Napoleon, Defiance and Western: The Definitive Thread

[MagnumForce]

The line is the oldest line across Northwest Ohio. As soon as the line from Montpelier to Fort Wayne was built supplanting the old Eel River line the line was downgraded.

It has been a secondary (or worse) line for basically 100 years now. To think that it is around at all is pretty amazing. It was never a high speed line by any stretch of the imagination.

[JStryker722]

That's really incredible.

[midland sub]

To go a step farther what Magnum said about the legacy of the line, if you're into the nuts and bolts details of how the industry really works it's probably a decent case study to use. Plus it's a great study in the changes of manufacturing and the economy as technology changes and the typical ebbs and flow progress and time. It also covers the different types of ownership, Class 1, Class 1 neglect and then the adventures of short line operations. You might want to get a copy of Ernest Baird's Wabash book. I haven't read any reviews on it.

http://www.erstwhilepublications.com/

[railohio]

You might want to get a copy of VICTOR Baird's Wabash book.

Fixed that for you.

[MagnumForce]

I have Vic's book. It is alright but it covers the 4th District from Montpelier to the B&OCT, nothing at all about the 5th District which is the Toledo to Fort Wayne line.

I was just looking at some timetables and as early as 1964 there were no through freight trains on the line. The line was essentially a branch that happened to have 2 ends. Local service was from either end. I am not completely sure but I would think Passenger service was stopped by the late 40's.

The more you look at things, the more amazing it is there at all.

[MSchwiebert]

Along those lines, Eisenhower traveled on the line once during his time in office to open the Library at Defiance College. My understanding is that the train was interchanged from the B&O at Defiance, and I believe that Ike rode the train to Toledo where he caught a flight back to DC.

I have Vic's book. It is alright but it covers the 4th District from Montpelier to the B&OCT, nothing at all about the 5th District which is the Toledo to Fort Wayne line.

Little known fact but Abraham Lincoln traveled towards DC on this line when he snuck into Washington for his inauguration. There was no fanfare and no one even knew it as there was such a threat of assassination to him.

You may wonder why he would have went this way when traveling from Springfield to DC but don't forget that it was 1861 and there really was no direct route at that time.

I was just looking at some timetables and as early as 1964 there were no through freight trains on the line. The line was essentially a branch that happened to have 2 ends. Local service was from either end. I am not completely sure but I would think Passenger service was stopped by the late 40's.

The more you look at things, the more amazing it is there at all.

[JStryker722]

Oh wow. Can I ask what was traffic like before and after 1964 during Class 1 days before the Indiana Hi-Rail fiasco?

[MagnumForce]

No through freights, locals from Toledo and Fort Wayne since the late fifties.

Traffic levels probably were not much different than they are today, maybe more ag traffic but most definitely not the Campbell's traffic or Lafarge traffic.

[railohio]

I have a 1970s timetable that showed a Defiance-based local, so I wouldn't say all the locals were Fort Wayne- or Toledo-based.

[MagnumForce]

When was Liberty to Maumee pulled?

EDIT: From what I found service was discontinued from Liberty to Maumee in 1969 but the rail wasn't pulled till 86.

[MQT1223]

When was Liberty to Maumee pulled?

EDIT: From what I found service was discontinued from Liberty to Maumee in 1969 but the rail wasn't pulled till 86.

What is on the West End? Does that tie in with NS somewhere?

[MagnumForce]

NS kept the fifth district up to the Tire plant and the interchange with the shortline west of Woodburn.

L91 serves this line 5-6 days a week out of East Wayne yard in New Haven.

[JStryker722]

Thanks for all the info!

[Notch 8]

NS kept the fifth district up to the Tire plant and the interchange with the shortline west of Woodburn.

L91 serves this line 5-6 days a week out of East Wayne yard in New Haven.

