ORDC Awarding Grants for Rail Projects

The Ohio Rail Development Commission this week announced it is awarding five grants totaling $2 million for rail development projects.

The Indiana & Ohio will receive $614,456 to rehabilitate its Midland Subdivision. The work will involve installing a crossover near Oakley Yard in Cincinnati and making improvements to Midland Yard in Clinton County.

The Oakley Yard project involves installing a crossover to be used to pick up staged cars on the mainline without moving the entire consist.

At Midland the work involves removing out-of-service tracks and switches and replacing them with new tracks and switches. The short line is matching the grant dollar-for-dollar for a total of $1,228,912.

The Ashland Railway will receive $613,898 to rebuild and replace five turnouts. Other work includes tie replacement, ballast installation and surfacing work. The Ashland is matching the grant dollar-for-dollar for a total investment of $1,227,796.

P&G Manufacturing will get $400,000 to expand its Bath Township manufacturing facility where it plans to invest more than $500 million and hire 135 new employees after the project is completed. P&G is a customer of the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad and needs additional on-site rail infrastructure to serve the new facility, ORDC officials said.

The Wheeling & Lake Erie will receive $250,000 for a project to rehabilitate a swing bridge over the Maumee River in Toledo.

The 19th-century bridge’s mechanical system has outlived its useful life and railroad officials said it would become unusable if the end lift and braking systems are not upgraded.

The W&LE is matching the grant dollar-for-dollar for a total investment of $500,000.

Behr Process Corporation will receive $100,000 to improve on-site rail infrastructure ahead of a new 50-acre planned facility in Heath.

ORDC officials said the new facility comprises an investment of $80 million and the creation of 90 new jobs over the next three years for the manufacturing and distribution of paint products. The rail infrastructure is currently not in the proper condition to service the facility, ORDC officials said.

Behr is a subsidiary of Masco Corp. and is one of the largest North American manufacturers of paints, primers, stains and other surface products.

N&SS to get Battery-Powered Switcher

A short line railroad based in Cleveland has purchased its first all-battery electric locomotive.

The Newburgh & South Shore acquired an AMPS Traction GP9-based battery electric switching locomotive.

It weighs 250,000 pounds and has 1,700 in gross horsepower and an 80,000-pound dispatch said officials with OmniTRAX, the parent company of the N&SS.

The news release said the N&SS is the first Ohio short line to deploy AMPS’ emission-reducing locomotive, which is designed to reduce fuel consumption by half and cut nitrogen oxide emissions and particulate matter by 77 percent.

The locomotive was purchased in part through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund, which awards funding that supports a demonstrated improvement of air quality.

N&SS was one of seven recipients of grants for projects that reduce emissions from aging diesel vehicles and equipment.

Ohio Short Line Debuts Pioneer’s New Look

An Ohio short line has debuted the new locomotive livery of parent company Pioneer Lines, which earlier this year changed its name from Pioneer Railcorp.

The Napoleon Defiance & Western in western Ohio has given GP20 No. 3001 a new look featuring yellow, gray and black.

The previous Pioneer locomotive livery was black with yellow lettering and chevron nose stripes.

Pioneer also gave the new look to a GP9 on the Kansas-based Garden City Western Railway.

 “Along with the new name, Pioneer Lines redesigned its company logo and will unveil logos for each of its railroads throughout the year, which will pay homage to their history and connection to the local community,” the railroad said in a statement. “While the name has changed, the personalized and flexible service that customers have come to trust and expect remains the cornerstone of Pioneer’s business.”

ND&W 3001 is currently based in Napoleon where it serves shippers on the east end of its 58-mile system that stretches between Liberty Center, Ohio, and Woodburn, Indiana.

It also has a GP9 (105) and a two other GP20s (3054 and 2026) on its motive power roster that wear various liveries of previous operators.

