Jeffersonville, Ohio Station
Jeffersonville, Ohio was one of the village the Grasshopper ran to in its earlier configuration per design in 1875. It is also the village that Roger Starnes and Glenn Rankin have been working with to build a new station to celebrate the Grasshopper, the DT&I and all railroads that once ran through the village.
Today, the Indiana and Ohio Railway (IORY), still runs through the village, but the Grasshopper is long gone. At one time the Grasshopper had a depot in town that served both lines once owned by the DT&I and by Henry Ford!
Because of the history of this village, Roger and Glenn have been working for the past few years to rebuild a depot/station in Jeffersonville as a museum, a place to hold railroad history talks, a place to enjoy “railfanning” and a place to educate children and adults on what railroads have meant to the village, the county, the state and the nation.
Roger would like to see the depot also focus on the role the U.S. Postal Service has played in the growth of this nation and in helping small towns like Jeffersonville send goods around the nation.
The information below is a bit on what we are looking to do in town, and why we need support from our friends who love railroads, trains, and train history to see our dream become a reality!
The West Central Ohio Port Authority (WESTCO)
In 2019, Roger and Glenn met with the West Central Ohio Port Authority to see if they could get their support to build the depot/station in Jeffersonville, Ohio. After meeting with WESTCO and presenting them the plans for the depot/station the gave us unanimous approval to move forward. That was a huge step! However, we have been stuck since their approval as Genessee & Wyoming RR owns the IORY and we have not been able to get their support, even though WESTCO owns the rails they use.
Why is the Book and Engine Called the “Grasshopper”?
The engine that is on the front cover of our book is called a “Grasshopper Type Engine”. A name given the engine due to how the engine drove the with rods that moved up and down from above the boiler. Four of these engines survive today, one is right here in Dayton, Ohio at Carillon Historical Park. The other three are in Baltimore, MD. -- Click images to see bigger!
Jeffersonville, Ohio 1913 Railroad Map
This 1913 map of Jeffersonville, Ohio shows how the then Toledo and Ironton Railroad and the Grasshopper Railroad intersected in town. Today, the IORY runs NW to SE and the Grasshopper that once ran SW to NE is gone along with its turn to the north. The original location for the Jeffersonville depot is the building at the very top left of the map. It was taken down back in the 1980's.
Proposed Depot Location and Parking
The planned location for the Grasshopper Depot is where the two railroads once crossed. The current IORY line and the Grasshopper shown by the blue lines. This location would allow the station to view and be viewed by passing trains for "railfanning" and the location would be very approprite for what it was used for to teach and educate visitors on what depots and stations were once used for.
Old Jeffersonville, Ohio Depot
This photo is from the site below, one of the best railroad history sites for maps and images of bygone stations and depots just like the one show above.
https://www.west2k.com/ohstations/fayette.shtml
Rebuilt Jeffersonville, Ohio Depot Style
The design selected for the new depot/station building is not a match of the former Grasshopper depot previously in Jeffersonville. But was chosen from a style used in 1902 for a station in Chicago, IL. However, as the station celebrates the two lines in Jeffersonville, Ohio, the design includes two control booths. One for the Grasshopper side and one for the IORY side (both once DT&I lines).
3-D Jeffersonville, Ohio Depot Renderings
Located on the northeast side of the current IORY line, the Grasshopper station is shown on these 3-D renderings with a wall, metal fencing, and a detatched siding on the side of the building to note where the Grasshopper ran and hopefully to support an engine or passenger car one day for visitors to look at and visit. You can also see the second controller book windows on this end, specifically for the Grasshopper side of the station.
As noted in the image, this would be the station/depot if viewed towards the west. Here you can see the double wide warehouse area of the station. Here is where we hope to use the structure for having talks, demonstrations, or open houses. Based on the design from 1902, this design is 2x wider.
As noted in the image, this is how you would see the station if looking east. Here you can see both the Grasshopper controller windows of the station and the controller area for the IORY side of the building. Our goal is to share history on both sides for both lines and all their former names and owners.
This last view shows the station if you were looking north from outside. You can see the wall and metal fencing protecting visitors from getting too close to the IORY line and the siding that is current in place we hope can be used for staging older cars for visitors to see. Possibly even for the Ohio Rail Experience to even make yearly stops to this depot/station for guests to actually take a trip!
Interested? We Need Your Help!
Until the GWRR agrees to allow us to build the station, none of our efforts can move forward. That means no place to bring kids and grandkids to see a depot in Jeffersonville (or anywhere close). It means that we can't celebrate the lines that once ran through Jeffersonville, look at old railroad equipment, learn about "Armstrong Levers", see why a depot was a hot spot for news at one time, or just sit and watch a train drive by.
Please share this page and what we are hoping to do in Jeffersonville, Ohio.
Thanks!
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The Jeffersonville, Ohio Station
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