New Ohio Online Rail Map

[937TrainFan]

Not sure when this was posted or if everyone was already aware of it, but ORDC released an interactive online rail map to their web page. Figured I would share it here.

Here is a link to their page: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/divisions/ra ... fault.aspx The map is linked under "Ohio Rail Lines GIS Mapping"

It looks like most of the layers are used for other agencies or local governments, but there is a lot of info I think that could help rail fans. The previous Ohio rail GIS posted to the ODOT TIMS website was pretty limited, so to this is a nice change. It is really cool to see all of the active AND abandoned lines throughout Ohio. I had fun exploring western Ohio and seeing all lines we lost over the years. One tip though, turn off the "County" layer in the boundaries group layer. It can get annoying when the county info keeps popping up when you try to click on a rail line.

Hope this share can help.

[crashton]

Thanks for the link. That's a great resource.

[chapmaja]

Question about the lines around Fremont.

Looking at the line, there was a line that ran SE from Toledo, through Fremont and then to Bellevue parallel to the current NS line.

What is the history of this line? A portion remains in Fremont, but on either end it shows as abandoned. I assume what is left was to serve customers. The line NE-SW is also abandoned a little bit out of town. The NS mainline from Bellevue to Toledo still runs through Fremont, but turns north as it crosses the river then head NW to Oak Harbor.

Was this a situation where the W&LE and NKP both had trackage from Bellevue to Toledo? When the railroads merged one of the lines became excess and was removed except as needed to serve customers? Also, what was the SW-NE line through town. The map shows it as the Sandusky River Railroad? Did that merge into one of the other railroads long ago.

[chapmaja]

Delta, Ohio question.

Ok, I know there are several lines that go through the Delta area. NS is the IORY which was the DT&I line. EW is the NS line across northern Ohio.

To the south of the IORY yard was the Wabash line that runs from Maumee to Montpelier. This was the line that had a wye on to the north connecting to the west end of the then DT&I, now IORY yard.

What was the track that ran parrallel to the now NS line much of the way, but curved north into Delta on the west side of town before regaining the now NS line east of town. Was their a realignment at some point that took the NS line from in Delta to South of Delta, or did another RR also have tracks through this part of Ohio.


Also, looking at the Peavine. I see the ownership changes at Jaybird Rd on the east end of the line. How much of the east end is still in operation coming out from the yard in Portsmouth? I was under the impression the major problem with the line is the bridge over the scioto river. Is that correct, which would basically mean nothing on the east end is accessible.

[bdconrail29]

Question about the lines around Fremont.

Looking at the line, there was a line that ran SE from Toledo, through Fremont and then to Bellevue parallel to the current NS line.

What is the history of this line? A portion remains in Fremont, but on either end it shows as abandoned. I assume what is left was to serve customers. The line NE-SW is also abandoned a little bit out of town. The NS mainline from Bellevue to Toledo still runs through Fremont, but turns north as it crosses the river then head NW to Oak Harbor.

Was this a situation where the W&LE and NKP both had trackage from Bellevue to Toledo? When the railroads merged one of the lines became excess and was removed except as needed to serve customers? Also, what was the SW-NE line through town. The map shows it as the Sandusky River Railroad? Did that merge into one of the other railroads long ago.

No. That was the NYC Southern Division that ran from Elyria to Norwalk and back up to Milbury.

[937TrainFan]

Also, looking at the Peavine. I see the ownership changes at Jaybird Rd on the east end of the line. How much of the east end is still in operation coming out from the yard in Portsmouth? I was under the impression the major problem with the line is the bridge over the scioto river. Is that correct, which would basically mean nothing on the east end is accessible.

I think I can answer your Peavine question, but someone please correct me if anything I say is wrong. NS still owns the entire ROW of the Cincinnati District (Peavine) from Vera Junction (Porsmouth) to Clare (Cincinnati). The CCET leases the line from NS from Clare to to Jaybird Road. East of Jaybird and west of Vera is still listed as "out of service", which means that it is not abandoned but cannot be used for revenue service and also lifts NS's common carrier obligations if someone were to locate on that section of track. There are a couple of washouts that have popped up along the east end over the last few years and NS has embargoed the bridge over the Scioto last I heard, but I do not know the extent of the damage. I know it is has still been inspected via high-rail a couple of times in the last few years, but I don't think NS or the CCET has the free funds or desire to fix the issues. At Vera Junction, the switch to the Cincinnati District has been cut, rendering any service from the east end impossible right now with or without structural issues. No trains have been east of Jay Bird Road in some time.

I think the CCET has expressed interest in bringing a bit of the out of service line back online so they can store more cars on a siding just east of Jaybird, but I am not sure if has been made official as it would have to go through the STB first.

[northstar16]

937 what you have stated is all correct.

[chapmaja]

Question about the lines around Fremont.

Looking at the line, there was a line that ran SE from Toledo, through Fremont and then to Bellevue parallel to the current NS line.

