Abandoned Railroad Bridge Abutments, Olde West Chester, Ohio

First off I would like to thank Brian Smith and Jeffrey Jakucyk. Without their expertise, this video would have never happened. Also, if anyone has any additional information to add after watching this video, please post the information in the comments below.

These massive stone bridge abutments can easily be seen on the west side of Barrett Road less than a mile from the village of Olde West Chester, Ohio. The trestle that connected these two abutments probably stood at least 75 feet above the valley floor.

From what I’ve been able to find out, this functional line known by the locals as the “Dayton Short Line Railroad” began construction in the early 1870s. However, it was a completely separate entity from the Dayton & Cincinnati Railroad ( also known as the Dayton Short Line) which began construction 20+ years earlier. So these towering stone bridge abutments date back to the early 1870s when a railroad trestle spanned the East Fork of the Mill Creek. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a photo of the trestle. If anyone out there has a picture, please let me know in the comments below.

Almost immediately after the completion of the rail line sections in Union Township, the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad (also known as the Big Four) acquired the line.

In 1906, the New York Central Railroad acquired control of the Big Four but allowed Big Four to operate as a separate entity. A large-scale realignment project occurred in 1911 in the area. This trestle was then bypassed and the tracks moved about 200 feet to the west where this concrete culvert was built below the tracks. Other improvements made during this project include the construction of double tracks and the creation of straighter track lines that allowed for increased train speeds.

GPS Location: 39º20’00.7″N 84º23’33.2″W