Upper Colton, Kentucky
Colton is the largest town on the layout and is serviced by both the C&OV and C&O. All of the upper track in Colton belongs to the C&OV, including four elevated passenger tracks for both Union Station and the adjacent Railway Express building. There are also two viaduct tracks for freight traffic; one of which serves as a set out spur for both Allied Grocery and Anderson Brothers Tent & Awning. At the east end of the viaduct is the large Swift Packing Co. with four separate spur tracks. Facilities within the plant include separate stock pens and slaughterhouses for cattle and hogs, a hide salting building, a rendering plant that ships out bone meal, tallow and offal, a canning/processing warehouse, an icing platform and a distribution office. Three more C&OV customers are located on the west end of Colton; Kentucky Plastics, Precision Machine & Tool, and D&D Salvage. Hidden under the upper part of Colton is a five-track staging yard representing the C&O line from Frankfort, KY, and a second, five-track staging yard representing the coal marshaling yards of Huntington, WV. Leaving Colton, the C&OV tracks cross the Kentucky River over an impressive span of eight double-track arched Pratt truss bridges.