Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Chillicothe, OH: Renick (XD) Tower: CSX/B&O/CH&D vs. NS/N&W and N&W Renick Yard

(Satellite, the tower was in the southwest quadrant.)

CH&D = Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton

B&O crosses the N&W twice in this town. Once by the original B&O a few blocks north at their depot, and again by the CH&D, which became part of the B&O.

Darren Reynolds posted five photos with the comment: "'XD' tower.(Renick)    Chillicothe, Ohio."
David Johnson: This was the former CH&D then B&O’s Wellston Sub of the Toledo Division crossing of the N&W at Chillicothe, Ohio. Now CSX crossing NS. Very little action there today as the CSX local serves the local Paper mill as the only remaining customer. NS still very busy through here.
Darren Reynolds reposted the first four photos with a similar comment.
David L White: Three of my pictures. My uncle, the late Mark Ailes, held down the swing shift operator's job there for years, up until the time Renick was closed. That's his Chevy in the picture. Wish I had taken at least one picture inside.
Johnny Dorfeo: What was the use for these towers?
David Johnson: Johnny Dorfeo before centralized traffic control, operators gave clearance orders to passing trains, handed up train orders and switching lists to crews, lined switches and signals, inspected passing trains and provided communication back to dispatchers etc. They carried a lot of responsibility and were a main part of railroading before technology replaced them.
David L White: Primarily to protect railroad crossings where one railroad crossed another or for line side towers, generally placed at crossovers between mains or where a branch may have diverged from a main. Also, they were train order stations. Also, in the earliest days, to keep a record of train movements and where a train might be, as the operator would report to the dispatcher when such and such a train had passed his location.
Tim Shanahan shared
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[Look at all of the signalling pipelines going along the track.]

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Jim Detty commented on Darren's second post
Dad working Renick Tower in 1962.

The EarthExplorere does not have the 1957 photo that HistoricAerials has, but it does have a 1960 photo. Using both photos, it appears the tower was in the southwest quadrant.
EarthExplorer: Apr 22, 1960 @ 28,000; AR1VAAY00040034

This topo map shows a Renick Junction further east on the original B&O where a connector from the CH&D joined it, but the 2005 SPV Map agrees that it Renick is where the CH&D crossed the N&W.
1961 Chillicothe East Quad @ 24,000

I included the N&W Renick Railyard that was south of this junction because it still has all of its tracks.
Satellite






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