VOLUME 37, NUMBER 1 FIRST QUARTER 2015 Message from the President Happy New Year! the Past Year Was Is Critical to Survival
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ISSN 1053-4415 A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY $8.00 VOLUME 37, NUMBER 1 FIRST QUARTER 2015 Message from the President Happy New Year! The past year was is critical to survival . We have managed The official publication of very successful and rewarding, with to do quite well so far . The Society has THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY close to $20,000 collected for the build- a Facebook page that gets far more hits P. O. Box 24225 ing fund, successful outreach to recruit than our website . This is the trend of Baltimore, Maryland 21227-0725 new members and show the flag in the future and we need someone to step E-mail: [email protected] throughout Maryland and Ohio, two forward to institute and manage our Website: borhs.org great mini-cons, and a very well attended digital outreach . Missing Sentinel: [email protected] convention in Cumberland, Maryland . We need to educate and motivate our The Baltimore and Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving and disseminating Remember, the 2015 convention is youth to study this country’s railroad historical information about The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. going to be in the Cleveland, Ohio, area heritage and maybe become members . Copyright ©2015 ISSN 1053-4415 and the 2016 convention in the Buffalo, To promote B&O history to them we New York, area . The 2015 mini-cons are have begun a Youth Historical Writing in development with the Ohio Mini-Con Challenge, information for which was having the presenter set but a site to be mailed to selected schools along the B&O determined . The Eastern Mini-Con will routes and is posted on our website . How be August 8 in the Philadelphia, Penn- best to get young people away from their sylvania, area . electronic toys, then to wave a carrot in SOCIETY OFFICERS Greg Smith - President We are still in need of a replacement front of their noses? [email protected] editor since this is Harry Meem’s last year . The rest of this space is dedicated to Henry Freeman - VP Operations With more than 1,350 members, someone details of the writing challenge . Dis- [email protected] could manage four publications each year played on page 33 are some thoughts George Stant - VP Finance and Harry would assist in the transition . from Society Director Wade Rice, who [email protected] Allen Young - Secretary One of the after-convention-hours leads a youth outreach effort . Please read [email protected] topics of discussion was the future of his comments and give us your support, Chris Winslow - Treasurer railroad clubs, historical societies, and assist in planning, and aid in instituting [email protected] railroad museums five, ten, or twenty years activities to encourage young people of BOARD OF DIRECTORS into the future . How do we recruit more all ages . Have a great year .—Greg Smith Bruce Elliott (2014) Mike Shylanski (2015) people to be members, and most of all ◆ ◆ ◆ Nick Fry (2014) Chris Tilley (2016) participate? One point was continued out- The officers and directors of the Wade Rice, Jr. (2016) Bob Witt (2015) (Past President) reach and education to the general public, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Histori- Bob Hubler Officers’ terms expire annually. Directors’ terms not just to the organizations’ members . cal Society extend this challenge to all expire in October of the indicated year. To spend and manage money wisely, students ages 14 to 24 . The purpose of All directors may be reached at [email protected]. rather than just collect it in a nest egg, (Continued on page 35) EDITORIAL STAFF Editor [email protected] Harry Meem, Managing Editor [email protected] In This Issue Al McEvoy, Archives The B&O in Seymour, Indiana John Teichmoeller Roberta Poling, Graphic Design A Little Back-Scratching Leaves Bad Feelings, by Edward Young . 3 [email protected] 15 A Fall Weekend at a B&O Shrine, by John Teichmoeller . .. CONTRIBUTORS WELCOME: B&O Passenger Service to the Southwest Articles, manuscripts, photographs, reviews, and other historical data are solicited for publication. Original material TheNational Limited Takes on PRR, by Frank A . Wrabel . 20 will be returned upon publication. Send all material to: Ensuring the Society’s Future, by Wade Rice . 33 Harry Meem, 2409 Birchwood Road, Richmond, VA 23294. Running Light, Cincinnati Renovation Funds, More on Car 3303, etc . 