Akron and Barberton Belt Railroad
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Akron and Barberton Belt Railroad | |
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Reporting marks | ABB |
Locale | Barberton, Ohio |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
The Akron and Barberton Belt railroad (AAR reporting marks ABB) is a switching railroad that was built to serve various industries around cities of Barberton and Akron in Ohio. The main purpose was to switch chemical cars for Pittsburg Plate Glass, Babcox and Wilcox Companies as well as O.C. Barber's Match Works, all in Barberton. It was controlled by the Akron Canton & Youngstown, Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania and Erie Railroads. It interchanged railroad cars with the Erie Railroad in Barberton, Pennsylvania RR in Barberton and Akron,Akron Canton & Youngstown at East Akron and Fairlawn and the Baltimore & Ohio RR in East Akron and Barberton. The railroad was always a freght only carrier. As of 2006 the railroad is under the control of the Akron Barberton Cluster Railroad which in turn is owned by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. Its main traffic includes plastic pellets for Landmark Plastics and Rubbermaid. There is a coal train three times a week and the railroad brings comics to the Akron Beacon Journal.
The tracks themselves are owned by Akron METRO which also runs the Transit Agency. Future plans are to attract more industry and rebuild the Erie Lackawanna line for freight and passenger service to Kent State University.