TLEW News?

[jwilliam33]

Since it was brought up, here's a picture of the short lived Hillsdale County piggyback service. Gotta give them credit, they were open to trying things.
http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/page ... 96-page-30

[DT&Ifan]

TLEW lessee Midwest Rail looks to be dead serious about drumming up business.

http://www.midwestrail.com/wp-content/u ... E-8100.pdf

http://www.midwestrail.com/wp-content/u ... re2013.pdf

http://www.midwestrail.com/?p=45

The third one in particular is significant, if they can put together a transloading/intermodal facility in Waterville at the location they show on the overhead photo that would give them legs to run a long way into the future.

[BnOEngr]

All old news.

[bluestreak81]

The culvert has been fixed. They're ready to re-lay track in the washout area. This has taken 15 years to accomplish. Hopefully trains can reach the Maumee River bridge soon. There needs to be tie replacement on the bridge to make it fully functional first.

[Old Hogger]

The culvert has been fixed. They're ready to re-lay track in the washout area. This has taken 15 years to accomplish. Hopefully trains can reach the Maumee River bridge soon. There needs to be tie replacement on the bridge to make it fully functional first.

It WILL get done this year

[DT&Ifan]

Is anyone still coming out to volunteer or did the whole of TLEW fold up shop? I went out one week to see about volunteering but nobody was around when I was there so I left. As a history nut I was eager to help, but after calling both contact numbers I had and getting no answer on one and no response to my voicemail message on the other I got kind of frustrated. I tried leaving messages on their web page but was ignored, and now their web page reroutes you to the Federal Rail Administration???

[bluestreak81]

I would contact Midwest Rail LLC for volunteer info. They are the ones currently maintaining the line. They have a website and a page used for contact info. They just recently replaced the collapsed culvert that has prevented trains from reaching the Maumee River bridge in Grand Rapids.

[MagnumForce]

The plot thickens... volunteering for a for profit company? I don't think so.

[bluestreak81]

Was only trying to help find a way for DT&ifan to be able to contact someone who could give him more info. I don't work for the railroad. Didn't mean to upset anyone.

[EL3673]

I don't really care about the TLEW, never have, but I do enjoy the rants on this topic. Brent, I find your dislike about volunteering for a for profit amusing. While you may have a lack of interest in volunteering at a for profit, and I can understand that. However, you act as if this is something unholy, perhaps something altogether new and unheard off. I can assure you it is not. I seem to recall a very large volunteer group that helped out on the Ohio Central Steam and Passenger departments. The OC was a for profit. The Strasburg is another for profit with a large volunteer group. If you are speaking in terms of so called "freight" or more specifically non passenger activities. I have a relative that volunteered for Jerry Jacobson at numerous railroads including the Ohi-Rail, Ohio Southern and Youngstown and Austintown long before the Ohio Central proper when most of the work force was volunteer. It helped the "system" get off the ground. Most of the volunteers were offered full time employment as things progressed, however, many just stayed on as volunteers until the OC "proper" came along.

So the point of my ramblings are, if someone wants to volunteer at a for profit, and the for profit is willing to have volunteers, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. I can't speak for the motives of Midwest Rail or Railway or whatever they are but judging them based on using volunteers is something of a snap judgment. Out.

[Y@]

While you may have a lack of interest in volunteering at a for profit, and I can understand that. However, you act as if this is something unholy, perhaps something altogether new and unheard off.

Considering he volunteers with the FWRHS from time to time, I would say that you are wrong and that's why.

[MDH]

I have a relative that volunteered for Jerry Jacobson at numerous railroads

And that guy got so rich that he's building his own roundhouse to house all his toys! I can tell you which side of the 'volunteer' / 'ownership' side of the picture I'd be willing to be on...

(FWIW - I don't care what other people chose to do with their lives so long as it's legal, but while I have contributed work to real charities I'm not really interested in spending my little free time doing real work so that someone else can pocket real money for the work being done. That's just providing free labor for someone else's profit.)

[Old Hogger]

I can add a bit to the "free" labor to a "for profit" company. It's all paperwork. All "profit" made by Midwest Rail goes right back into the TLEW. They have managed to fix up most of the line to Class I standards with the "profits" from MW and the next thing to do will be the bridge. So even though it appears to be "for profit" it is actually an excuse to make some money for the TLEW and still keep the 501c status.

[CSX_CO]

I can add a bit to the "free" labor to a "for profit" company. It's all paperwork. All "profit" made by Midwest Rail goes right back into the TLEW. They have managed to fix up most of the line to Class I standards with the "profits" from MW and the next thing to do will be the bridge. So even though it appears to be "for profit" it is actually an excuse to make some money for the TLEW and still keep the 501c status.

So you have access to the Midwest books to prove that all the 'profit' (interesting you put that in quotes) goes to the Museum?

Funny thing about 'business expenses' is how much 'stuff' qualifies as a 'business expense', and what little 'profit' remains.