Pioneer is based in Denver and operates 15 short lines in 12 states. Major commodities handled include agricultural and food products, iron and steel, plastics, chemicals, building materials and forest products.

Among the Pioneer holdings are three Indiana short lines, Elkhart & Western, Indiana Southwestern and Kendallville Terminal; and one Michigan property, Michigan Southern.

OmniTRAX Promoting Development Along NW Ohio Line

Short line holding company OmniTRAX has extended an economic development program to its rail line in Northwest Ohio.

Known as the Rail-Ready Sites program, it seeks to link shippers who want rail service with its various rail lines.

In this instance, OmniTRAX has established a partnership with the Sandusky County Economic Development Corporation to market two two properties along its 25-mile Northern Ohio & Western between Woodville and Tiffin, which offers interchanges with CSX and Norfolk Southern.

Principal commodities that are handled on that line include limestone, lime and pressed board.

Iowa Short Line Buys Flats Industrial Switcher

An Iowa short line railroad has acquired an EMD switch engine from the Flats Industrial Railroad of Cleveland.

The SW9m, No. 1202, has been purchased by the Davenport Industrial Railroad.

The unit was built in May 1951 for the Lehigh Valley where it worked until 1974.

It was later owned by U.S. Steel, which assigned it to its Youngstown & Northern property, and by the Lake Terminal Railroad.

The late Arthur Fournier acquired the 1202 in 1999 for use on his Flats Industrial Railroad.

It had been rebuilt in 1995 during its time on the Lake Terminal.

The switcher is expected to be moved to Iowa sometime this winter.

A recent report incorrectly stated the unit had been moved by the Flats Industrial in preparation for movement.

In fact, that move was done so that some brake rigging repair could be performed on the locomotive.

The Flats Industrial, which is located in downtown Cleveland, is idle these days due to lack of business

Cleveland Short Line Reportedly Sells Switcher

An online report indicated that the Cleveland-based Flats Industrial Railroad has largely been idle in recent weeks after its biggest customer, a grain mill, ceased operations.

The report said the Flats Industrial last Sunday moved its smaller switch engine, Nos. 1202, because it has been sold to another short line railroad.

No. 1202 was at one time owned by the Southern Pacific.

The move did not require moving over a lift bridge over the Cuyahoga River.

The Flats Industrial uses former Conrail track in downtown Cleveland.

Startup Wants to Revive ex-Akron Branch

The former Akron Branch as it looked in October 2012 near Stow.

A Norfolk Southern worker has proposed restoring freight service to an out of service former Pennsylvania Railroad line in Summit County.

Jeff White is a founder and part owner of the Hudson & Southern, which would operate the nearly 15-mile line that runs between Hudson and Cuyahoga Falls via Hudson, Stow and Silver Lake.

The line in question has long been known as the Akron Branch and was the first railroad to serve Akron when it was completed on July 4, 1852.

The line was last used by Conrail in 1994 and has since been railbanked.

White indicated his primary business initially would be the storage of rail cars for shippers using NS and CSX.

Most of the line is owned by Akron Metro Regional Transit Authority which bought it in 1995 and railbanked it for potential commuter rail use.

However a portion of the line in Hudson is owned by NS and is still used occasionally by that company to turn equipment on a wye.

Although the H&S is still establishing its business plan, White said longer term his company is considering establishing a transload facility near Seasons Road that would transfer bulk commodities between rail cars and trucks.

White said he has learned of interest by some companies to build manufacturing facilities or warehouses in the Seasons Road area, but they would do that only if there is an active rail line nearby.

“It’s kind of a ‘if you build it, they will come’ kind of thing,” he said.

However, Akron Metro and the residents of Cuyahoga Falls, Stow and Silver Lake have other ideas for what use should be made of the railroad right of way.

Valerie Shea, director of planning and strategic development for Akron Metro said her agency has met with officials in those communities about their interest in developing the land as a hike and bike trail.

“That’s kind of been what we’ve been pursuing a little more,” Shea said.