What is the history of this line? A portion remains in Fremont, but on either end it shows as abandoned. I assume what is left was to serve customers. The line NE-SW is also abandoned a little bit out of town. The NS mainline from Bellevue to Toledo still runs through Fremont, but turns north as it crosses the river then head NW to Oak Harbor.

Was this a situation where the W&LE and NKP both had trackage from Bellevue to Toledo? When the railroads merged one of the lines became excess and was removed except as needed to serve customers? Also, what was the SW-NE line through town. The map shows it as the Sandusky River Railroad? Did that merge into one of the other railroads long ago.

No. That was the NYC Southern Division that ran from Elyria to Norwalk and back up to Milbury.

Are one time were there three lines running from Norwalk through Bellevue and on to Fremont?

On the map it appears three different lines all ran the same route.

One of them, east of Fremont would appear to be the NYC Southern division, which head north to Millbury. This is the line that ran Elyria to Oberlin to Norwalk correct?

One of them is the W&LE line.

One of them appears to go SW from Norwalk than basically follow 20 to Monroeville, then follows 20 all the way to Woodville before turning SW. Which line is this? Was this an old Interurban line, or another railroad running the same basic route for part of its existence.

[bdconrail29]

The 3rd line you see was the Lake Shore Electric interurban line. It was only there from 1901 to 1938.

[bdconrail29]

Question about the lines around Fremont.

Looking at the line, there was a line that ran SE from Toledo, through Fremont and then to Bellevue parallel to the current NS line.

What is the history of this line? A portion remains in Fremont, but on either end it shows as abandoned. I assume what is left was to serve customers. The line NE-SW is also abandoned a little bit out of town. The NS mainline from Bellevue to Toledo still runs through Fremont, but turns north as it crosses the river then head NW to Oak Harbor.

Was this a situation where the W&LE and NKP both had trackage from Bellevue to Toledo? When the railroads merged one of the lines became excess and was removed except as needed to serve customers? Also, what was the SW-NE line through town. The map shows it as the Sandusky River Railroad? Did that merge into one of the other railroads long ago.

The line SW out of Fremont was also an interurban. It was the Fremont and Fostoria Railway, a joint-subsidiary of the Lake Shore Electric and the Western Ohio Railway. It linked Fremont and Fostoria.

[chapmaja]

Question about the lines around Fremont.

Looking at the line, there was a line that ran SE from Toledo, through Fremont and then to Bellevue parallel to the current NS line.

What is the history of this line? A portion remains in Fremont, but on either end it shows as abandoned. I assume what is left was to serve customers. The line NE-SW is also abandoned a little bit out of town. The NS mainline from Bellevue to Toledo still runs through Fremont, but turns north as it crosses the river then head NW to Oak Harbor.

Was this a situation where the W&LE and NKP both had trackage from Bellevue to Toledo? When the railroads merged one of the lines became excess and was removed except as needed to serve customers? Also, what was the SW-NE line through town. The map shows it as the Sandusky River Railroad? Did that merge into one of the other railroads long ago.

The line SW out of Fremont was also an interurban. It was the Fremont and Fostoria Railway, a joint-subsidiary of the Lake Shore Electric and the Western Ohio Railway. It linked Fremont and Fostoria.

I was wondering if one was an interurban. That would make sense given some of the routing is now used for 20.

The map really has some odd looking rail lines listed as abandoned as well. Lines that seem to make straight connections or make right angle turns as listed on the map.

One other town I find interesting is Oberlin. At one time it appears multiple lines passed through town, I know of two, the Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland, (late Lake Shore and Michigan Southern / NYC) was the first line through town. the LS&MS later built another line through town which was on the south side of town.

What are the three N/S lines that ran through Oberlin? One of them appears to be the currently listed, but not colored as the W&LE line that now ends at Hughes Rd. The line is still in place between Hughes Rd and Wellington. Is this used as a tourist operation? This line one appears to have run from Wellington, north just west of Oberlin, to Lorain, entering NS tracks near the US Steel facility. There was a second line that also ran from Wellington north through Oberlin, but this then crossed the other N/S line and entered south of the US Steel complex. Was this an interurban line as well? (it appears as such due to some strange right angle turns on the line).

Was there also another interurban that ran from Wellington North to Oberlin, along what is now Ashland-Oberlin Rd?

[bdconrail29]

Oberlin’s first east-west route left the Big Four at Grafton and ran from there to Oberlin-Norwalk-Fremont-Toledo. The Grafton-Oberlin stretch was abandoned and replaced by the Elyria-Oberlin section. The two north-south lines were the Lorain and West Virginia (abandoned 1969) and the Lorain, Ashland, and Southern (abandoned 1926). The Cleveland Southwestern interurban had its Elyria-Norwalk line (abandoned 1923) and the Oberlin-Wellington branch. Lots of activity at one time!

