Shortline Spotlight: The Youngstown and Southeastern Railway

Article By Ian Cole

Not a lot of shortline  railroads can say they started out as an interurban route. But that is actually the case of the Youngstown  and Southeastern, whose predecessor  the Youngstown  and Southern was created in 1903 and ran interurban  passenger service from 1907 to 1948. The railroad ran from the steel giant Youngstown, Ohio  to the small town of Darlington, Pennsylvania.

The Y & S also had two other branch lines, one that went to the village of Leetonia, Ohio, and the other to the town of Smith's  Ferry, Ohio and both lines  would become abandoned later on. The railroad exchanged owners a handful of times, at one point being jointly owned by the Pittsburgh  and Lake Erie  Railroad and the Pennsylvania  Railroad.
In 1996 the local owner at the time illegally  closed the line at the time and repairs were blocked by the company. The line then went on to become the Central Columbiana and Pennsylvania  Railroad, however that operation  would only last two years. Ohio Central went on to operate  the line until 2006 when the modern day Youngstown  and Southeastern  Railroad  Company was founded.

That railroad  became a hauler of garbage to the Negley, Ohio landfill, however operations to the landfill would only happen for a few years as the landfill and railroad  never came to terms in 2012. However the railroad continues  to haul steel pipes and fracking sand down to Signal, Ohio and Darlington, Pennsylvania.

The railroad also has a modest locomotive  shop down in Negley, Ohio. However  beware railfans, security  is tough so it's  virtually  impossible  to get in unless you know somebody. The railroad  also boasts Two depots that are still standing. One in Columbiana, Ohio that serves as an office, and the other in North  Lima, Ohio where the engines are normally  parked. The line also has a 10 mile per hour speed restriction  so it is fairly easy and convenient  to do chases of.  Locomotive  power that the railroad  uses consists  of all EMD power including GP 18s GP 10s and GP 9s. The railroad also has a nice variety  of paint schemes including one based on the Paducah  and Louisville railroad.

If you are ever in the Youngstown  area this is a great railroad to take some time to railfan. They typically  run every other day to the south of North  Lima and vice versa to the north on days that they are not operating south of North Lima.
One final  note for horn fans. A couple of the engines use RS5T and S5T  horns.