Toledo to Stony Ridge, Ohio

[bluestreak81]

I was tracing the line extending from Toledo to where the rails are cut at Stony Ridge, Ohio. It looks as if the line used to run to Fostoria. The rails seem to end just south of route 20/23 in Stony Ridge. Any history as to why the line ends where it does? Any photos or video of trains running to Stony Ridge?

[cbehr91]

It's the Toledo and Ohio Central (New York Central) Eastern Branch that went from Stanley Yard to Thurston, OH. It was downgraded and abandoned in stages during the Penn Central and Conrail years because it was redundant trackage.

[ssnk79]

I believe this line was the first in the US to have CTC.

[cbehr91]

I believe this line was the first in the US to have CTC.

It was, but only from Stanley to Berwick. It was controlled by this tower in Fostoria on Jackson St.

[BnOEngr]

Company called J Star owned property south of RT 20 and was going to do transloading. Outgrew the spot or decided it wasn't going to work, and now they have most of the area around the Stanley Fuel Pad where they do their thing.

[GenXRailMedia]

In the early 2000's, there was talk of installing a connection between the former C&O and the south end of Stanley Yard. It would have involved acquiring a new right-of-way, but apparently there was a lot of public outcry and NIMBYism.

Looking at it on Bing, it looks feasible if they would cut in a LH switch on the C&O south of the turnpike, lay track on the edge of the turnpike right-of-way then make a wide right turn to connect to the Stanley Yard lead. I'm not sure what their original planned routing was, but it seems that this plan wouldn't contribute any more noise or pollution than the turnpike already generates.

I don't know enough about traffic patterns around Toledo. Perhaps this connection wouldn't even be beneficial now anyway...

[BnOEngr]

The connection was going to be built between SR 163 and Libbey Rd.

[Racer]

Is the project dead?

[Toppysager]

It was owned by the T&OC and was a connection down to Fostoria where it rejoined the CSX line from Walbridge. It was removed in the 1990s by Conrail I think. It is used today for trains to back up and shove into the yard

[railohio]

It was owned by the T&OC and was a connection down to Fostoria where it rejoined the CSX line from Walbridge. It was removed in the 1990s by Conrail I think. It is used today for trains to back up and shove into the yard

It was part of the T&OC main line, which went between Toledo and West Virginia, and did not end in Fostoria.

[MDH]

Is the project dead?

The improvements to the flow in and out of the north end of Stanley made several years ago (track reconfiguration) pretty much killed the need for the connector at this point and for the likely future.

The original proposal drew vociferous public opposition and got indefinitely delayed (even though the proposed routing impacted only a handful of people):

http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/20 ... ssion.html

[bluestreak81]

Definitely a lot of good information from everyone. Thank you. Anyone know if trains have run into Stony Ridge lately? Based on satellite maps it looks like tracks are only active about 1000 feet north of route 20/23 (based on vegetation reclaiming the rails). But the tracks clearly go at least 2000 feet south of route 20/23.

[saxman]

I got close the other night when I had to pull a 9700 train down the runner past the "SO" switch and shove in Receiving 7 at Stanley.

[bluestreak81]

SaxMan: Nice. Does the railroad have clearence to run thru the route 23/20 crossing? Or do trains have to stay north of the crossing?

[BnOEngr]

There was a derail south of the last road crossing north of Rt 20, don't know if it's still there or not. If anything goes down there, a yard job will shove cars out probably to that point and J Star would come out and drag the car(s) into their facility.

[redcrumbox]

Looking at the Wood county GIS, the ROW south of Genoa rd is owned by a private individual. Not sure how accurate that info is.

[bluestreak81]

You are right. According to the ohio railroad inventory, the route 20/23 crossing is owned by an individual and business. It says the crossing is still active, but doesn't seem so since there are crossties blocking any trains from entering the crossing in the photos in the link below.

http://gradecrossings.puco.ohio.gov/ite ... %20&f11=20

[MSchwiebert]

I believe the US20/23 crossing has been "exempt" for several years now.