[MSchwiebert]

The line in question near Delta was the the interurban/electric line. Not sure when the line was finally torn out, but in the Delta/Wauseon area it was in until the 1940's (if you ever get the chance to go inside the depot in Wauseon, there's some nice photos of it in operation, including some really neat shots of oil tank cars being interchanged to the Wabash at the crossing between Delta Yard and Wauseon.

Delta, Ohio question.

Ok, I know there are several lines that go through the Delta area. NS is the IORY which was the DT&I line. EW is the NS line across northern Ohio.

To the south of the IORY yard was the Wabash line that runs from Maumee to Montpelier. This was the line that had a wye on to the north connecting to the west end of the then DT&I, now IORY yard.

What was the track that ran parrallel to the now NS line much of the way, but curved north into Delta on the west side of town before regaining the now NS line east of town. Was their a realignment at some point that took the NS line from in Delta to South of Delta, or did another RR also have tracks through this part of Ohio.


Also, looking at the Peavine. I see the ownership changes at Jaybird Rd on the east end of the line. How much of the east end is still in operation coming out from the yard in Portsmouth? I was under the impression the major problem with the line is the bridge over the scioto river. Is that correct, which would basically mean nothing on the east end is accessible.

[bdconrail29]

Last interurban car through Delta was in 1939. LSE car 149 was restored on a short piece of track right on the ROW before we bought it (Northern Ohio Railway Museum).

[chapmaja]

Oberlin’s first east-west route left the Big Four at Grafton and ran from there to Oberlin-Norwalk-Fremont-Toledo. The Grafton-Oberlin stretch was abandoned and replaced by the Elyria-Oberlin section. The two north-south lines were the Lorain and West Virginia (abandoned 1969) and the Lorain, Ashland, and Southern (abandoned 1926). The Cleveland Southwestern interurban had its Elyria-Norwalk line (abandoned 1923) and the Oberlin-Wellington branch. Lots of activity at one time!

So I just found some additional information on the Lorain and WV railroad that is interesting, and it explains why the line still shows up on the map.

Yes, the line is still in place, at least to the outskits of Oberlin. It also appears some of the line is still in place as far north as Telegraph Rd, although many crossings have been cut.

The reason the Ohio map shows part of it is still in place must be due to the fact it is still physically connected. The line north of Hughes Rd (south of Oberlin) shows as abandoned, but it is still physically present well north of this point. I would assume the L&WV group that currently "owns" the line only states their ownership to that point.

[chapmaja]

Another question.

East of Montpelier, Oh, the old Wabash Line extends east to Ohio Route 15. What is the purpose of this long extension? Is it used as additional runout space for trains servicing the grain elevator in town?

[bdconrail29]

Yes my friend Dennis Lamont and some of his friends purchased the L&WV in 1969 to operate it as a tourist RR.

[JoJames]

Another question.

East of Montpelier, Oh, the old Wabash Line extends east to Ohio Route 15. What is the purpose of this long extension? Is it used as additional runout space for trains servicing the grain elevator in town?

Future industry use.

[chapmaja]

Next question:

Sidney, Oh

CSX tracks go both E-W and N-S through town.

The E-W tracks appear to go south of town and there is a wye track in the SE quadrant. The N-S tracks go straight through town.

The map shows an abandoned trackage running from the E-W main through town, where it meets up with a CSX spur line.

My thinking is that at one time these lines were held by competing companies, and at some point there was a track relocation taking the E-W main out of town and moving it south to the current location. The lines don't appear to have had a connection in town, as I don't see evidence of any wye tracks near where the tracks would have crossed.

When the tracks came under the same ownership, the wye track was added to permit moves from one line to the other south of town.

The remaining portion of the line west of town is a spur that remained in place to service customers much like part of the GTW Old Main remained in place to serve Flint customers after that line was relocated south of town.

What railroad joined the B&O going theough town at one time? When did those tracks come under common ownership? Am I correct about a track relocation being done?

[cr6903]

The situation in Sidney-

The East-West tracks on the south side of town is the CCC&STL,NYC/PC/CR "Bee Line" main to Indianapolis. The North South line is the B&O Toledo Subdivision.

The other East/West line in town is the original main line of the CCC&STL which went down through the middle of town and over the Miami River. That line was bypassed (as a Main) with the 1923 bridge project which got the main line over the Miami River on the "Big Four" concrete viaduct on the south side of town. The original line kept the connection on the West side of town (also a location of a hand throw crossover, site known as "Spafford") as an industrial lead, and until the CR breakup, the interchange with CSX. Trackage was also there in spotty locations east of the interchange, but I am not sure how far it had originally gone or what it served - others may know better, I started hanging around Sidney about 1990.

The connection in the Southeast corner of the overpass (and CP 163 on the Indianapolis Line) is a result of the Conrail breakup, allowing CSX to route trains with the two now-same company routes.


Also, the original main went under the B&O. The current main goes over the B&O. Neither spot is or was a Diamond crossing.

Hope this helps.