She said Akron Metro met with H&S officials about a year ago but has not spoken with the company since then.

White said N&S last met with Akron Metro in fall 2019 but the COVID-19 pandemic stalled development of those plans. Work resumed on creating a business model within the past month.

In a best case scenario, White envisions it would be three to four years before trains resume using the line.

N&S will need to work with the Ohio Rail Development Commission on rehabilitating the track.

The railroad would also need to obtain approval of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to reactivate the line as well as the approval and cooperation of NS and Akron Metro.

White hopes to file a petition with the STB in spring 2021.

Akron Metro would need approval of the Federal Transit Administration before the rail line could be used for a trail.

Shea said she didn’t know how long that process would take.

In the meantime, Shea said Akron Metro is working with all the municipalities along the line to ensure the use of the land is “amenable to everybody.”

She said the public transit agency is willing to consider H&S’s proposal “if it’s vetted through the municipalities that we’ve been working with.”

That could lead to widespread opposition as happened several years ago when another rail operator proposed using the Akron Branch for a dinner train.

White said he knows resuming rail use has been “a touchy subject in the past.”

Since revealing his plans for the ex-Pennsy line, White said he has heard from people concerned about noise and trains traveling past their homes at late hours.

In response, White said modern trains are not noisy, N&S would only operate two to three times a week on weekdays during mid morning or late afternoon.

The trains of five to 12 cars would travel no more than 10 mph and quiet zones could be established in residential areas.

He also said that his company would not be handling hazardous materials, noting the area is not zoned to allow operations that would involve those.

“Most people who live along the tracks are going to be hard-pressed to ever even see the train,,” White said adding that he N&S wants to be a community partner.

Ohio Short Line Added to Ready List

Short line railroad holding company OmniTRAX has added the Northern Ohio & Western to Rail-Ready Sites program.

The move is an effort to boost the efforts of the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership in northwestern Ohio.

In a news release, OmniTRAX said the Rail-Ready program helps connect companies looking to improve supply-chain performance with railroads.

OmniTRAX and the economic group will market three initial sites on the NO&W, with property parcels ranging from 14 to 72 acres.

NO&W interchanges with Norfolk Southern and CSX and hauls such commodities as limestone, lime and pressed board.

Ohio, Indiana Short Line Railroad Sold

Two Ohio and Indiana short line railroads have been acquired by Midwest & Blue Grass Rail.

The Ohio railroads include the Camp Chase Railway, which operates 15 miles of track in the Columbus area, and the Youngstown & Southeastern, which operates 40 miles of track near Youngstown.

The Indiana short lines included the Cheaspeake & Indiana Railroad (28 miles in northwest Indiana) and the Vermillion Valley Railroad, a 6-mile line between Danville, Illinois, and Olin, Indiana.

All four properties were acquired from Indiana Boxcar Corporation, which said in a statement that it planned to focus on its freight car and locomotive leasing business.

The short lines haul a range of commodities, including agricultural products, fertilizer, recyclables and construction-related materials.

Founded in 2019, M&BG has offices in Lexington, Kentucky, and Kansas City.

In a news release, M&BG described itself as a full-service rail company seeking to acquire, market and development railroads. It also provides trans-loading services.

It’s Western Ohio, Not Kansas

On Wednesday I chased the Napoleon, Defiance & Western in Western Ohio. This is a short line that runs a former Wabash line between Woodburn, Indiana, and Napoleon, Ohio.

They roster about a half dozen engines including two GP20s still lettered for the Santa Fe.

We chased it from Okalona, Ohio, to Napoleon where it switched a Campbell’s food warehouse and then returned to Defiance.

In the top photography the train is leaving Okalona. Then it is shown leaving Napolean after switching and passing the elevator at Okalona.

The next set shows the train crossing the Maumee River at Defiance, a pair of the GP20s in  Defiance and the return trip at Okalona.

Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon