A scene nearly forgotten in Cincinnati as C&O 8272 awaits the next leg of her trip at the Queensgate engine pit. In the distance, a cut of cars are about to be sent over the hump and locomotives are moved about getting ready for their next assignment. Later tonight, 8272 is expected to head out of town towards Erie, PA and rumors are circling that the hump may be on the chopping block soon. However, today we enjoy the colorful visitor with business as usual throughout the rest of the yard. All the more reason to capture the moment as it's just that, a snapshot of the rapidly changing face of railroading.
A classification yard is a railway yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railway cars on to one of several tracks. From there the cars are sent through a series of switches called a ladder onto the classification tracks.