I remember a case study we did at Western Michigan for a small company that did custom homes, wood working, etc. They wanted to expand into custom wood boats, and one guy was an excellent carpenter. Once we got into the 'books', the numbers REALLY didn't add up. The other 'partner' is out driving around in a new convertable, new boats, house, etc and meanwhile it shows them operating in the red. Again, funny the things that qualify as 'business expenses' in some peoples eyes. We told them they needed a loan in the amount of $250K to cover their upcoming expenses. One guy was shocked, the other just smiled and said "We've got the money we need." Not sure what happened to these two guys, if the guy doing the actual work finally broke free of his 'partner', or if they place just folded up shop. Be a shame for the guy with the equipment, skills, and drive to have been forced out of their dreams by a swindler...

Practice Safe CSX

[SD80MAC]

I don't really care about the TLEW, never have, but I do enjoy the rants on this topic. Brent, I find your dislike about volunteering for a for profit amusing. While you may have a lack of interest in volunteering at a for profit, and I can understand that. However, you act as if this is something unholy, perhaps something altogether new and unheard off. I can assure you it is not. I seem to recall a very large volunteer group that helped out on the Ohio Central Steam and Passenger departments. The OC was a for profit. The Strasburg is another for profit with a large volunteer group. If you are speaking in terms of so called "freight" or more specifically non passenger activities. I have a relative that volunteered for Jerry Jacobson at numerous railroads including the Ohi-Rail, Ohio Southern and Youngstown and Austintown long before the Ohio Central proper when most of the work force was volunteer. It helped the "system" get off the ground. Most of the volunteers were offered full time employment as things progressed, however, many just stayed on as volunteers until the OC "proper" came along.

So the point of my ramblings are, if someone wants to volunteer at a for profit, and the for profit is willing to have volunteers, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. I can't speak for the motives of Midwest Rail or Railway or whatever they are but judging them based on using volunteers is something of a snap judgment. Out.

You'll likely get blasted for this, but I thought it was very well said. +1

[bluestreak81]

No matter your opinions of the TLE&W you cannot argue the progress that's been made to the line in the past year since Midwest Rail began maintaining the rails. They got the culvert fixed in such a short amount of time and the massive amount of ties that have been replaced. To me that's huge. The next hurdle is to fix the bridge which I have no doubt they will. Give them credit. If you're upset that they're a for-profit organization look at where the profits are going - reinvested back into the line.

[CSX_CO]

f you're upset that they're a for-profit organization look at where the profits are going - reinvested back into the line.

Profit, what was supposed to be going back to the Museum for the use of their property, is what is 'left over' after the cost of doing business. Revenue is what is made off operations and put back into the property. Its not 'profit' if its going into maintaining the line to provide service. Profit is what is passed back onto the 'owners' of the business, be it a sole proprietorship or corporation with shareholders.

I think the biggest 'gripe' with Midwest is their attitude towards the museum and people associated with it.

Practice Safe CSX

[MagnumForce]

Wow, I didn't even say anything and I get ripped by the internet patrol.

[TrainWatcher]

Honestly, can someone call me when they lay the track to hit the I&O in Malinta? Then we'll be talking.

Otherwise, as a former volunteer at another local railroad society preserving it's miles of important rail, one problem continued to come up, how to make the dough. Now, I enjoyed volunteering until my work schedule increased significantly in the past 6 months, however, you look at your "passenger cars" (can be anything from a caboose to a gon) and see how full they are on a regular basis. Are you running at 100%? 50%? 25%? And do you know when it is really time to throw in the towel and say enough is enough, and dissolve the group before there is nothing but a huge pile of debt? Is there a possibility of even a small amount of freight? Could we actually support (crews, maintenance, etc) the running of freight if it existed?

Track is expensive, bridges are expensive (maintenance AND state inspection), maintenance of said track is expensive, ROW maintenance is expensive, fuel is expensive and not to mention add to it all these "free man hours" which need to be covered by liability insurance and what not. People at sometime are going to want something for their work. Now, in our case, if we had ever wanted to develop freight clientele, it would have to involve re-engineering a curve, 2 lane road, a Class 1 railroad (new switch, signals, the whole 9 yards) connection that didn't exist originally. That takes MILLIONS, and that's just to even have someone look at the proposal.

Now look at the TLE&W. Connected to the NS on one end, and nothing. It's atleast 10 miles to the next rail head in Malinta. There was a reason N&W didn't hold on to the line after the Continental bridge accident. No traffic. I&O really has no reason to even consider building to Toledo when they already own trackage right to the AA at Diann (After that I think it's CN, not really sure on this) and then trackage rights to Flat Rock. They run a few times a week with 70 cars or less.

To be honest, while I like the Cloverleaf, it has had it's time. It's over. Done. Ka-put. If you can justify to maintain the 10~ miles you have then great, if not, call it a day. Lots of other open railroad to work on or volunteer at. And some even still run steam!

[bluestreak81]

Was the bridge accident in Continental? Or was it a little south in DuPont Ohio? Was trying to trace the old line on google and didnt find any bridge areas in Continental but did see a river crossing a few miles south in DuPont.