Now this is cool... A turntable for switching freight cars.

[JCitron]

http://binged.it/1POIaJF

Located in Huntington, WV is a factory area which is connect via some street running track. The cars appear to be switched by 44-tonners which is cool, and this alone is cool but it gets better...

There's a turntable in one of the factory yards which is used to move boxcars and other freight cars into one of the buildings.

I've seen pictures of these dating back to the 1860s and 1870s, but I never saw anything like this in the current times.

The area alone though is very much a Phil Skene railroad!

John

 

[MeowRailroad]

There are more cool things there. Did you see how tight the curve above the turntable? Also they have a 44 tonner, and a Rail Crane. If it was self-propelled, they might have been using it as a switcher. ( I feel like I heard something like this at one point, where a crane lost it's boom, so it was used for switching.) If you look at the CSX engine yard nearby, there are all CSX engines, except for a Conrail Quality GP15-1 and a turquoise and white GE with a large M on the side, and words I couldn't make out.

 

[cascaderailroad]

They look like they would be much shorter cars than a shorty beer can tank car, which leads me to believe that only a small switcher loco, or small hand pushed specialized cars would fit those curves and small turntable

 

[clam1952]

Looks to have been concreted over to me?

See Google Earth Historical image dated 4/2011 can zoom right in and it's concreted, older ones not very clear neither is the latest one!

 

[JCitron]

This is definitely a cool area and one for the books and future route plans.

Malc, I couldn't tell if it was concreted over and I wondered if the surface was that color because the lighting is so poor. I tried a street view but that wasn't available for the area. I'll have to check the historic images as well.

Edit:

The turntable definitely has been concreted over and probably so for sometime.

A look at an old topomap for the area shows that the CSX line used to be a combination of the C&O and B&O lines coming into the region with the C&O exiting across the river to the "right".

I noticed the greenish-blue engine with an M on the side. I wonder too what that is.

 

[jordon412]

I noticed the greenish-blue engine with an M on the side. I wonder too what that is.

Here's your answer: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=455910&nseq=64

This might perk your interest also: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=451958&nseq=71

 

[JCitron]

Thanks, Jordon,

Those are really cool. The M engine makes sense now and that battery loco is awesome.

John

 

[mquigg]

At least 124 locomotives in the CSX depot, and freight yard! ( I know; I need to get out more!!) Quite an interesting area though.
Mike

 

[Saieditor]

I didn't see the Marshall University loco at first.
I thought he was referring to the wreck SD40-2's (and another wreck behind them?)

 

[JCitron]

At least 124 locomotives in the CSX depot, and freight yard! ( I know; I need to get out more!!) Quite an interesting area though.
Mike

That's a lot of locos in there!

I didn't see the Marshall University loco at first.
I thought he was referring to the wreck SD40-2's (and another wreck behind them?)

I didn't see it at first either until I started looking around.

I will say follow the main line west. There are some really, really awesome bridges, junctions, and buildings as the line heads towards Ohio. The bridges above the line we're on belonged to the C&O. Today both lines are owned by CSX.

Someday, oh someday, this might become a route to work on because this area always fascinated me.

John

 

[Thai1On]

Cool idea John. A turntable inside a factory complex would add some fun switching moves.

Dave

 

[JCitron]

Cool idea John. A turntable inside a factory complex would add some fun switching moves.

Dave

That would be cool. I think I saw something like that either on the DLS or elsewhere. It maybe built to broad gauge though, which I can't remember.

John

 

[jordon412]

I think I saw something like that either on the DLS or elsewhere. It maybe built to broad gauge though, which I can't remember.

John

There's several on the Download Station, but the only operating one is Magandy's 'Wagon Turntable2', <KUID:68236:28001>. He's also made a non-working one 'Wagon Turntable 3', <KUID2:68236:28022:1>. ray_whiley also made a non-working one, 'Wagon Turntable', <KUID2:275817:28165:1>. edh6 made a non-working one also, 'NG Wagon Turntable', <KUID:403746:528>. clam1952's has a non-working one also, 'CL NG24 wagon turntable', <KUID:425700:1079>. Finally, itareus has made two, and just like the majority of them, non-working, 'C+ TA TT1D Wagon Turntable', <KUID2:243828:100704:1>, and 'C+ TA TT2D Wagon Turntable', <KUID2:243828:100710:1>. All of them except edh6 and clam1952's turntables are standard gauge.

 

[JCitron]

There's several on the Download Station, but the only operating one is Magandy's 'Wagon Turntable2', <KUID:68236:28001>. He's also made a non-working one 'Wagon Turntable 3', <KUID2:68236:28022:1>. ray_whiley also made a non-working one, 'Wagon Turntable', <KUID2:275817:28165:1>. edh6 made a non-working one also, 'NG Wagon Turntable', <KUID:403746:528>. clam1952's has a non-working one also, 'CL NG24 wagon turntable', <KUID:425700:1079>. Finally, itareus has made two, and just like the majority of them, non-working, 'C+ TA TT1D Wagon Turntable', <KUID2:243828:100704:1>, and 'C+ TA TT2D Wagon Turntable', <KUID2:243828:100710:1>. All of them except edh6 and clam1952's turntables are standard gauge.

Thanks. I thought I had seen some ages ago. It's too bad they don't work, but anyway they'd look cool in a mill yard.