Middletown Junction is an unincorporated community and was the point in northwestern Hamilton Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States, on the eastern bank of the Little Miami River where the Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad joined with the Little Miami Railroad about midway between Kings Mills and South Lebanon. The Little Miami Scenic Trail runs through here today.
The Lebanon Countryside Trail was constructed to link the town of Lebanon, Ohio with the Little Miami Scenic Trail using the abandoned railroad bridge near the junction to cross the Little Miami. It opened in the fall of 2005.
Map Links
Middletown Junction is where the Lebanon Countryside Trail begins at the Little Miami Scenic Trail today. The trail heads west and crosses the old railroad bridge across the Little Miami River. As of 2006, the satellite photos pre-date the recent trail construction, but the bridge is clearly visible. The railroad right-of-way is visually distinct from surrounding land and easy to trace on the satellite photos.
The original railroad junction had a triangular shape, to allow trains to switch to or from either direction on the Little Miami Railroad. However, only the northern branch has been paved for use as bike trail. The southern branch is being reclaimed by forest, but is still visible on satellite and aerial photos as a slight clearing.
References
- Robert L. Black. The Little Miami Railroad. Cincinnati: n.p., 1940.
- John W. Hauck. Narrow Gauge in Ohio. Boulder, Colorado: Pruett Publishing, 1986. ISBN 0-87108-629-8
External links
- Lebanon Countryside Trail at the Wayback Machine (archived February 6, 2007) – shows photos of the Lebanon Countryside Trail, the railroad bridge, and the old Middletown Junction railroad marker