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| Nina Oliphant posted Mike Lusher posted Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse and yard at Crestline, Ohio, on July 13, 1947. From the archives of the Crestline, Ohio Public Library. Carl Peters posted This is the PPR Crestline Roundhouse west of Crestline, Ohio. It was shuttered in the 70's and eventually torn down. John Cassleman One of my favorite railroad stories was told to me by a man I knew well who'd hired out as a fireman on the Pennsy shortly after War2. He fired on the G5s, H10s and big N2sa's assigned to Pennsy's Hughart yard in Grand Rapids, MI. He was on the extra board when he and an engineer were called up and instructed to take a taxi the 175 miles to Fort Wayne, IN where they were to work a passenger train. When they got there they climbed up into the cab of a T1 for what he described as the ride of his life ... to Crestline and back. Said it hit 100 mph more than once and was so smooth he could light his cigarette standing up. Never got called up again for something like that, and could never figure out why they made that unforgettable ride as they were basically passengers in the cab of that big thoroughbred or why the railroad would have paid for a 175 mile cab ride for them to make it. They did deadhead on a passenger train back to GR pulled by one of the G5s he would sometimes fire. Tom Wells A pal & I drove down there to prowl around in '03. Most it was still standing. S1 & T1 among other amazing locomotives ran out of there to Chicago. Jim Morris Worked the line when it was ConRail .GM had a big stamping plant just outside of Crestline. Chris Love The Erie RR serviced the stamping plant and utilized Harding Yard, which is still there. The stamping plant was closed in 2010 and is a large parking lot now. Jim Morris Chris Love and that was a time when GM was pushing " buy American " and all the stamping machines and tooling was Japanese. Christopher Laflam There was a long, protracted preservation effort for this structure. The preservation website still exists out there which now focuses on the history of it. http://www.crestlineprr.com/PhotoGallery.html#index [Home Page] Tyler Mathis I'm guessing the turntable was extended once the T-1s showed up? The S-1 appears to have its own shed extension built onto the roundhouse. Richard Shulby I doubt the S-1 OR the T-1 ever used the turntable, unless they were aligned from both sides as a straight-across move. The T-1 was just under 123 ft long, and the S-1 was just over 140 ft long. The turntable pit remaining only supported the 110 foot turntable. Turning was most likely done elsewhere, although the 1959 aerial does not appear to show any wye or loop, and the trackage at the junction to the east does not appear to be configured to support turning. Matthew Hurst Richard Shulby T1s did use the turntable here. Richard Shulby Matthew Hurst Thanks. Would that be w/o the tender, or because the wheelbase was shorter than the 110 foot turntable? Matthew Hurst Richard Shulby With tender. The T1 wheel base was 107 feet...that is locomotive and tender. Paul Marsano Richard Shulby the S1 was turned using a Wye on the west side of the facility. The turntable never was enlarged. Rolando Maggi shared |
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| Darren Ray posted The Pennsy engine house in Crestline Ohio... I imagine there have been images posted here before of this remarkable facility... There is an amazing website owned by Bill Ayers chronicling a great deal of it's history as well as some amazing photos from all phases of it's existence. A 1947 photo by Glendale Hoffman, with the lower stall being home to the incomparable S1. crestlineprr.com Mike Lusher That was a steel framed roundhouse. Most roundhouses were framed with wood. [The comments include three photos of the steel framework.] A comment on a post points out the S1 parked outside of its special long stall on the left side of the roundhouse. "The longest rigid frame locomotive ever built. A total failure." Rick Shilling posted and Thomas Wentzel shared Ronnie Amore posted PRR Roundhouse that was in Crestline, Ohio. Nothing remains at all. John Kuelling: Denver roof owned the property for several years including when a good portion of it was torn down. I have some pictures of when that was being done and will post them when I find them. The plan was to put up a solar array to help power the village of crestline however those plans fell through before any fruition. Denver was killed in a motorcycle accident a few years back and the property I believe was handed over to the village however I’m not entirely sure on that. Spent many weekends out there as a kid in what remained. Used to fish in the old table pit and had fun climbing in the old buildings. Did many cookouts there. Sad to see it gone now. One more piece of history gone forever and to be forgotten John Rose: S1 6-4-4-6 sitting out back behind its stall. Judging by the freight cars parked behind it, it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and its space in the building was being used for something else. Kyle Michaels: John Rose Crestline was the pennsy's experimental division S1, S2, T1, and Q's ran out of Crestline. That's as far east as the big locomotives could go. There's quite a bit of info and pics on the Crestline roundhouse site. My dad and his buddies were on the roof in the 80s. They couldn't get into the basement because it was flooded. https://crestlineprr.com/ Rolando Maggi shared |
