Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Article - Additional Material

Original article by Dennis Fravel appearing in the Summer 2021 Conrail Quarterly

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/NOTES ON SOURCES

First, I’d like to thank several individuals for their help in researching this topic. Foremost among them is Beth Weinhardt, formerly the Local History Coordinator for the Westerville Public Library, who has patiently helped me with my research for the past dozen years. I’d also like to recognize Craig Sanders , former president of the Akron Railroad Club and author, and David Birckbichler, retired CSX engineer, friend, fellow Cleveland Indians fan, and former Little League coach, for their suggestions and help in filling the gaps about the history of the line. Dennis Sauters of North Canton, Ohio, contributed a terrific C A & C history that was presented in the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society publication from Autumn, 1985. My wife Vicky has given me time, space, and encouragement while accompanying me as my biggest fan to my presentations—moreover, she’ll share her world-famous steam whistle impersonation upon request.

In terms of my use of available information, Dave Oroszi’s PRR LINES WEST VOLUME II is at the forefront with his excellent summation of the Akron Branch/Akron Secondary. The data from the United States Railway Association (USRA) Preliminary and Final System reports from 1975 was crucial in assessing the line’s ultimate inclusion into the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail). Wikipedia provided the clearest picture that I’ve seen in delineating  the  Conrail story. Alex Campbell’s columbusrailroads.com provided to be the ultimate site for fact checking all things related to railroad operations in Columbus, especially with Pennsylvania Railroad/Penn Central/Conrail lines. Rick Tipton’s THE PRR IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, was also extremely valuable.

I have listed 60 footnotes to “give credit where credit is due”. Despite my best efforts, I am certain that I have omitted some sources due to the sheer mass of information found online and elsewhere. To anyone whom I missed, I also say “thank you”. I take ultimate responsibility for this article and welcome notifications regarding all errors of omission and commission.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (alphabetical)

  1. abandonedrails.com “Abandoned Rails of Ohio: Hudson to Columbus”

  2. Ackerman, Connie Photos and correspondence from 1974

  3. “A Concise History of the Railroad Through Westerville”, Moore, Roger 1980

  4. Akronrrclub.com (Akron Railroad Club) ARCHIVES

  5. american-rails.com “Railroads: A Monologue”

  6. bigwalnuthistory.org “Railroad Was Major Asset to Residents”

  7. Birckbichler, David Personal railroad photographs 1967-1982

  8. bradfordrrmuseum.org “The Photography of Dick Acton Sr.”

  9. BRADFORD, THE RAILROAD TOWN, Trostel, Scott, 2005

  10. bswr.org (Byesville Scenic Railway) “History of the Byesville Scenic Railway”

  11. CLEVELAND PRESS “Historic Pennsy Train Makes Last Columbus Run” Christiansen, Harry 12/15/50

  12. COLUMBUS DISPATCH  5/29/49 3/29/82

  13. columbusrailroads.com “Pennsylvania Railroad Glossary”

  14. Conrail Columbus Division Southern Region 1982 Chart

  15. conrail.com “Brief History of Consolidated Rail Corporation”

  16. digital.hagley.org Conrail Hagley Digital Archives “Conrail Railroad Abandonment Index”

  17. fallen-flags.org ARCHIVES

  18. flickr.com “The Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus Railroad”

  19. holmeshistory.com (Holmes County Historical Society) “Historical Towns and Landmarks”

  20. holmestrail.org “The Rails Before the Trails in Holmes County”, McHugh, Ed 2005

  21. howstuffworks.com “Railroads During the Depression”

  22. images.google.com “Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus Railroad”

  23. image.slidesharecdn.com “Kilgore Flares and Munitions Help War Efforts”, April, 2010

  24. MOUNT VERNON NEWS “Pennsylvania Runs Last Passenger Trains Here Tomorrow After 77 Years Service”, 12/14/50

  25. Ohio Department of National Resources: “Report, Holmesville Flood, 1971”

  26. Ohio Railroad Map 1950

  27. Pennsylvania Railroad Conductors’ Book, 5/1/45

  28. PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD LINES WEST VOLUME II, Hipes, Steve, and Oroszi, David, 2008

  29. prrths.com (Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society) “The Cleveland Division in 1942”, Lynch, J.D. Jr. Autumn 1985

