build longer trains with DPU power, several of the sidings are too short to accommodate these behemouths. A 2005 CSX timetable I own shows the speed limit as 50 mph, however a 1989 version shows it as 60 mph. A 1999 version has most of the line as 50 mph except from Trent (MP32.4) to Hamilton (MP25.8) as 60 mph.

The line hosted Roadrailer trains for auto parts traffic between Detroit and Atlanta in the late 1980s thru the 1990s pulled by EMD F units (which later were used for office car special trains). NS had a competing Roadrailer service offering between the same two points. Trains magazine had an article about the two Roadrailer trains (if memory serves correctly the NS service had a higher average speed). Sadly all of that is gone and the only Roadrailer trains anywhere run on NS from Detroit to Kansas City.

The radio traffic inidicated we had just missed a northbound train so with nothing pending we started to head north. After zig-zagging the tracks a few times the scanner traffic revealed a southbound train was coming. We stopped at 3rd street and saw this southbound train with a mid-train helper.

Southbound train just north of Tipp City, OH. Train had a mid-train helper as well.

Looking south. The signal is for the north end of the Tipp City siding and is of a newer type. And yes, I did intend to get my car in the photo. The car deserves recognition for all the beating it takes during these trips!

The next town of note is Troy where the Toledo Sub. crosses the Big 4 line on the south end of town we previously encountered in New Carlisle. A separate ex-B&O, CH&D branch line called the P&T Industrial Track in the CSX timetable curves to the north on the west side of town a few miles to service a large grain elevator. A depot built by the CH&D according to Dan West's Ohio Stations page still stands at the former diamond location and is used by CSX MoW personnel. In the weeds on the former Big 4 line about 100 yards east of where the B&O and Big 4 lines crossed is a milepost sign (I believe it said 25 but I did not take a photo). Here are some photos of the area.

Northbound signal at the north end of Troy siding. Note the siding's signal is at the foot of the mainline signal. The track to the left is listed as the "P&T Industrial Track" in the CSX timetable.

The very sturdy looking CH&D depot still stands in Troy and is used by CSX MofW forces. The line in the foreground is the P&T Industrial Track with the CSX main in the background. A Big 4 depot and branch line used to exist more or less where this photo was taken from.

Approach! Southbound signal at Troy which used to govern over a diamond with the Big 4. The CH&D depot is just out of view to the right.

Clear! Another southbound train is lined up to rattle the windows in Troy.

A CW44-9 leads this long freight train south just north of Troy. These units are likely due for a rebuild (or retirement) soon!

Piqua is the next town north and the Toledo Sub. used to be crossed by the CR (ex-PRR Panhandle line from Columbus to Indianapolis). The Panhandle line was abandoned in the early 1980s and the rails pulled in 1983-1984 time frame. I believe there is a photo of one of the trains pulling up the track in Scott Trostel's book "The Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad" (the D&TI crossed the Panhandle in St. Paris, OH about 15 miles east of Piqua). I may have the book reference wrong but I know I've seen the photo... somewhere. The diamond with the Toledo Sub. was on the southeast side of town. Today a few poles of the PRR pole line still stand and the RofW has been converted to a bike trail.

Looking south on CSX at north end Piqua siding. The PRR Panhandle line crossed basically where the pile of stone is located. A recreational path begins just east of this location.

Continuing north the Toledo Sub. becomes elevated far above the Great Miami River. On the south side of Sidney the railroad crosses the river on a large arch bridge. Bridge piers for another bridge are parallel to the existing structure. At first we thought these were piers for the WOR interurban route we saw earlier, however the topo maps from the 1930s show the interurban running into town at an angle from the southwest basically paralleling an existing road. The Bridgehunter site shows postcard photos of the existing bridge being built in 1915 so the old piers appear to be the original rail line, however what's odd is that there are no photos of the old bridge or bridge piers, and the old bridge is much lower than the existing bridge. This may require more research!

B&O bridge over the Great Miami River south of Sidney looking west. The rectangular opening for the road looks a little out of place compared to the arches.

The piers for the original bridge over the Great Miami River are on the other side of the current bridge. The piers are only about 1/3 the height of the current bridge.

