Shortlines of Ohio & Pennsylvania.

On January 10th, 2023, we went out for a day of railfanning on the shortline railroads surrounding the Erie, Pennsylvania area. Beginning the day on the Ashtabula, Carson, & Jefferson Railroad, we follow their 1941 built ALCO S1 as it hauls freight from transload customers in Jefferson, Ohio to the Norfolk Southern interchange at Carson Yard. Upon their return to Jefferson, Ohio, the crew had to move a large cut of cars and both cabooses owned by the railroad to access a storage car on the South end of town. This rare move enabled shots to be taken by the railroad’s depot, typically obscured by freight cars. After the AC&J tied up for the day, we moved to Erie, Pennsylvania where Buffalo & Pittsburgh’s WAER job was working the CSX interchange at OD Yard. With an ex Conrail GP38-2 on the helm, the train heads South on the former Allegheny & Eastern toward Warren, Pennsylvania. We chase the train from Erie to Corry, where a Pennsylvania Railroad PL signal guards the at-grade crossing with the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad. After WAER cleared, the signal on the WNYP turned green and the weekly ME-1 job arrived, heading West from Falconer, New York toward Meadville, Pennsylvania. Chasing the train West with its duo of ALCO C430s, we follow the train into the darkness from Corry to Union City, Pennsylvania, ending a full day featuring three of the area’s shortlines.

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