  30. Pennsylvania Railroad Track Charts, Akron Secondary/Akron Branch/Dresden Branch/Howard Industrial Track

  31. PUBLIC OPINION (Westerville) 6/12/47 6/24/48 12/15/48 2/20/64 12/8/66 5/21/81 6/11/81 4/29/82 5/13/82 3/29/95 3/5/08

  32. RAIL OHIO: THE OHIO RAIL PLAN, The Ohio Rail Transportation Authority 1978-1979

  33. Railroad Map of Columbus, Ohio, 1948

  34. railroad.net/forums “Centerburg, Ohio”

  35. RAILROADS IN THE DAYS OF STEAM American Heritage Junior Library, McCready, Albert L., and Sagle, Lawrence W. , 1960

  36. railsandtrails.com “Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus Railroad”

  37. RIGHT OF WAY MAGAZINE, “Conrail Branchline Review and Abandonment Process”, Huff, Lawrence, April, 1982

  38. SEARCHLIGHT (Westerville High School Yearbook), 1968

  39. SUNBURY NEWS “Trains…In Sunbury?” Fravel, Dennis 4/3/08

  40. Sunbury Public Library ARCHIVES

  41. TAKING THE CARS: A HISTORY OF COLUMBUS UNION STATION, Darbee, Jeffrey, 2003

  42. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad “Railroads At War: The B & O During WWII”

  43. THE (Wooster) DAILY RECORD 6/21/48 4/8/70

  44. THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO,  VOLUME II, Lee, Alfred, 1892

  45. THE HISTORY OF WESTERVILLE, OHIO, Hancock, Dr. Harold, 1974

  46. THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, Tipton, Rick, 2011

  47. “The Railroad Story”, Hard, Jerry

  48. THE WRECK OF THE PENN CENTRAL, Binzen, Joseph, and Daughten, Peter, 1971

  49. trainorders.com/discussion: “Eastern Railroad Discussions>Abandoned ROW in Columbus, Ohio”

  50. trainorders.com/discussion: “Nostalgia & History>Conrail Bradford Line AKA Panhandle”

  51. trains.com: “Conrail”

  52. “Unpublished Document on C, A, & C”, Birckbichler, David

  53. United States Railway Association (USRA) Fact Sheet: THE PRELIMINARY SYSTEM PLAN FOR RESTRUCTURING THE RAILROADS OF THE NORTHEAST AND MIDWEST, 1975

  54. United States Railway Association (USRA): FINAL SYSTEM PLAN FOR RESTRUCTURING RAILROADS IN THE NORTHEAST AND MIDWEST PURSUANT TO THE REGIONAL RAIL REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1973, 1975

  55. wadbikeway.blogspot.com “A Brief History of the C, A, & C” 11/7/07

  56. Westerville Public Archives ARCHIVES

  57. WHEN THE RAILROAD LEAVES TOWN “Westerville, Ohio”, Schweiterman, Joseph, 2001

  58. wikipedia.org “Conrail”

  59. wikipedia.org “Superpower”

  60. wikipedia.org “The Anti-Saloon League”

About the Author

Dennis Fravel fell in love with trains at an early age. He received an American Heritage Junior Library book, RAILROADS IN THE DAYS OF STEAM, for his ninth birthday in 1961 (interestingly, it is used as a source for this article) and immediately became enamored with trains in general and steam engines in particular. He eventually became an avid train watcher as locomotives of the Pennsylvania Road routed through Westerville, Ohio, and conducted switching activities for local industries up the street from his house. In recent years he has researched his hometown railroad line, historically known as the Cleveland, Akron, and Cleveland Railroad, and consequently has presented a Power Point on this topic throughout Ohio—and subsequently has incorporated new insights into this article by looking into the formation of Conrail. A 1974 graduate of Miami University (B.S.) and 1978 graduate of Marshall University (M.A.), Dennis worked as both a teacher/counselor/coach (17 years) and restaurant manager (24 years) until his retirement in 2016. He continues to pursue all things associated with railroad archaeology and proudly roots for Marshall University Thundering Herd sports! He and his wife of 40 years, Vicky, have two sons, Graig and Ian, and two grandchildren, Levi and Claire.