34 COMPANY STORE Orders: Company Store link at borhs.org [email protected] On the Covers MEMBERSHIP FRONT COVER: Society conventioneers and other passengers enjoy the view and fresh air aboard the open [email protected] gondola car on the Potomac Eagle during the Cumberland convention. See page 15. (Allen Young photograph) One year regular membership is $35.00. For other classes or inquiries, write to the Society’s P.O. Box address, BACK COVER: Amid all the names of local railroaders in bricks on the sidewalk before the Brunswick Heritage or email [email protected]. For an address change, write to the P.O. Box address, Museum, that of B&O public relations director Robert Van Sant stands out; Running Light, page 34. or email [email protected] (Harry Meem photograph) Memberships, once accepted, cannot be returned. 2 First Quarter 2015 A watchman stationed in the shanty at the right-center of the photograph operated the tilting target signal to control train movements at the B&O/PRR crossing in Seymour, Indiana. He also controlled the movement of motor vehicles at the grade crossing. By the time this photograph was taken, around 1930, the roundhouse and coal dock had been removed. The Ebner Ice & Cold Storage Company is visible behind the shanty. The Milwaukee (SIRR) depots are on the far left. The B&O in Seymour, Indiana A Little Back-Scratching Leaves Bad Feelings By Edward Young Graphics from author’s collection except as noted ne of the many Midwestern towns Railroad in 1849, it merged with the of the B&O Southwestern Railroad in Othat owe their existence to the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad (the 1893 . The B&OSW was absorbed by the coming of the railroads in the 19th cen- first railroad in the state of Indiana) in Baltimore & Ohio in 1900 . tury is Seymour, Indiana . 1866 to form the Jeffersonville, Madison A late arrival, the Evansville & Rich- Located in Jackson County about half- & Indianapolis Railroad . mond Railroad, was established in 1888, way between Louisville and Indianapolis, Leased by the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati reaching Seymour in 1890 . The E&R Seymour was once served by the B&O, & St . Louis Railroad in 1871, these and became the Southern Indiana Railroad Pennsylvania, and Milwaukee railroads . two other lines joined in 1890 to form in 1897 and the Chicago, Terre Haute First on the scene was the Jefferson- the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St . & Southeastern Railway in 1910 . The ville Railroad, chartered in 1832 as the Louis Railroad . The PCC&StL was leased CTH&SE was leased by Chicago, Mil- Ohio & Indianapolis Railroad with the by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1921 . waukee, St . Paul & Pacific Railroad (the intention of connecting the Ohio River at The Ohio & Mississippi Railway was Milwaukee Road) in 1921 . Jeffersonville, Indiana, with Indianapo- the next to arrive and was most respon- The first settler on the land where lis . The line was not incorporated until sible for the creation of Seymour . Char- Seymour would be established was 1848, as the Jeffersonville & Indianapolis tered in Indiana in 1848, with construction James Shields, who brought his family Railroad . Renamed the Jeffersonville beginning in 1852, the O&M became part to the area in 1816 . His son Meedy White First Quarter 2015 3 Structures Key 1 B&O Coal Dock 7 B&O Sand & Oil House 13 Track Scale 2 B&O Passenger Station 8 B&O Ash Pit 14 Water Tank 3 B&O Freight House 9 PRR Passenger Station 15 PRR Water Tank 4 B&O Express Building 10 SIRR Passenger Station 16 & 17 Penstocks 5 Crossing Watchman’s Shanty 11 SIRR Freight House 18 Interurban Station 6 B&O Roundhouse & Turntable 12 Livestock Pens The Situation Plan of the railroads of Seymour, Indiana, in 1917. The portion of a map titled Birds Eye View of Seymour, Indiana, 1886 shows the Ohio & Mississippi at the top and the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis on the left. The O&M passenger depot is to the right of the crossing, the JM&I station to the left. The O&M roundhouse, turntable and machine shop are just south of the depot; just below these structures is the joint O&M/JM&I freight house. At the upper right beside the main line is the massive O&M coal dock. (Courtesy Jackson County Visitor Center) 4 First Quarter 2015 The Seymour B&O passenger station in early 1962, not long before it was replaced with a smaller steel structure and torn down. The former Pennsylvania passenger station can be seen at the far right. (Jackson County, Indiana, Digital History Archive Project) This was the O&M/B&O express building in Seymour, Indiana, captured by photographer Otto White of North Vernon, Indiana, in 1919. It was just to the west of the depot, apparently with a small office for the agent. First Quarter 2015 5 O&M 4-4-0 Number 78 sits on the turntable at the roundhouse at Seymour, Indiana, in 1875. This was the original nine-stall roundhouse built by the O&M in Seymour around 1873. (B&ORHS, Robert Clark Collection) Shields inherited the land and developed ing only a small platform . Nevertheless, of the crossing with the Jeffersonville, it into a prosperous farm .