Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad
Encyclopedia
One of the smaller interurban railways in the state of Ohio was the Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad, or Y&OR. Along with the Youngstown and Southern Railway, the Y&OR formed a traction link between Youngstown, Ohio
and the Ohio River
at East Liverpool
. It served several coal mines in the area and was distinguished by the unusual feat of electrifying a section of a steam railroad, the Pittsburgh, Lisbon and Western Railroad, as part of a trackage rights
agreement. The Y&OR operated for 24 years.
and Salem
and strung trolley wire over the seven mile stretch of tracks. Construction began from Washingtonville and by 1907 service had been extended south to Lisbon. By 1909, the entire route from Salem to East Liverpool.
Passenger operations were conducted using a group of five interurban coaches and three combines ordered from Niles Car and Manufacturing Company
in 1907. Freight trains were initially hauled by steam locomotives but in 1913 the Y&OR ordered electric locomotives to replace them. These "steeplecab
s" were responsible for hauling the significant number of coal trains which traversed the Y&OR.
The decline of the Y&OR began in 1921 when the Youngstown and Southern Railway ceased purchasing its electric power from the Y&OR's West Point
power station
. During the ensuing years of the 1920s the coal mines which provided much of the Y&OR's freight traffic began to play out and increasing use of automobiles eroded the line's passenger ridership. The company entered receivership
in 1930 and all service was abandoned on March 9, 1931.
, which provided a through route between Youngstown and East Liverpool, and it connected with the Stark Electric Railroad at Salem, on which passengers could ride west to Canton
and a connection with the rest of the Indiana-Ohio interurban network. A third connecting line was the Steubenville, East Liverpool and Beaver Valley Traction Company, which ran through East Liverpool along the Ohio River to Steubenville
in the west and Beaver, Pennsylvania
.
elevated trailers were also owned for a time. All passenger rolling stock was scrap
ped following abandonment of the railroad.
Freight power consisted of three "steeplecab" electric locomotives built by Baldwin
-Westinghouse, two dating to 1917 and the third to 1922. The three locomotives were sold, two to the Union Electric Railway of Kansas
and one to the Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice Railway. One locomotive is now preserved at the Ohio Railway Museum
while another is still in use on the Iowa Traction Railroad
.
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at East Liverpool
East Liverpool, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,089 people, 5,261 households, and 3,424 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,010.3 people per square mile . There were 5,743 housing units at an average density of 1,320.8 per square mile...
. It served several coal mines in the area and was distinguished by the unusual feat of electrifying a section of a steam railroad, the Pittsburgh, Lisbon and Western Railroad, as part of a trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
agreement. The Y&OR operated for 24 years.
History
In 1906, a group of promoters formed the Y&OR for the purpose of completing an electric railway link between Youngstown and the Ohio River. Initially they leased the tracks of the Pittsburgh, Lisbon and Western (PL&W) between WashingtonvilleWashingtonville, Ohio
Washingtonville is a village in Columbiana and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 789 at the 2000 census. Washingtonville is split between the East Liverpool–Salem Micropolitan Statistical Area and the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan...
and Salem
Salem, Ohio
Salem is a city in northern Columbiana County and extreme southern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2000 census, the city's population was 12,197....
and strung trolley wire over the seven mile stretch of tracks. Construction began from Washingtonville and by 1907 service had been extended south to Lisbon. By 1909, the entire route from Salem to East Liverpool.
Passenger operations were conducted using a group of five interurban coaches and three combines ordered from Niles Car and Manufacturing Company
Niles Car and Manufacturing Company
The Niles Car and Manufacturing Company was a United States manufacturer of railroad equipment, including many streetcar and interurban cars. It was founded in 1901 in Niles, Ohio, and ceased producing railroad cars in 1917; the plant and equipment were purchased by the Engel Aircraft Company to...
in 1907. Freight trains were initially hauled by steam locomotives but in 1913 the Y&OR ordered electric locomotives to replace them. These "steeplecab
Steeplecab
In railroad terminology, a steeplecab is a style or design of electric locomotive; the term is rarely if ever used for other forms of power...
s" were responsible for hauling the significant number of coal trains which traversed the Y&OR.
The decline of the Y&OR began in 1921 when the Youngstown and Southern Railway ceased purchasing its electric power from the Y&OR's West Point
West Point, Ohio
West Point is an unincorporated community in northern Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44492. It lies along U.S...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
. During the ensuing years of the 1920s the coal mines which provided much of the Y&OR's freight traffic began to play out and increasing use of automobiles eroded the line's passenger ridership. The company entered receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in 1930 and all service was abandoned on March 9, 1931.
Operations
The Y&OR connected with three other interurban railways. It connected with the Youngstown and Southern Railway at LeetoniaLeetonia, Ohio
Leetonia is a village in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,043 at the 2000 census. Artie Altomare has been the mayor of Leetonia since 1997.- History :...
, which provided a through route between Youngstown and East Liverpool, and it connected with the Stark Electric Railroad at Salem, on which passengers could ride west to Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and a connection with the rest of the Indiana-Ohio interurban network. A third connecting line was the Steubenville, East Liverpool and Beaver Valley Traction Company, which ran through East Liverpool along the Ohio River to Steubenville
Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in the west and Beaver, Pennsylvania
Beaver, Pennsylvania
Beaver is a borough in and the county seat of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,775, having dropped from 5,641 in 1940....
.
Rolling stock
The passenger equipment of the Y&OR was unusually homogenous, with all eight cars having been built by the nearby Niles company in 1907. Cars 1-9 (odd numbers only) were 49' coaches with seating for 50, while cars 11, 13 and 15 were passenger-baggage combines of the same general design. Some former New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
elevated trailers were also owned for a time. All passenger rolling stock was scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
ped following abandonment of the railroad.
Freight power consisted of three "steeplecab" electric locomotives built by Baldwin
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
-Westinghouse, two dating to 1917 and the third to 1922. The three locomotives were sold, two to the Union Electric Railway of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and one to the Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice Railway. One locomotive is now preserved at the Ohio Railway Museum
Ohio Railway Museum
The Ohio Railway Museum is a railway museum located in Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.-History:Established in 1945 and incorporated August 22, 1950, it is the fourth oldest organization involved with the preservation of railroad equipment and railroad history in North America that...
while another is still in use on the Iowa Traction Railroad
Iowa Traction Railroad
The Iowa Traction Railroad is an electrically operated common carrier railroad running between Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa, Iowa. It can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway which was founded in 1896. The shops were situated in Emery, the midpoint between the two...
.