It's the obligatory photo of the Big 4 bridge in Sidney looking north. It's such a large structure one has to take a photo of it. 99 years old in this photo, and it looks a little rough but OK overall!

Looking north this is the northbound signal for SW Cabin just north of Swanders. The wind was very strong so taking a photo with a telephoto lens was quite the challenge!

Looking south toward SW Cabin. Note that the RofW is certainly wide enough for two tracks.

Looking south on CSX at south end Botkins siding. Note the dwarf signal on the right side of the siding track. The rolling hills of west central Ohio are evident in this photo.

Looking north (and uphill!) on CSX toward north end Botkins siding. The timetable shows the siding is only 3,650' long. The switch to the elevator is on the left by the silver signal box.

Southbound train starts its decent into the Miami River Valley afer cresting the hill at the north end Botkins siding.

This is the northbound signal at the south end Wapakoneta siding. The steeple of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Auglaize County Court House, both in downtown Wapakoneta, can be seen in the distance.

The B&O depot in Wapakoneta is still in good shape and is used by CSX MofW forces.

B&O Wapakoneta depot looking north. Even the passenger platform is still in decent shape. From here it's a straight shot to Lima.

This former ACL boxcar sits on the north side of the depot. The center sill stencil reveals the car's identity as ACL 62588.

Q201 south splits the AEI scanner just north of Cridersville, OH. The train has stacks on the headend and auto racks on the rear.

Looking south toward DT&I Jct. The ex-DT&I main can be seen branching off to the left by the signal. The RofW for the line paralleled on the left side of the B&O, while the Cincinnati & Lake Erie interurban line was on the right side. This would have been a busy place years ago!

Looking north on what's left of the DT&I RofW. The B&O is on the far left. If you look closely a couple pole lines still stand along the DT&I route.

This is the northbound signal between East Siding on the right and West Siding on the left. The lap sidings essentially are one big siding split up allowing for a train to enter/exit in the middle of the section of track. The northbound signal looks newer compared to some of the others signals along the line.

Looking north toward the northbound signal at North Cairo. The main track is on the left and the East Siding is on the right. The track on the left goes to an independent railcar repair/clean-out facility which was stuffed full of tank cars.  The abandoned DT&I main RofW is on the far right.

Photo of the CPL signals at the south end of Ottawa, taken from State Route 65. Really not a good idea to drive and take photos at the same time. Usually results in out of focus and uncentered photos. :)

It was lunch time so we picked up some Wendy's (again, hello Wendy's? We are open to sponsorships from Wendy's since this ALWAYS is our lunch place of choice!). While in the drive-thru the scanner was advising of a southbound train. We drove into Ottawa and consumed our lunch and eventually saw this southbound train pass the depot.

Southbound train rounds the curve at Ottawa. The Findlay Fort Wayne & Western RofW basically paralleled the road on this side of the crossing

The depot in Ottawa is still used by CSX MofW forces. The parking lot makes for a good spot to catch a photo.

While we were here we had driven through town looking for the Findlay Fort Wayne and Western RofW that used to cross the Toledo Sub. We didn't realize it at the time but the FFWW main crossed on the north side of the B&O depot that we were sitting by!

We moved north when we heard yet another southbound train approaching. We got this train at Kleman which is where the DT&I main separates.

Looking south at Kleman. The B&O is on the right with the DT&I line, known here as the Ottawa Loop, branching off to the left. Judging by the lack of rust the loop appears to get some activity.

We caught this southbound steel train at Kleman. The signal looks considerably older than the one we saw earlier in Cairo.

Continuing north we drove by where the DT&I splits for the final time from the B&O at a spot called XN Tower just south of Leipsic.

Looking south on the B&O at XN Tower. The main track is on the right and a siding is on the left. The track in the distance breaking off to the right is the DT&I main.

Looking south on the DT&I main. The signal to enter the B&O is in the distance. The fixed semaphore signal is the northbound disant approach signal for the crossing with NS (NKP) in Leipsic.

In Leipsic the B&O and DT&I lines cross the NS (ex-NKP) Fostoria Subdivision. For a number of years the shell of interlocking tower at the B&O/NKP diamond stood but this was razed within the past 5-10 years. There are also a couple large manufacturers on the north side of Leipsic which generate a significant amount of rail traffic. Some of this trackage is easily visible from public property. With nothing coming on any of the lines we continued our following of the B&O northward (yes, there is a southbound B&O signal north of the B&O/NKP diamonds but we kept going).

