Thursday, March 11, 1999
City wants help fixing rail tracks
Cost: $150,000 for 4-mile job
BY RICHELLE THOMPSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON — It's time for a tune-up for the Turtle Creek Valley Railway.
Four miles of tracks need major work, including replacing all of the wooden ties. The cost: about $150,000.
The city owns the tracks, but it is hoping to share the costs with the Indiana & Ohio Railroad, which maintains the tracks, and the Turtle Creek Valley Railway, which offers the passenger trips.
The repairs are routine, similar to a car's tune-up, said Tom McOwen, president and owner of the Turtle Creek Valley Railway. “Every now and then, you take it in to have it overhauled, but the car is still safe to drive,” he said.
Train rides on Turtle Creek Valley Railway will kick off as scheduled in April, Mr. McOwen said.
Although there's no question the tracks are safe now, Mr. McOwen said repairs are needed within two years. Because of wear and tear, the ties should be replaced every five years, he said.
Crews from I&O Railroad keep a close eye on the tracks through twice-weekly check-ups as part of its regular maintenance schedule, said Mr. McOwen, former president and owner of I&O.
Calls to I&O Railroad were not returned Wednesday.
Up to 35,000 people a year take the historic, hourlong train ride that harks back to a day when people traveled by rail, not roads. In fact, accessible transportation played a key role in Lebanon's development, even in the early 1800s, when it was a stagecoach stop.
Today, the tracks also play a role in attracting businesses. The city markets the railway line as another economic development tool.
The line was used for freight travel about 20 times last year, said Doug Johnson, Lebanon's deputy director of planning.
The city intends to make the repairs, Mr. Johnson said.
The railroad is a piece of Lebanon's history and a component to drawing more than a million tourists a year to the Warren County seat.
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