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"Screenshots from Akron Ohio"

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jleslie (107 posts)
Mar-23-02, 00:23 AM (EST) "Screenshots from Akron Ohio" Here's some shots from my route based on Akron Ohio in the 1950-1970 timeframe. Very little scenery yet, most of my effort has been in track laying. The railroading in Akron during this timeframe was centered around "The Big Four" tire manufacturers - Goodyear, Goodrich, Firestone, and General - before they all moved their tire manufacturing overseas. In fact, Goodrich got out of the tiremaking business alltogether in the mid 80's. There was also a great deal of other industry supporting the tire industry in Akron as well. The route is meant to be a switching route, but future plans may include some mainline runs.Here is the mainlines of Erie, PRR, and B&O (left to right) coming from South Akron into the Erie's McCoy St. Yard. The BF Goodrich complex is to the left, downtown Akron is straight ahead. There will be much more scenery here soon.
Here's a closer look at McCoy St Yard. The yard belongs to Erie. PRR has a similar size yard about a mile south of here, B&O has 2 smaller yards on the north side of the city which we will see soon. The small ladder that points off to the left toward the Goodrich factory is the "Erie Belt Line" that runs through downtown and rejoins the main again on the north side of the city. The belt line services BFG and Quaker Oats and some smaller industries.
This will eventually be the BF Goodrich Complex...
Back on the mainline just north of McCoy St. Yard we will have the Erie passenger station on the left, and Union Station (PRR/B&O) on the right. Erie tracks on left, PRR up the middle, and B&O on the right. Trains like the Phoebe Snow & Capitol Limited used to stop here. Quaker Oats grain elevator in the background.
Stay tuned for more.....Jeff Leslie Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
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Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio MRRextreme Mar-23-02 1 RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio controll Mar-23-02 2 RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio SD80MAC Mar-23-02 3 RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio jleslie Mar-23-02 4 RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio rgarber Mar-23-02 5 RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio jleslie Mar-23-02 6 RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio CPR_Malice_96th Mar-23-02 7

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MRRextreme (203 posts)
Mar-23-02, 01:28 AM (EST) 1. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" Excellent trackwork! Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
controll (519 posts)
Mar-23-02, 02:55 AM (EST) 2. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" It looks as thou you need to attend
"TRACKAHOLICS ANONYMOUS" ....Just Kidding....Great work so far....(but where are the bridges).Rick Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
SD80MAC (830 posts)
Mar-23-02, 07:02 AM (EST) 3. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" That's some fancy lookin' trackwork Jeff!How big is this route gonna be? Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
jleslie (107 posts)
Mar-23-02, 09:23 AM (EST) 4. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" Here's some more....Sorry but this is a HUGE post...This is the Quaker Oats elevator on the left, REA just to the right of that, and the PRR freight station will be under the bridge. The REA building will have platforms that can unload from cars spotted from either direction. The Erie/PRR/B&O mainline is on the right and you can see under the bridge where PRR/B&O cross over Erie in what was known as "The Diamond".
Here's The Diamond closer up...soon you will be able to see why they cross over each other...
Here's The Diamond from the opposite direction from the E Market St bridge. That's JO tower in the lower left, it controlled the movements at The Diamond. It was torn down in 1997, and now only a 2-track CSX main exists here today.
This is just north of the downtown area where everything swings to the east. Now the AC&Y (Akron Canton & Youngstown) comes into the picture as well as the old CT&V (Cleveland Terminal & Valley, a division of B&O). Today the AC&Y is the W&LE and everything else is CSX. That bridge is the Route 8 overpass, Controll I need a better bridge than that....
Now we begin to see why the Erie and B&O crossed over each other...they had to do it somewhere. The Erie on the right peels off to the east to head toward Kent and Youngstown while the PRR & B&O turn back to the north to continue to Cuyahoga Falls, where they eventually can go north to Cleveland or east again toward Pittsburgh. The B&O Valley Yard is on the left, AC&Y runs up the middle underneath the PRR/ERIE/B&O. AC&Y heads west behind us towards Delphos, Ohio (western part of the state) and east here toward the east side of Akron. AC&Y never reached Canton (south) or Youngstown (east).
Here's where they split. In the upper left you can see the B&O roundhouse and the beginning of the North Akron Yard (B&O).
Here's the B&O engine facilities & roundhouse and North Akron Yard up top. The double track to the left of the roundhouse that breaks off and stops will be the PRR line that parallels the B&O. There's a WYE just off screen to the lower right, the tree marks the northern point of it.
North Akron Yard from the northern end, the roundhouse behind it
Now we jump way to the east side of Akron. This is the AC&Y Brittain Yard looking west. This was pretty much the beginning of the AC&Y's eastern end, actually a little further east is where it interchanged with Nickel Plate. When N&W took over, the W&LE got the AC&Y and Nickel Plate lines, dissolving both of those railroads. W&LE was allowed to stay W&LE even though it was part of the N&W. Today the W&LE still runs this yard, my house is up on that knoll to the upper right...
Almost done with the tour....
Here's the west end of Brittain yard, the AC&Y engine facilities. The straight engine house and turntable are still there in operation today (W&LE). The roundhouse burned down in the 70's I believe, and the turntable is locked in this position permanently (there's a real-life case for static turntables...). General Tire and Goodyear Plant #2 are visible in the background.
Here's the General Tire plant and Seiberling yard, which was the interchange for AC&Y and ABB (Akron Barberton Belt). Goodyear Plant #2 in the background.
Goodyear Plant #2, Plant #1 in the background. Downtown is to the west.
Goodyear #2, "The Gauntlet"
Last but not least, this will be Goodyear Plant #1 which today is corporate headquarters. Goodyear makes some racing tires here in town today, everything else is made overseas. There's a bridge for ya Controll....
Right now the route only covers 11 tiles. As you can see, I've squeezed a lot of track into 11 tiles. My plan is to model the entire Akron area, with all the industries that were present in the 1950-1970 timeframe. I would like to signal the mainlines eventually, but the route is meant to be a switching route. The Akron Barberton Belt was a shortline that connected with AC&Y at both ends, and serviced some very large industrial areas in Barberton which is a suburb on Akron's southwest side. I want to model the entire ABB if MSTS will let me....Thanks to anybody who has objects that I used here, Enocell's buildings will be all over the place when I get done.More to come....Jeff Leslie Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
rgarber (1486 posts)
Mar-23-02, 10:12 AM (EST) 5. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" Simply amazing Jeff! Looking at those pictures I'm so impressed I only have one question for you... do you have any hair left?Rich Garber Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
jleslie (107 posts)
Mar-23-02, 01:29 PM (EST) 6. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" Sure do. I swept it all up and am keeping it in a bag to make the hairpiece from.Jeff Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
CPR_Malice_96th (659 posts)
Mar-23-02, 06:54 PM (EST) 7. "RE: Screenshots from Akron Ohio" WowVery nice looking. I'm looking forward to that for sureTim Kent

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