Evidently there were two towers here because some of the photos show it close to the overpass and others show it further away. Also, the call letters changed from NE to RN. So I'm confused.
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| Rick Fleisher posted PRR sharks head a train moving from the PRR's C&P to the B&O mainline at Brady Lake (Ravenna, OH). The train is eastbound. The PRR had trackage rights on the B&O from this point to Niles, Jct. Tom Barnett PRR's Y&R Connection (double track) which ran from MV Jct or later called Rave tower down under the C&P main to the B&O's RN tower. The New York Central also had trackage rights for moves to and from its LE&P Branch (i.e. Brady Lake to Marcy). I've got some NYC train dispatcher books from 1957 and the NYC ran a substantial number of Elyria-Youngstown freights via the route captioned in above photo. In later years, the Y&R Connection was reduced to one track only (the old Westbound main) and after the Conrail first window of abandonments in 1982, it was totally abandoned and removed. |
The connection is gone, but both routes exist, although with fewer tracks.
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Darren Reynolds posted five photos with the comment: "B&Os 'RN' tower..Ravenna, Ohio."
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| 1 "RN" tower in July 1984 and the connection to Conrail (PRR) It's gone now. Photo by: David P. Oroszi |
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| 2 In this picture you can see the interlocking and the Connection to the PRR at "RN" tower... Note the PRR Signal on the right. Photo & Date: Unknown [Another demonstration that signalling pipelines could go around curves.] Lee Higgins: The "Ravenna Connection" earned an article in Trains magazine in the 1980s I believe. |
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| 3 In 1977 the pipeline was still in use.. "RN" tower Photo by: Rob Mandeville |
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| 4 "RN" tower by this time October 12, 1992 the switches are all electric and no more pipeline.. Photo by: Robert Staples Bryan Porter: The PRR connections are gone too. 🙁 I remember walking across page st. seeing the ROW below and the crossing flashers still in place on Diamond st. |
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| 5 A 1930 view of "RN" tower Photo by: Henry Wilhelm NRHS All images from North American interlockings States A to Z and Canada.. Chad Winans: When this photo was taken, the call letters were”NE”. Bryan Porter: A PRR 2-8-0 pulls a train headed south crossing along side the old NOT&L line overhead. The new PRR main was built or being built. Not sure exactly when it was completed from Hudson to Ravenna. |
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| 1961 Kent and Ravenna Quads @ 24,000 |
I'm guessing the above was the old tower and this was the replacement. (Nope, according to some comments below, Michael made a mistake, but I don't have the time to sort it out now.)
Michael Maitland posted three photos with the comment: "Here is a hidden one for you. This is the PRR tower just north of Ravenna, OH. (Brady Lake) Think it was called "Rave" by the Pennsylvania Railroad but not sure. The old alignment of the PRR, BO, Erie and NYC trackage rights all moved thru an area around here. The PRR later sunk their track into a current high speed double track main. This tower is located at the foot of the trail system on the old ROW and Erie trackage."
Michael Maitland also posted with the same comment.
Steve McMullen: this was BRADY at Brady Lake (Now Towners Woods Park) RAVE was up at MP 86 on the Cleveland Line not far away.
Nothing but storage for the park in here now.. very unique built up on the hill the mechanicals went down over the side to the tracks.
Alex Joseph: Steve McMullen So PRR had 2 “BRADY” towers? (Referencing the one at East Brady, PA that was on the Allegheny Division of PRR)
Steve McMullen: Brady Lake not East Brady
Chris Lantz: Not “Rave”. Rave was to the east a few miles.
Tom Barnett: Where the C&P junctions with the old NYC LE&P Branch. Brady Lake was manned by PRR operators and was a train order station for the NYC’s 27 mile LE&P Branch which ran up to Marcy tower on the Cleveland Belt Line.
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| Dan Davidson commented on Michael's post Rave tower was to the south of Brady tower. With the realignment of the C&P line this left Brady tower positioned on a hill high above the line. Tower operators had to utilize a long and steep staircase to hand train orders to passing trains. |
Dennis, I wish I could back to the day this picture was taken. Just imagine the action here with the B&O, the PRR ore and passenger trains and the NYC trains from the LE&P. I grew up in Bedford, just north of here in the 70's but to see this place in the 50's would have a train watcher's dream. Thanks for sharing this awesome photo. Dave
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