I'm not sure I understand the question. It's my understanding that C&O did build roadbed and tracks to Cincinnati, Ohio but the other railroads wouldn't allow them to connect to their rails. The plan was to share trackage into and out of the Union Station. Correction: Here is a resource that clearly indicates the right of way for the C&O. A map clearly shows they went into Kentucky. Chesapeake and Ohio Railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hi, Here are a couple of websites that may be of interest. C&O to Russell, Kentucky C and O Timeline Gary
I know that the C&O had a major yard in Russell, Kentucky and that there was a car repair shop built there in 1929. Other than that I don't have any info - all the reference materials I inherited from my dad focus on West Virginia.
I am asking as my paternal great-grandfather was a C&O boilermaker, late 1800s. We do not know an original hire date. They lived in eastern KY. I do not have my genealogy notes handy at the desk here, but as I recall, he was born in Mount Sterling. (A C&O town.) My paternal grandmother was born in Wolfe County. So, that gives a rough idea of vicinity where some of the family was located. We are not quite certain when they left, but the family headed west, and he went to work for the AT&SF, same occupation, in Oklahoma. Where my grandmother had a sister born in Shawnee, early 1900s. (An AT&SF town.) Which is as much as we can narrow down years. Boxcab E50
Anything in Lexington or Louisville? As near as I can tell, those are closer to the Mount Sterling area? Wish I had a better map... Boxcab E50
C&O went south from Cincinnati to Ashland, KY, from Ashland to Lexington, Frankfort, and Louisville. From Ashland the C&O went east to Huntington West Virginia. A little east out of Ashland (Kenova W. VA, Catlettsburg area) a branch went south to Elkhorn City. Catlettsburg had an engine facility with a roundhouse and yard. This is the most major facility in eastern KY that I know of. Mount Sterling is about half way between Catlettsburg and Louisville; it's about 37 miles east of Lexington.
Nothing major in either in Lexington or Louisville. The only major shop facilities that C&O had in Kentucky were in the Russell area, that I'm aware of.
I can only hope you can narrow it down. All to sorry I can't be of more help. Looks like we share something in common as we both have AT&SF history in our families background.
It'll be hard, as so many have passed on now. I'm about out of leads. Unless I can come across a long lost cousin who still lives around there and somehow has the answers. Shawnee was the first AT&SF employment after leaving Kentucky. From Oklahoma, they moved to Portales, New Mexico and were still working for the AT&Sf. Again, no clue on my end what a boilermaker/machinist could have been doing there, as I don't know anything about the AT&SF. After Portales it gets cloudy for a while, with rumors of another place in New Mexico, and even a stop in Texas, before heading to ? in California. All in AT&SF employ. From there, up to Tacoma, Washington to work for the CM&St.P RY in their Shops. Hopefully some day I can find a seniority date. But that's where he and two sons worked for many long years, until retiring. That's just one segment of my family who worked in railroading. There were a bunch of others with IC/ICG, CGW, NP, Pacific NW logging RRs and more. Boxcab E50