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| Kevin Smrz commented on Ronnie's post I wouldn't call this "nothing". [Some comments claim that the satellite image is old and that there is nothing there. But I fired up Google Earth and a Jul 2022 image looks the same. Including the safety hazard of a water-filled turntable pit. Finally, I found a comment that said the remnants were taken down in 2023.] |
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| Wade Moore commentd on Roonie's post It was still there in 2006 but removed a few years later... |
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| Chuck Clark commentd on Roonie's post Day 1 of Demo..... I spent everyday shooting pics out there, eventually I was invited on the property and they would call and wait to knock down sections for me to photograph. 2007 |
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| Crhis Love commented on Carl's post Here is a picture of the NYCRR Galion yard that was on the Big Four line 4 miles from Crestline. The picture was taken from the top of the coal dock looking towards the roundhouse. This was taken in the before 1944. I grew up in Galion and still live in the area. I am currently scratch building a model of the roundhouse in the picture. I will do my best to help with any questions you might have. |
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| Rick Shilling posted Pennsylvania Railroad workers trying to lift K4 4-6-2 engine out of Turntable pit Crestline Ohio Roundhouse |
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| Kevin Morris posted PRR roundhouse, Crestline, Ohio, approximately 1988. Wayne Horvath I understand the former PRR mainline has been downgraded. In the 50's this was a busy 4-tracked main line across much of Ohio. Kevin Morris Wayne, under the PRR the main line between Pittsburgh and Chicago ran right through here. During the Conrail years most Chicago traffic was shifted to the line between Alliance, Ohio, and Cleveland, Ohio, then west. The PRR main west of Alliance was downgraded substantially there after. As for the Crestline roundhouse, it was not used much by the time Conrail began. I was in Crestline in about 1988 when our company truck broke a U-joint. While it was being repaired the guy told me he now owned the old roundhouse. He allowed me to walk through it. He used it as an indoor junk yard. |
Crestline was the boundary between two of the corporations that became part of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago --- 1848 Ohio & Pennsylvania and 1850 Ohio & Indiana, which extended the line to Fort Wayne, IN. I noticed that when Conrail was split up, NS got the Pennsy route to the east and CSX got it to the west. But NS does have trackage rights on the western segment.
Crestline is also of note because it was the eastern terminus for many of the big duplex passenger steam locomotives that Pennsy experimented with near the end of the steam era because those locomotives were too long and "stiff" (they were not articulated) to travel further east. They were good farm-land locomotives, but not mountain locomotives.
Some of the pictures showing Pennsy and NYC "racing" on the parallel tracks in Chicago include a duplex locomotive.
Update:
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| Ronnie Amore posted A 1970 photo at the PRR Roundhouse in Crestline, OH. Bev Smith: Home of the Giants: S-1 6-4-4-6, T-1 4-4-4-4, Q-1 4-6-4-4, Q-2 4-4-6-4, S-2 Steam Turbine 6-8-6 Rolando Maggi shared Daniel C Carroll Jr. shared Chase Withrow: The saddest part is this roundhouse had an overhead crane. It traversed all the radial tracks to pickup locomotives and move heavy parts to the machine shop. The heavy support structure for the crane made the roundhouse structurally sound right up to its demolition. It needed a boatload of windows and screen doors but It could have been the greatest roundhouse ever preserved ! Dan Leininger: Canton, Crestline, Mingo Jct,, Richmond (Ind) and Scully Yard (Pgh) were all this type. |
Brian Layton posted six photos with the comment: "Found some old pictures of the PRR round house in Crestline Ohio,from what it looked like in it's prime,to now in it's horrible run down condition."
Initially, they had a roundhouse near the junction with Big Four. Note that North is to the left on this map. (The compass point on the map does not appear to be accurate. S. Thoman runs true north/south according to Google.)
Michael H. Riddle posted ten photos with the comment:
Wayne Horvath It's just a hiulk now. The entire PRR line has been downgraded west of Alliance, Ohio, I've been told.
Adam Davis Wayne Horvath it was actually downgraded from Crestline to the west. The 2nd main was ripped up in the 80s by Conrail and all but the most necessary line side signaling removed or deactivated. Now owned by CSX, the remaining tracks deteriorated until a few years ago when NS, who has trackage rights, invested a fair amount into the line for eastbound oil train passage. Now conditions are degrading again and oil trains get routed down the line only when traffic volumes elsewhere deem it necessary.
Christopher Laflam There was a strong effort to preserve this structure through some organization. Alas, it did not happen and this structure was leveled (if memory serves me right.) http://crestlineprr.com/preservation.html
Adam Davis Christopher Laflam from what I understand the funding to preserve the structure was raised, but the land owner didn't want to wait and had already begun scrapping it out. All but a small portion was gone within a year.
