Mailbag: DL&C Photo Identification

Author: Kyle Montgomery
Category: From the RPO Railroads:


Todd sent me an e-mail with the following question:

I am attempting to determine more about the photo attached. I received it from a relative of mine believing it to be of Brookville, IN, as I am a resident of Franklin County, IN. Upon presentation to the Franklin County Indiana Historical Society, I was informed the picture was not of Brookville, IN. As the sign on the front of the depot does say D.L. & C. R.R., I determined it may be of the old Dayton, Lebanon, and Cincinnati railroad but not sure as to what town or location it may be of.

Please advise if you could tell me more about the photo. The actual size is 10” x 14”. I had to split it in two for your review as I did not have a way to reduce it.

I went ahead and posted the photo in question above. I did a quick and dirty stitch job to get an idea of what the original looked like. The photo is of Brown Street Station on the . It was near the University of Dayton and NCR. The depot would have been located in this area

The same photo can be found here on a website with an extensive database of Ohio’s depots both past and present.

I’m not sure why it would say Brookville. I also don’t know the year, but most surviving photos of the DL&C have been taken around 1912 so that would be my guess. (Side note: My copy of Narrow Gauge in Ohio is not currently with me. I think this photo might be in there as well but I don’t remember if it lists a date.) If anybody else can shine some more information on this photo, feel free to post a comment or contact me.

I like to post these kinds of questions on the off chance someone else might come along with a similar inquiry. If you have a question about an Ohio railroad don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail

.

Longworth Hall

Author: Kyle Montgomery
Category: History Railroads:

Longworth Hall

The other day I was down in Cincinnati and decided to stop and checkout Longworth Hall. Longworth Hall, constructed on the property of Nicholas Longworth, was built on the same site as a previous freight house. The built the current structure and it was completed in 1904 (although the west end opened in 1903). The east end of the building could not be completed until 1904 because the old freight house was still operational. Similar in style to Camden Yards in Baltimore, the freight house was one of the largest structures in the country when finally completed.

Even today the building is one of the longest around (1,277 feet). Over 4,250,000 bricks were used in the construction of its five stories that are divided into six major sections. Longworth Hall was designed primarily as a freight house, where long cuts of box cars could be unloaded and transfered to local carts and trucks. The upper floors were used as warehouse spaces. The inbound tracks had a combined capacity of 65 cars while the facility as a whole could handle 125 cars.

Longworth Construction 1

Longworth Hall Under Construction

The majority of the yard tracks for the complex were located north of the freight house. A number were embedded in cobblestones to facilitate easy loading and unloading. A small six-stall roundhouse was also nearby, a small portion of which still remains today. Other buildings included a 1,200 foot long outbound freight shed (likely located south of 3rd street), boiler house, and a coaling tipple.

Longworth Roundhouse

Longworth Roundhouse

With the decline of local freight service the building eventually fell into disrepair. In 1985, Roy B. Schweitzer purchased Longworth Hall from CSX for 1.5 million dollars. He quickly began the long process renovating one section at a time. $16 million later Longworth Hall is a hip and modern design and office space, known for its open offices and creative clientèle.

In 1989, the National Register of Historic Places added Longworth Hall to their list. This does not guarantee protection of the property, and the Hall is in danger of partial or full demolition during the future Brent Spence Bridge Replacement Project.

Today, Longworth Hall is known for its offices and its parking lot. Bengal fans find Longworth as one of the best locations for pregame tailgating. For railfans, it’s not a bad spot to watch trains crawl the long viaduct over to the C&O Bridge. The abandoned edge of the CIND ditch track runs along the north end of the lot. The route of the old Cincinnati Connecting Belt ran just south of the building near Mehring Way.

The interior of Longworth Hall has been extensively remodeled, but if you would like to view the building in person I have been informed that a new restaurant, the Maykmia Sandwich, will be opening in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to check it out.
(more…)