How many cars a week is NS interchanging with the ND&W ? The Elevator in Antwerp cease rail shipments ? On the bright side the derailments are not as frequent as they used to be. Have they ever used limestone from the Hanson Paulding Plant as ballast on this line ? Did Cecil have an interlocker ?

[DT&Ifan]

Along those lines, Eisenhower traveled on the line once during his time in office to open the Library at Defiance College. My understanding is that the train was interchanged from the B&O at Defiance, and I believe that Ike rode the train to Toledo where he caught a flight back to DC.

You made my curiosity itch so I looked around the forums and found this,

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12832

I toured that car at the long defunct Stagecoach Stop USA in the late 1990's and again around 2001. When I went looking for information on it this morning I found conflicting information, the car discussed above in Michigan and another car in Florida both claim to be President Eisenhower's Presidential Rail car. It is a shame the one discussed above has been allowed to just sit out in the weather with no maintenance done on it.

[jrgerber]

I lived in Napoleon from 1964-1969, our house was either the second or third one in 1964 on Westmont Ave. From my second story window I could see the Wabash. My recollection is that at that time there were 3-4 trains a day. I can still remember Wabash blue and white F units. I don't recall the amount of cars being that long maybe 40-60 cars. By Bales Road and Glenview (?) there was spur where they dropped coal cars on a trestle so the city municipal power plant truck could get coal, I used to watch them move cars up that. One thing I do remember was there was usually an death or two on the Wabash Bales Creek trestle with kids getting caught crossing the trestle when a train came. The only thing I remember about the DT&I was the overpass (still there) over I believe 224 and the trestle over the river. When my dad went to the State liquor or beer store we used Route 6 and as we crossed the railroad tracks there seemed to be a yard and I can remember how I thought the color of the DT&I cars were really cool and I loved the compass logo. Napoleon at that time was the tomato capital of the world and most farmers grew tomatoes and there was a large number of migrant workers most living on the south side of town. My dad worked at plant controller at the Clevite Harris facility which I now believe is the TRW plant.

[MSchwiebert]

Thanks for sharing this, I never knew that the Wabash had the power plant coal business at one time too. I've got documents from the DT&I side of things, by the early to mid 1970's they had the coal business for the power plant, unloading it by the 424 overpass. The coal for the power plant was always in L&N or C&O hoppers, while the coal for Campbell's was in PC (or predecessor roads) cars.

I lived in Napoleon from 1964-1969, our house was either the second or third one in 1964 on Westmont Ave. From my second story window I could see the Wabash. My recollection is that at that time there were 3-4 trains a day. I can still remember Wabash blue and white F units. I don't recall the amount of cars being that long maybe 40-60 cars. By Bales Road and Glenview (?) there was spur where they dropped coal cars on a trestle so the city municipal power plant truck could get coal, I used to watch them move cars up that. One thing I do remember was there was usually an death or two on the Wabash Bales Creek trestle with kids getting caught crossing the trestle when a train came. The only thing I remember about the DT&I was the overpass (still there) over I believe 224 and the trestle over the river. When my dad went to the State liquor or beer store we used Route 6 and as we crossed the railroad tracks there seemed to be a yard and I can remember how I thought the color of the DT&I cars were really cool and I loved the compass logo. Napoleon at that time was the tomato capital of the world and most farmers grew tomatoes and there was a large number of migrant workers most living on the south side of town. My dad worked at plant controller at the Clevite Harris facility which I now believe is the TRW plant.

[jrgerber]

The Wabash siding was elevated rather steeply and there was a trestle with an opening. It used to right across from the now closed bowling alley at the corner of Glenview and Bales Road. Where it used to be is now a grassy strip. I can recall slowly but surely by the 1968-1969 the blue and white Wabash units had given way to the N&W black and whites for locomotive power. There are still no trespassing signs with the N&W logo on them.

[jrgerber]

http://www.ohioeda.com/Resources/Docume ... ailway.pdf

[railohio]

Wonder if they asked to use B-rent's photo...