Cincinnati Northern Locomotive Roster – Modern Steam
We covered the steam loco roster of the CNor from the 1890s up to the late ‘20s to early ‘30s in two previous studies. By the late ‘20s, the railroad was being run by Consolidations (2-8-0’s), a few Ten-Wheelers (4-6-0’s), and a few remaining Americans (4-4-0’s). The Moguls (2-6-0’s) were all sold or scrapped by the early ‘20s. The Ten-Wheelers held on a few years later, but most were gone by the late ‘20s. As the last of the Ten-Wheelers were retired, their replacements were Mikados (2-8-2s) coming from other parts of the NYC System. These were the light Mikados built for the NYC from around 1915 to 1925. As newer Mikados, and eventually Mohawks (4-8-2’s) and Niagras (4-8-4’s) began taking up road chores on NYC’s larger mainline runs, these light Mikados were kept in service on lines like the CNor where the rails were lighter (90 to 100 lb rail). The few remaining Americans were kept mostly for passenger service. When the NYC shut down passenger service on the CNor around 1928 – 29, the last of the Americans were retired.
By the early ‘30s, the line was run by Mikados and Consolidations with just a few Ten-Wheelers hanging on. The earlier built Consolidations were retired in the late ‘20s – again being replaced by light Mikados. The later Consolidations began their retirement trek in the early ‘30s with the last of them hanging around until 1936. By the end of 1936, the CNor was completely run by Mikados.

So we begin the study with a look at one of the earliest built Mikados that serviced the CNor. NYC #1599, a class H-5p Mikado, was built in 1915 (pre-USRA standards) by Alco-Brooks. Here, #1599 is taking on water at Van Wert yard in 1955. Even though #1599 was a smaller Mikado, she still had the 63” drivers common for modern Mikados. Her lines and equipment are similar though distinguishable from the classic USRA light Mikados that were standardized a few years later. Check out the non-tapered boiler and unusual front of the smoke box.
There were numerous NYC class H-6a’s that serviced the CNor. I believe the H-6a’s were built around the USRA light Mikado standard. #6306 goes through Van Wert in 1953.

This pic captures #6306 sandwiched between similar class H-6a Mikados, #6396 on the left, and #1892 on the right. The photo was taken near the roundhouse at Van Wert in 1955. #1892 was built by Lima in 1919.

Class H-6a #6311 is captured over the ash pit at Van Wert showing white flags ready to run as an extra. (I guess I should have dispatched more extras out of Van Wert during our operating sessions!)


This grainy picture of #6316 in Van Wert in 1952 seems to show the features of another H-6a.

With the pic above, we can assume #6331 spent time on the CNor. But, this pic of #6331 was taken in Alloy, WV, in 1952. The difference of locations between these shots demonstrates part of the issues of tracking down the NYC locos that serviced the CNor.
..And, an unfortunate photo showing the end of #6331, white-lined and ready to be scrapped (on a cold winter day!). I don’t have a date or location on this photo.

Here’s a pic of Southbound train #255, led by Class H-6a #6390 at Estry tower in Van Wert (the PRR crossing), Sept. 8, 1954. The photo was taken just North of where the Van Wert station would have been (behind the photographer), though the station was torn down roughly 15 years prior to this photo. (Joe knows this spot – he scratch-built models of these structures on the old layout.)


H-6a #6412 runs south out of Jackson on the CNor in early May 1956 – last steam on the CN (two photos). Reference: Railroad Town Jackson; Michigan, A historic pictorial of Railroads in Jackson County, Michigan; by Douglass N. Leffler.

I don’t have much info on this photo of #1427 except that it was part of the Harley Marshall collection from Van Wert. The tower behind the loco should give us some idea where this was taken – I just haven’t figured it out yet. #1427 resembles the first Mikado we saw – #1599, a class H-5p, but the front of the smoke box is different.


Here’s NYC #1460 at the Van Wert engine facilities. I have two dates for this photo – not sure which is correct – July 1955, and August 1951.
Either date of the above photo, we later find #1460 in Indianapolis IN, 10/08/1955. (Again, showing the movement of the NYC System locos.) Note the distinguishing front end – this is likely an H-5p, like #1599.


Again, with the unique smoke box front, #1462 is likely a class H-5p. Yet, one of my references has #1462 as an H-6a (not likely). I have conflicting info on this photo – shown in two references: one claiming this to be Van Wert, and one claiming it to be St. Mary’s (1951). Running on the CNor, the St. Mary’s reference would likely be more towards Celina (possibly Grand Lake St Mary’s).
This is a fascinating photo of the Ansonia roundhouse after a tornado took it down in March 1955. Three NYC Mikados look essentially untouched as the roundhouse around them is completely demolished. The loco to the right is #1492 with a head of steam already worked up. The far left one is #6302 (I think an H-6a), and the middle one is #1890 which references show as an H-6a. Since Ansonia facilities were located on the East/West NYC and serviced both the East/West line and the CNor, I don’t know if #6302 or #1890 ever worked on the CNor.

This is a 1940’s photo of “OD” Tower, south of downtown Jackson. The locomotive is #1700, a Big Four class H-6a Mikado which was typical of CCC&StL power of the day. The train is going from west to south, from the Michigan Central Air Line branch onto a short stretch of NYC Jackson Branch, before heading down the Big Four’s own CNor branch through Hudson and Bryan, Ohio. [Jim Tarbell, Doug Leffler collection] There were quite a few NYC & CCC&StL Mikados servicing the lines out of Jackson. But, only a small percentage ended down the CNor line. Again, this presents one of the problems of identifying the CNor roster during this period. I can say that #1700 serviced the line (more than just running the interchange tracks), because I have a blurry pic of it getting water in Van Wert in 1939.


Still another H-6a, #1724, makes its way through the Van Wert engine facilities in 1946. #1700 & #1724 were both built by Baldwin in 1918 for the CCC&StL. Hence, they were originally numbered CCC&StL #6089 & #6113 before being absorbed into the NYC roster.
The final and most modern class of Mikados seen on the CNor were the H-7e’s. The H-7e class was heavier and had more tractive effort than the H-6a, though slightly shorter in length. The boiler maintains the same diameter and hence larger than the H-6a’s with the tapered boiler. #1992 doesn’t show a feedwater heater over the smoke box, but you’ll see in the following pics that quite a few of the H-7e’s had Elesco feedwater heaters. The H-7e’s were built by Alco-Schenecdaty around 1920. This pic shows #1992 in Van Wert in 1955.

The caption describes the location and date well. Note the Elesco feedwater heater above the smoke box. These two H-7e’s were built for the CCC&StL and delivered in 1920. NYC #1992 was originally CCC&StL #6192, while NYC #1996 (this pic) was CCC&StL #6196. I’m not sure when they started working the CNor line – it could have been in the early to mid-‘20s though I have no evidence of such.


This photo shows that #1996 was another loco that moved outside the CNor after the above pic – This pic was take in 1953 at Petersburg, IN.
Finally, notes in some of the historic literature suggest as many as 60 to 70 Mikados servicing the CNor at different times. As we saw, some of these locos moved around. The NYC System constantly shifted steamers as new locos came into the system. The Cincinnati Northern typically saw locos in their later assignments because it was more of local service line and not used much as a connecting or bridge line. Also, the rails remained at the lighter 90 to 100lb weight limiting the size of the power used on the line.
There are a handful of heavier locos that made appearances on the Cincinnati Northern, but we’ll save those for a future visit.
CNor fan forever!
Thx,
Kevin
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