This shot, I believe by Thomas W. Dixon, shows the C&O's eastbound "Sportsman"†at Ivy, VA, in September 1958. Nos. 46 and 47 were one of the three traditional C&O passenger trains between Washington and Cincinnati (the other two were the "George Washington" and "F.F.V."). †The "Sportsman" also featured a connection to Toledo and Detroit which split off Cincinnati section at Ashland, KY, †and used the route followed by the bulk of the C&O's westbound/northbound coal traffic (which went to the Presque Isle†docks on Lake Erie near Toledo). This view shows the "Sportsman" in it's classic dieselized appearance, before the cuts and consolidations of the 1960's. This consist has two of C&O's classy E-8's, a good cut†of heavyweight baggage cars, several lightweight coaches, a modernized diner, and at least two sleepers. Submitted by Fred RipleyMarion, OH, was (and is) a major crossroads of railroads in north-central Ohio. †AC Tower, from which this shot is taken, controlled the crossing of the Erie main line and NYC's Cleveland-St. Louis main line (running together on an east-west alignment) and the C&O from Ashland, KY to Toledo and the PRR's Columbus-Sandusky Branch, both of which were major routes for coal and ore traffic. By 1966, when this shot was taken, the Erie had become the Erie-Lackawanna, and the PRR had sold the Sandusky Branch to the N&W, to facilitate the connection of the traditional N&W at Columbus with the newly acquired NKP at†Bellevue. † This eastbound is leaving the large E-L yard, and has a varied lash-up typical of the E-L: †a U25B, C425, F3B, and two E8A's. †The C&O is being crossed by the diesels; the N&W is just east of the tower. †Today, all lines through Marion remain busy, with the exception of the E-L, which was downgraded†and eventually abandoned with the formation of Conrail in 1976. Photographer unknown, submitted by Fred Ripley.Chuck Hinrichs caught Northbound CSX Q688 and its road-side sentinel at Casky on a clear and crisp March 3rd afternoon.Where Climax Locomotives Once Chuffed!