Kevin Morris The PRR Crestline engine facility was a big operation at one time. It was home base for some of the Pennsy's most famous locomotives. In town where the PRR crossed the NYC was a YMCA to feed and house train crews. The roundhouse was a busy place servicing the many locomotives that handled traffic east to Pittsburgh and west to Chicago. Adjacent to the engine house was a substantial yard.
Orion Forbes Taylor As I recall, the S1 had a special stall built for it on the west side of the roundhouse.
Zachary Neuman Orion Forbes Taylor You would be correct.
Zachary Neuman Thanks for sharing. I had a lot of family that worked for the PRR out of Crestline. According to a representative of the PRR T1 Trust, at 94, my great grandfather is the last known living person to have worked on a T1.
Michael H. Riddle Zachary, that is an awesome piece of family history! Those T-1s could fly! I read an article that there were some that would do 120mph in parts of Ohio.
Zachary Neuman Absolutely. I remember him telling me about their traction issues and how he used to combat them. In those days he was just a fireman. Sadly, he can't remember working on them anymore. He remembers seeing them in and around Crestline, but not much else of those particular engines.
Ollie H. Shortridge Home base for the S-1 duplex and S-2 Turbine.
[The comments contain several more photos and some aerial views.]
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| Ron Amore posted 1887 print of the PFtW & C Roundhouse. Crestline, OH |
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| Ron Amore posted An 1897 photo of the original Roundhouse in Crestline, OH. The Pittsburgh Ft Wayne and Chicago RR. Pennsy line running east and west, Big 4 running north and south. |
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| Ron Amore posted Aerial view of the former Pittsburgh Ft Wane and Chicago RH area. Pennsy line east to west, Big 4 north to south. |
In April of 2004, my family and I stumbled upon this old Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse in Crestline, OH. If my memory serves me right, I believe it was a 30+ stall roundhouse. Stepping inside of that structure was awe inspiring at its sheer size and history! I would have loved to turn back the hands of time and seen it in its heyday! I wish it could have been saved! There are only a few remnants of it left today, albeit the turntable pit, now a duck pond and the massive concrete foundation of the roundhouse pad. Also included is a shot of the now gone, CREST Tower. It is a reminder of what once was great, is now forgotten by time. Life is filled with GREAT MOMENTS and BLESSINGS! Don't forget to look for them throughout your days!Michael H. Riddle also posted the first nine photos.
Wayne Horvath It's just a hiulk now. The entire PRR line has been downgraded west of Alliance, Ohio, I've been told.
Adam Davis Wayne Horvath it was actually downgraded from Crestline to the west. The 2nd main was ripped up in the 80s by Conrail and all but the most necessary line side signaling removed or deactivated. Now owned by CSX, the remaining tracks deteriorated until a few years ago when NS, who has trackage rights, invested a fair amount into the line for eastbound oil train passage. Now conditions are degrading again and oil trains get routed down the line only when traffic volumes elsewhere deem it necessary.
Christopher Laflam There was a strong effort to preserve this structure through some organization. Alas, it did not happen and this structure was leveled (if memory serves me right.) http://crestlineprr.com/preservation.html
Adam Davis Christopher Laflam from what I understand the funding to preserve the structure was raised, but the land owner didn't want to wait and had already begun scrapping it out. All but a small portion was gone within a year.
Kevin Morris The PRR Crestline engine facility was a big operation at one time. It was home base for some of the Pennsy's most famous locomotives. In town where the PRR crossed the NYC was a YMCA to feed and house train crews. The roundhouse was a busy place servicing the many locomotives that handled traffic east to Pittsburgh and west to Chicago. Adjacent to the engine house was a substantial yard.
Orion Forbes Taylor As I recall, the S1 had a special stall built for it on the west side of the roundhouse.
Zachary Neuman Orion Forbes Taylor You would be correct.
Zachary Neuman Thanks for sharing. I had a lot of family that worked for the PRR out of Crestline. According to a representative of the PRR T1 Trust, at 94, my great grandfather is the last known living person to have worked on a T1.
Michael H. Riddle Zachary, that is an awesome piece of family history! Those T-1s could fly! I read an article that there were some that would do 120mph in parts of Ohio.
Zachary Neuman Absolutely. I remember him telling me about their traction issues and how he used to combat them. In those days he was just a fireman. Sadly, he can't remember working on them anymore. He remembers seeing them in and around Crestline, but not much else of those particular engines.
Ollie H. Shortridge Home base for the S-1 duplex and S-2 Turbine.
[The comments contain several more photos and some aerial views.]
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| Ron Amore posted 1918 track realignment in Crestline, OH [The L1s and N1s locomotives were probably too heavy to go across the ash pits. No wonder they built new facilities to the west of town.] |
Roger Smith posted three photos showing its state of decay in April 2021.
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