Once I select a source for a given commodity, I need to figure out how the car got here.
I'm using UTLX 35552 as an example. This is a Rapido UTLX X-3 10,000 gallon tank car. It will be loaded with Tetrachloroethylene at the Pittsburgh Plate Glass plant in Barberton, OH on its way to Stanley Works in New Britain.
I selected this source after searching for the largest producers of this chemical in my era. DuPont, Dow, Hooker, and Pittsburgh Plate Glass were among them. This is a chemical that can be shipped in general service tank cars without any hazardous placards. So this car is feasible.
With a little research I find that the plant is served by the Akron & Barberton Belt Railroad (ABB). This railroad was formed from several smaller lines and controlled by the AC&Y, B&O, ERIE, and PRR specifically for servicing this plant and several other major companies in Barberton.
Connections were:
- AC&Y: Belt Junction and East Akron
- B&O: Barberton and East Akron
- ERIE: Barberton
- PRR: Akron and Barberton
I have collected a number of railroad routing guides, and have ones for AC&Y, ERIE, and PRR. These will provide the potential routes to New Britain.
Akron, Canton, & Ohio
Starting with the AC&Y one in 1935.
All documents like this assigned a number to every station in the North American rail system. This particular book does not list them, though. The ERIE and Pennsy books do. Another book that was published annually is the list of Open and Prepay Stations. I have the one for 1949. So I know that New Britain is station 3910 in CT.
There are 30 different notes in the AC&Y routing that specify which destinations are applicable. For example, note 1 indicates it is for stations 70-5150 (cue the Van Halen references...). Note 2 is for 70-4955, 5005-5065, and 5150, etc.
For New Britain, notes 1, 2, 4-7, 12, 25-6, and 28 apply.
Belt Jct. is to the west of Akron, so I'm going to work only with the connections from Akron. Some of the routes start at Copley Jct., west of Belt Jct. and Akron so I won't consider those.
Others start at Mogadore, which is east of Akron, or Akron. Since the junction with the ABB is Akron, I'm assuming that those are the valid routes. But since Mogadore is east of Akron, cars could be routed through there first, so I'll include them too. The AC&Y would want to participate in the rate for moving the load where they could. A through freight schedule for the AC&Y would clarify how cars are blocked and routed. I'm presenting them in the order they are listed in the book, and you'll notice that the note numbers are not sequential.
AC&Y at Mogadore, OH to W&LE to Cleveland, OH to:
- (4) NYC - East Buffalo, NY - DL&W - Pt. Morris, NJ - L&HR - Maybrook, NY - NH
- (4) NYC - Buffalo, NY - LV - Jersey City, NJ - NH
- (5) NYC&StL - Buffalo, NY - DL&W - Pt. Morris, NJ - L&HR - Maybrook, NY - NH
- (6) NYC&StL - Buffalo, NY - LV - Jersey City, NJ - NH
- (7) NYC&StL - Buffalo, NY - ERIE - Maybrook, NY - NH
- (12) NYC&StL - Buffalo, NY - NYC or West Shore RR - West Albany or Selkirk Jct - B&A - Springfield, MA - NH
- (1) NYC&StL - Buffalo, NY - DL&W - Norwich, NY or Scranton, PA - O&W - Campbell Hall, NY- NH
- (12) NYC - Gardenville, NY - West Shore RR - West Albany, NY or Selkirk Jct - B&A - Springfield, MA - NH
- (12) NYC (West) - Gardenville, NY - NYC (East) - West Albany, NY or Selkirk Jct - B&A - Springfield, MA - NH
- (1) W&LE - Kent, OH - ERIE - Maybrook, NY - NH
AC&Y at Akron, OH to:
- (1) ERIE - Maybrook, NY - NH
- (2) PRR - Harlem River, NY - NH
- (25) B&O - Cumbo, WV - PRR - Shippensburg, PA - READING - Allentown, PA - CNJ* - Easton, PA - L&HR - Maybrook, NY - NH
- (26) ERIE - Binghamton, NY - D&H - Mechanicsville, NY - B&M - Springfield, MA - NH
- (28) B&O - Park Jct, PA - READING - Bethlehem, PA - CNJ* - Easton, PA - L&HR - Maybrook, NY - NH
