The Toledo, Lake Erie, & Western Railway

[sd70accsxt700]

Got tired of sitting around in the gloomy wether, so me and the wife took off for a ride, and find out more info on the TLE&W, in Waterville, Oh. They run three trains a day, on one hour round trips, one at 13:00, 14:30, and 16:00, on the weekend's, from May to Nov. 1st. Also durring June, July, & August, they run on Wensday & Thursday, they run three one hour trips, at 10:30, 12:00, and 13:30. They use a ALCO S4 ex-C&O 5109. They have been working on restoring and fixing it as time permits. This winter they rebuilt the turbo charger. Plans are to repaint it into C&O colors, sometime this year, but with TLE&W lettering in place of C&O. The trip is 10 miles long, and used to run across the Maumee River in Grand Rapids, Oh., but a few years ago there was a tornado, that wiped out a culvert, just short of the bridge. This has kept them from acessing there shops, and other equipment, as they are all on the other side of the river, or washout. One intresting peice of equipment on the other side of the river, is that they have the AA #1 a 45 ton centercab. They also have another S4 for parts, and a S2, that they origonaly used before. They are in the process of trying to restore it to opperating condition. Also they have a 0-6-0 that was a DE unit #202. The line is over grown with weeds, and runs through many "tree tunnels" where they have overgrown the right of way. The whole thing has this backwoods, down home, through the forest type feeel, and it looks even better in late July and August. Well with out much rambelling on here is what it looks like, some photos are not verry good do to the wether, but I guess you take what you can get.

photos removed

[conrailfan]

Im glad u enjoyed ur trip. evry time Im working I always have fun meeting new ppl.

[Racer]

Matt, I remember taking that train trip when I was little and I really liked it. I thought the bridge over the Maumee River to Grand Rapids was very high at the time. Although the culvert screwed-up their access over the bridge, I take it there is no future plans of getting it repaired for operation again? Also, one interesting observation that I do remember, too while riding the TLE&W was that a few spurs had CSX, NS, and CP boxcars and covered hoppers that were pretty modern (For mid 1990's standards), was there any customers at one point that cars were interchanged with NS in Waterville?

[AJR]

The steam enigne that you mentioned was owned by the Michigan Railroad Club and the TLE&W took ownership of the locomotive in 1972. Originally, the MRC obtained the locomotive from Detroit Edison.

Anthony J. Rzucidlo

[railohio]

Three and a half years since the thread was started and the culvert still isn't fixed. Too bad. With the full route they could probably pull off a few photo charters a year.

[conrailfan]

It has ben 9 years sinced the culvert washed out and there are future plans but 2 switches need replaced and we need a lot of money. Anyone wanna donate?

[conrailfan]

About 30,000$.

[MDH]

About 30,000$.

For $30,000 I ought to own the entire property!

[conrailfan]

tell me abt it. we do own our own tracks. up to mp 15 in waterville.