Buckeye Yard

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Classification Yard Looking North
1990-1995

                                                       Aerial Photo *** Brochure **** 1969 Drawing

         In the center of Buckeye Yard is the Classification Yard with the hump at the south end. There are 40 tracks in the Classification Yard with all switches controlled by employees in the glassed tower that overlooks the hump.

         Buckeye Yard replaced three Pennsylvania Railroad yards and a New York Central yard in Columbus. It was a much more efficient operation compared to the old yards that requiring hump riders and many train crews shunting cars between the yards. Of course jobs were eliminated in 1969 when the Yard opened.

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The camera is looking north from the Trabue Road Bridge.  The Hump Yard Office is facing the top of the hump.  The original plan was to have an automatic uncoupler on the hump.  That did not work out so switchmen were used to uncouple the cars.

There was a tunnel that went through the hump.  The road to the tunnel is viable to the left of the hump.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-24)


West of the Hump

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The west side of the hump.  The track in the foreground leads to the receiving yard and diesel servicing area.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-15)


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Arriving Conrail freight passing the hump as it enters the receiving Yard.

The Locomotives are left to right - EMD SD50 No. 6716, GE C40-8W No. 6215, GE C36-7 No. 6553, and EMD SD60 No. 6484.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-02)

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The camera is still on Trabue Road looking north.  The Car Repair Facility with its three-stall metal shop building is visible on the left.

Two GE C40-8W road locomotives are passing yard switchers.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-27)


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The tracks to the left of the Car Repair Facility are the Receiving Yard.  The curved track in the foreground is part of the Engine Turning Loop.

Four Union Pacific Railroad diesels are on the Receiving Yard lead.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-26)


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The camera has moved toward the west bringing the Diesel Fuel and Sanding Platform into view.  The string of four diesels to the left are on the Engine Turning Loop.  The two diesels on the right are entering the Receiving Yard presumably with in incoming train.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-19)


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The camera is looking northwest from the Trabue Road Bridge.  The Diesel Fuel and Sanding Platform is prominent, towering over the locomotive yard seen behind the tower.  The freight cars are in the Receiving Yard.  A cow & calf yard switcher sits on the By-Pass Track that leads to the Classification Yard.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-03)

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The camera angle has been adjusted to bring the Diesel Service and Repair Shop into view on the left.  The three CSX locomotives are on the Engine Turning Loop.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-35)


East of the Hump

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The camera is on the Trabue Road Bridge looking north.  The three-story building on the left is the Hump Yard Office Building.  The tower is the Retarder Tower. The Departure Yard is to the right.  The four tracks in the foreground lead to the Receiving Yard and diesel shop and servicing facilities.

EMD SD35 No. 6959 and yard slug No. 1108 are pushing cars over the Hump.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-25)


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The camera has moved to the right to show more of the departure Yard.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-05)

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As luck would have it our photographer caught a ride on one of the yard switchers, EMD SD60M No. 5500.  No. 5500, on the South Diesel Lead, is passing two GE C40-8W that are on a track leading to the Receiving Yard.  The edge of the hump is on the right.

Photo by David Reid, 1990-1995. (BY-11)


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