"Photos from Yesteryear"

Here are a few pictures from years past along the present and future routes of the Byesville Scenic Railway- The old Pennsylvania Railroad's Marietta Branch and the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Eastern Ohio Branch.

The old Pennsylvania depot in Byesville. It was located north of the Main Street crossing, near where the Byesville Public Library stands today.  This view is of the southwest corner of the building.  Note the bay window where the station agent would sit, the chimney for the coal stove, and semaphore signals. Also note the boxcars standing on the "house tracks"  where freight and deliveries for the Byesville area were unloaded.  This end of the station was for passengers, the opposite end of the station was for freight and baggage.

Another view of the old Pennsylvania depot in Byesville.  In this view, the photographer was standing just north of the Main street crossing, looking  northbound towards Cambridge. Glass Avenue now passes through where the boxcars are standing. Behind the box cars is where the Byesville Public Library stands today.

The New Midland Power & Traction Co. operated between Cambridge and Pleasant City, Ohio.  Although the line was abandoned in the 1920's, much of the roadbed is still visible today.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Depot in Derwent, Ohio.  It was located in the northeast corner of the State Route 313 crossing.  In this view, the photographer was standing on SR313, facing towards the southwest corner of the building.  This station, along with others on the PRR's Marietta Branch, was razed after passenger service was discontinued in the early 1930's.

In April 1976 the old Pennsylvania Railroad's Marietta Branch became part of newly formed Conrail.  The last train to operate from Marietta to Dover was May 1st that year.  After then, rail service over the line north of Cambridge and south of C&M Crossing was discontinued. Here is a southbound view of C&M Crossing before the rails south to Marietta were removed.  The track bearing to the right, which was for many years the B&O connecting track, is now the main to Cumberland.

Here is an eastbound view of a B&O GP-9 switching the west leg of the old wye track at Perry's Den Road in Cumberland, Ohio.  During the 1970's and 1980's, two to three trains a week delivered ammonium nitrate to this site, where the material would be transferred to truck for Central Ohio Coal.  Beyond the yellow covered hopper are two sidings.  In the future the Byesville Scenic Railway will operate to here.

This view is of a westbound ammonium nitrate train on the old B&O Eastern Ohio Branch, about 1/2 mile west of the SR 821 crossing. The engine has just passed milepost 10 (as measured from Cambridge station) and is crossing a wooden trestle known as "Bridge #315".  This spot is 5 miles from downtown Byesville.

This view is of one of the last regular freights through Byesville and over the old B&O Eastern Ohio Branch in April of 1986.  In the 1980's this train originated in Zanesville and its train identification was "ZADYR" for "ZAnesville DYnamite Run".  On this day train ZADYR is westbound hauling boom components for the last drag line to be built at Central Ohio Coal's Muskingum Mine.  The engine has just passed milepost 11 and is approaching the 2nd crossing of SR 146 on the west side of SR 821. 

The date is June 18th 1986 and this is the last regular run of train ZADYR over the old Eastern Ohio Branch.  The train is westbound at milepost 15.2 and is about to pass under the SR 146 overpass just east of Cumberland.  From July 1986 until October 1993 all rail movements to Cumberland (via Byesville) were infrequent and were considered as “extras”.  During this period of time, weeks or even months would pass before the next train would travel over the line.

The date is October 1987 and here is one of the seldom "extra" trains over the Eastern Ohio Branch after regular freight service was discontinued.  This train is moving eastbound over the first crossing of SR 146 on the west of SR 821.  Where the flat car and caboose are shown, the "Flood of the Century" in the summer of 1998 completely washed away the rails, ties, and roadbed.

Here is another of the last "extra" trains to Cumberland, about to cross 2nd street in downtown Byesville.  By the year 1988 a train with an old blue C&O locomotive and blue C&O caboose were very rare to see anywhere on the CSX system.  The train is standing exactly where today the Byesville Scenic Railway excursion train begins its journey.  In 2004 Byesville Scenic Railway volunteers built a passenger depot / ticket office behind where the engine is shown.  Note the old cast iron whistle post from Pennsylvania RR days.

In October of 1993 this GE center cab switcher was the last train to operate from Byesville to Cumberland.  This locomotive was purchased by American Electric Power for service on the Muskingum Electric Railroad.  Here it is shown parked at the 2nd street crossing in downtown Byesville, where it sat for several days until a crew from Muskingum Electric RR operated the locomotive to Cumberland. By 1993 the condition of the Eastern Ohio Branch had deteriorated to the point that CSX did not want to operate over the line, and it was up to the MERR crews to bring it home to AEP property.  This engine was used until the Muskingum Electric Railroad was scrapped in the fall 2004. By November of 2004 the engine was sold and relocated (via truck) for service at a grain mill in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.