Brier Hill Turntable

This is the former Erie Railroad’s Brier Hill Engine Terminal and what’s left of the Brier Hill yard. The towers are for sand.

The other table outline you can see near Wilson Avenue on is the former P&LE RR Gateway Yard.

Thanks @Rich Melvin! Now I got something to search so I can find some photos.

I thought the Gateway yard was further down near the P&LE Tower and hump. That explains why I've had so much trouble placing where it is haha

The west end of the P&LE Receiving Yard was just east of the Center Street Bridge. The east end of the Departure Yard was in Lowellville. It was a BIG yard.

I worked there in the 60s.

That's...huge! No wonder that crossing west of Center Street bridge was so busy. I didn't realize that was all part of the yard. I can't wait to go back and look at some photos now that I understand where it all sat. Thank you so much for explaining!

At one time in the 1950s, the crossing at Center Street was the busiest railroad crossing in the country. The P&LE, Erie, PRR, B&O, and the NYC all crossed there.

Pretty unbelievable. It's hard to fathom every time I hear it. I don't think I have ever personally seen a train go through that crossing but I have seen them headed for it. That crossing doesn't exactly sit in a spot I want to hang out for very long. Although that is slowly changing.

LOL. Yeah…Center Street is not in a very good part of the city.

This is all very fascinating. Would love to see photos of the area in its heyday.

Dave

Hopefully I can find one @luvindemtrains. We'll see. I'll probably start at the P&LE archives. They seem to have a little bit of anything near their line haha

BillYo414, here are a couple pictures of the sand towers and drying tower on the layout that were scratch built representing The Brier Hill Works, in Girard, Ohio. Now these are not exact, just our representation of them. Any negative comments from anyone please keep them to your self!!! This is suppose to be a fun hobby. BillYo414 hope you enjoy!!

Jeff

The P&LE Gateway Yard, built in 1958.  It was 4-1/2 miles long, stretching from Center Street in Youngstown, Ohio on the west end, through Campbell and Struthers to Lowellville, Ohio on the east. It had a 22-track Receiving Yard, an Engine Service Facility, three Hump Leads, an electronically controlled hump setup, a 46-track Classification Yard and a four-track Departure Yard.

It is all gone now.

CLICK HERE to see some pictures of the P&LE in its heyday.

Rich,

In my research, I saw where you came across a couple of D&H Baldwin Sharks in the area. This was last night before you posted the link. Very nice!

Dave

Such a shame all this stuff is slowly disappearing.

@jjames9641 posted:

BillYo414, here are a couple pictures of the sand towers and drying tower on the layout that were scratch built representing The Brier Hill Works, in Girard, Ohio. Now these are not exact, just our representation of them.

I feel like you captured them! The Ohio Central colors and multiple tracks really do it for me. I instantly thought of Brier Hill when I saw that. The spot right over Division street is what came to mind.

I also love the details you have in terms of chains, ladders, waste oil, etc. Not to take away from the main structure but those details always make a model for me.

@Rich Melvin You have some really great pictures here! Thank you very much for sharing.

It is a bummer how much of the stuff is gone but a tremendous amount of structures from that era are hiding in neighborhoods and abandoned roads. For example, the walls for the ore yard at Republic Haselton are still standing off Center St Bridge. Same for the walls at Sheet and Tube Campbell works. Heck, there's even slag still at the Hopewell furnace haha

@luvindemtrains posted:

...I saw where you came across a couple of D&H Baldwin Sharks in the area..

Yep...way back in 1974.

See the Baldwin Sharks here.

@jjames9641 posted:

Such a shame all this stuff is slowly disappearing.

Yes...check out these two images, taken at the exact same spot, 44 years apart:

Here are a couple more from Youngstown...

June 1975 - General Electric U30C #007 leads a Detroit Edison coal train westbound on the PRR at Center Street in Youngstown, Ohio.

The same location in 2019. Everything is gone except the railroad, which is now the Norfolk Southern Youngstown Line.

I'm always "amazed" when I see these photos and those similar to them. It's bittersweet for obvious reasons. I called Youngstown home for about 8 years of my life and being from Steubenville, it's the same story.

Dave

The ole ore bridge crane & high line, I can still smell it after all these year!!! Thanks for sharing the pics, Rich