Norfolk Southern's office car train passes the historic passenger depot in Ada, Ohio, during an inspection trip across the Chicago, Ft Wayne & Eastern Railroad.
The depot was built in 1887 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, along its Southwest Division mainline, which used to be one of the busiest lines in the country. This was the Pennsy's double-track route between Pittsburgh and Chicago, which hosted the elegant "Broadway Limited", among other named passenger trains. Over the years, the line was diminished to a single-track route due to mergers and nearby parallel routes.
Currently operated by Genessee & Wyoming as their Chicago, Ft Wayne & Eastern Railroad, the route is coming back to life as a bridge line for Norfolk Southern to help alleviate traffic congestion between Chicago and Pittsburgh, essentially offering a third option for rail traffic (along with the former New York Central and Nickel Plate Road mainlines).
During its run on August 5th and 6th, executives from NS and G&W were aboard the train to inspect the capacity improvements of this former Pennsy high-iron, which has once again become an asset to rail traffic across Indiana and Ohio.
Photo by Casey Thomason. For more information about Norfolk Southern, visit www.nscorp.com
