Columbus Quartermaster Reserve Depot
Structures
The Army Depot used steam locomotives at least until WW II. These photos showing the track and railroad related structures were likely taken between the World Wars when steam ruled.
Photographs courtesy of Charles Morris, DSCC Multimedia Photographer.
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The government railroad yard and warehouse track layout. The dashed lines at each end of the yard identifies the B&O/PRR tracks coming off the Newark Division main line. The T&OC tracks and rail layout on the west side of the property is missing from this drawing.
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The camera is looking west. The railroad yard is on the right and one of the warehouse tracks is curving to the left. Clicking on the photo will enlarge it. In the distance can be seen the smoke stack for the power plant and a steam locomotive handling switching chores. To the right can be seen the base water tank and scale house. On the far right side of the photo is the chain link fence separating the property from the B&O/PRR main line.
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The warehouse view looking south.
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The two stall engine house taken in 1940. There is no photographic evidence of a coal tipple. Small operations like this would often use a clam shell crane to load coal in the tender.
A Santa Fe Railroad box car is in the background. The depot would likely have seen railroad cars from every railroad in the country.
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The scale house for weighing railroad cars. The camera is looking east.
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The railroad penstock for watering steam locomotives. The warehouses can be seen in the background along with a coal pile and rail crane.
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The rail crane shed.
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Part of the property was originally a swamp with Mason Run flowing through the center. Taming this stream included constructing this culvert in 1926.
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