PUCO Approves 2 Grade Crossing Projects

Grade crossing work was authorized this week by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for projects in Licking and Columbiana counties.

The Columbus & Ohio River Railroad will install flashing lights and gates at the East Church Street and East Main Street grade crossings in Newark by July 5, 2023.

PUCO is providing $541,211 in federal funding for the project.

Norfolk Southern will upgrade existing lighting to LEDs at the Main Street and South Elm Street grade crossings in Columbiana by July 5, 2023.

The commission is providing $57,372 in federal funding for that work.

PUCO Approves 2 Grade Crossing Projects

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved two grade crossing improvement projects involving a pair of short line railroads.

The Columbus & Ohio River Railroad will install flashing lights and gates at the Township Road 225 crossing in Coshocton County.

The Northern Ohio & Western Railway will install flashing lights and gates at the Sandusky County/Greensburg Pike crossing in Sandusky County.

Federal funding will be provided for both projects, which are to be completed by Sept. 2, 2021.

G&W Shippers Spent $1.1B in New Facilities in 2019

Genesee & Wyoming said its shippers invested $1.1 billion in new projects in communities that it serves including two facilities in Ohio.

Those include a plant by AMG Vandium in Zanesville on the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad and a quarry expansion by Melvin Stone in Whitewater on the Indiana & Ohio.

In Remington, Indiana, on the Toledo, Peoria & Western, Vestas American Wind Technology created a railhead location.

In a news release, G&W said the news facilities across its system will support such commodities as grain, plastic pellets, lumber, paper, rock, and wind turbine components.

PUCO Authorizes Grade Crossing Projects

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved the installation of lights, gates and warning devices at grade crossings on Norfolk Southern; Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern; and the Wheeling & Lake Erie in seven counties.

PUCO also directed CSX to install active warning devices at the Ohio Route 7 crossing in Washington County, and the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad to install flashing lights at the Hope Avenue crossing in Franklin County.

The installations and upgrades must be completed by Nov. 26.

Federal funding will be provided for the projects through the State Grade Crossing Safety with funding of up to $5,000 per project.

Ohio Short Line Receives Safety Award

An Ohio short line railroad has been honored for its safety record in 2018.

The Columbus & Ohio River Railroad received one of five President’s Awards from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association this week in recognition of an outstanding safety performance in 2018.

The CUOH which is owned by Genesee & Wyoming, was recognized for most hours of injury-free operation.

It operates 277 miles of track in Ohio and interchanges with CSX, Norfolk Southern, Wheeling & Lake Erie, Ohio Central and Ohio Railroad.

Other railroads recognized for the best safety rates in their respective categories included the Union Railroad, more than 500,000 man-hours; Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (which also is owned by G&W), 250,000 to 500,000 man-hours; Winchester & Western, 50,000 to 150,000 man-hours; and Tradepoint Rail, less than 50,000 man-hours.

The awards were presented during ASLRRA’s annual Eastern Region meeting held in Columbus.

PUCO Approves 12 Grade Crossing Projects

Six railroads will install new grade crossing protection equipment at 12 crossing as a result of recent action by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Norfolk Southern will install lights and gates at the Township Road 212 grade crossing in Arcadia by July 30, 2020.

CSX will install lights and gates as well as remove a spur track at the Main Street crossing in the New Bloomington

The Wheeling & Lake Erie will install light, gates and a new crossing surface at the County Road 504 crossing in Creston, as well as install lights and gates, and complete surface reconstruction at the Center Street crossing in New Washington;

The Kanawha River Railroad will install lights and gates at the Carpenter Road/County Road 13 crossing in Albany.

The Columbus &; and Ohio River Railroad will upgrade lights and gates at the Thornwood Drive crossing in Heath and at the Parrot Street crossing in Mt. Vernon. The crossing surface at Parrot Street also will require traffic signal preemption installed and the crossing surface to be reconstructed.

The CSX, W&LE, KRR and C&OR projects are all to be completed by April 30, 2020.

The Akron Barberton Cluster Railway will install LED lights at the Oak Street crossing in Ravenna, as well as at the Tuscarawas Avenue, Fourth Street, Hopocan Avenue, Cleveland-Massillon Road crossings in the city of Barberton.

Those projects are to be completed by July 31, 2020.

PUCO OKs 2 Grade Crossing Projects

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved two grade crossing projects  in Huron and Tuscarawas counties.

The Wheeling & Lake Erie will install lights and gates at the Corwin Street grade crossing in Norwalk in Huron County.

In Tuscarawas County, the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad will install lights and gates at the West Street grade crossing in Newcomerstown.

Both projects must be finished by Nov. 21 and are being paid for in part with federal funding approved through the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

PUCO Approves Grade Crossing Project

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recently approved a construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission that directs the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad (Part of the Ohio Central System) to install gates and mast-mounted flashing lights at a Sinfield Road/Township Road 171 crossing near Cadiz. The project will be paid for by federal funds and must be completed no later than Sept. 10, 2015.

1940s Themed Eatery Opens in Dennison Depot

A 1940s themed restaurant opened earlier this month in the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. Luicille’s draws upon the station’s World War II heritage when the Dennison Canteen served 1.3 million soldiers between 1942 and 1946.

The restaurant opened in connection with the museum’s 25th anniversary celebration. The museum is a former Pennsylvania Railroad facility situated on the Pittsburgh-St. Louis mainline of the former PRR. The tracks are now owned by the State of Ohio and operated under contract by an Ohio Central subsidiary, the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad. The OC is, in turn, owned by Genesee & Wyoming.

Lucille’s is open for lunch and between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Named for Lucille Nussdorfer, the concept behind Lucille’s was one of four that the depot museum trustees reviewed after the existing restaurant, Trax Diner, closed last spring.

“Our final decision was guided by two overriding goals: To provide the best possible seamless experience between museum and restaurant for the visitor; and to increase the number of people through the door,” said Board President Melissa Stocker. “For that reason, it was a unanimous decision by the board, after extensive consideration, that the best option to accomplish these goals was to make the museum the operator,” with an experienced manager.

Dennison resident Danielle Albaugh, the general manager of Lucille’s, has management training for Golden Corral and served as assistant manager of the North Canton location for four years.

Museum Director Wendy Zucal said the Depot’s business model envisions the restaurant drawing visitors to the museum.

“In order for the Depot to be successful and the restaurant to be successful, we know that we must be authentic,” Zucal said. “Our restaurant should be inspired by our history, our story, our location and our customers. All of these ingredients need to be integrated for that wonderful experience we hope to create.”