This is the northbound signal at South Deshler MP 163.0. Sidings begin on either side of the main beyond the signal.

Looking south on the southeast wye at Deshler. All B&O signals still standing in this photo. The metal structure on the left is an old water tower left over from the steam era.

Looking north at the NE South Sidings Deshler (as labeled in the CSX Timetable). On the left is the south west siding which eventually connects with the Willard Sub. The signal doesn't appear to have seen a paint brush in many years. A B&O branch line used to join from the southeast right around this point.

A short wait netted this westbound autorack train on the Willard Subdivision with another older GE in the lead. An eastbound train would soon pass as well on track two. The southeast wye track is on the far right. There is no wye track in the northeast quadrant of the diamond in Deshler.

The depot in deshler is still standing but its demise is looming. The building is being prepped for destruction soon.

The interlocking tower is still used by CSX MofW forces.

The sun broke through the low clouds off of Lake Erie long enough for us to get this nice shot of the signals at the south end of Haskins siding. The sun is deceiving as it was pretty darn cold with brisk winds off the lake!

The northbound signal at the south end Haskins siding looks to be in good shape. The technology in the background has replaced all of the line side telephone lines.

Looking south at the north end Haskins siding. Instead of a signal bridge a mast signal and dwarf govern northbound movements by the 7,136' siding.

Looking northeast toward Toledo at CP Perry. The track on the left is a second main track.

Looking south at CP Perry. Based on the width of the RofW it looks like this used to be double track at one time.

While a shadow of its former self, there is still a lot of rail activity in Toledo, also known as the Glass City. To see every line, whether still in existence or abandoned, would literally take at least half a day. For the purposes of this writeup I'm only going to describe the areas we saw and not try to explain what connected with what, etc.

The B&O comes into Toledo from the southwest basically paralleling the Maumee River. At Bates the line splits with the main continuing a little farther to what's left of Rossford Yard (now literally just a couple tracks and a big field). The other line at Bates splits east and is the Toledo Terminal trackage that leads to the two CSX yards in town, Stanley (ex-CR/T&OC) and Walbridge (ex-C&O/HV). Both yards had cars in them but Walbridge was definitely busier. We took a reconaissance trip around both yards then decided to follow the C&O south (railroad direction east) toward Fostoria.

This is the only photo we took in Toledo! This PRR overpass bridge has to have some of the largest PRR Keystone logos I've ever seen! Sadly the tracks over the bridge were abandoned in Penn Central days according to the SPV map.

We made one final stop in Carey to see an eastbound train pass the C Cabin which used to govern the crossing of the C&O/Big 4/AC&Y diamonds in Carey. The C&O is still intact, today as part of CSX's Columbus Subdivision, the AC&Y is abandoned west of Carey, but east of here the line is intact and operated by the Wheeling & Lake Erie. A short stub of the Big 4 still exists as part of the huge National Lime & Stone operations in town.

C Cabin in Carey, OH still looks pretty good. Even has a relatively new CSX blue metal roof!

An eastbound coal train passes C Cabin. Only thing missing is the siloutette of the operator performing a roll by inspection.

Last stop was John's house, resulting in another 395.2 miles on the odometer. Time to plan the next trip.

Questions, comments welcome!

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Some information for this write up was obtained from the following sources:

Bridge Hunter: http://bridgehunter.com/oh/shelby/great-miami-rr/

Frog Rail Tours: https://www.frograil.com/tours/csx/Sidney-MarionOh.php

Google Maps: http://maps.google.com

Historic Aerials: https://www.historicaerials.com

New Carlisle News: https://www.newcarlislenews.net/index.php/local-news/local-histor/3278-the-indiana-bloomington-western-railroad-through-new-carlisle-1882-1976

North American Interlockings: http://northamericaninterlockings.com/april_updates_43.html

Ohio Stations Past and Present: http://www.west2k.com/ohstations/stations.htm

Train Board: https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?media/lap-siding-vs-double-length-siding.104795/

Train Orders: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2949699