Flats Industrial Railroad

Flats Industrial Railroad
Reporting mark FIR
Locale Cleveland,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Dates of operation 1996[1]–
Predecessor Conrail[1]
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Length 4 miles (6.4 km)[1][2]
Headquarters 1757 Columbus Road, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio 44113

The Flats Industrial Railroad (reporting mark FIR) is a Class III railroad that provides short-line commercial/industrial switching service in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, primarily with CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Contents

History

Trains have run in the Cuyahoga Valley since the 1880s. In 1880, the Valley Railway began operations, transporting coal to Cleveland, Akron, and Canton from the Tuscarawas River Valley and providing passenger service along the way. After a decade of operation, the Valley Railway became part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In the 20th century, competition from automobiles, trucks, and buses caused the decline of both freight and passenger service.

Right-of-way ownership shifted over the years from Valley Railway to Cleveland Terminal & Valley Railroad (CT&V), to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to the Chessie System.

Today

Flats Industrial Railroad acquired its rails and right-of-way within the Flats District (Cleveland) from former ConRail. As of 2009, the Class III Short Line railroad operates as the Flats Industrial Railroad Company (FIR/FIRS).

FIR has one employee: a locomotive engineer.[3]

Equipment

Flats Industrial Railroad initially operated one switching locomotive, later adding a second locomotive.B[›]

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Locomotives

Flats Industrial Railroad - Locomotives
Number
 Manufacturer
 Model
 Description
12 EMD SW1001 Diesel-Electric Switcher
1202 EMD SW1001 Diesel-Electric Switcher

Images and media

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Facilities

Flats Industrial Railroad
vertical lift bridge

Flats Industrial Railroad vertical lift bridge
Carries Flats Industrial Railroad
Crosses Cuyahoga River
Locale Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Maintained by Flats Industrial Railroad
Design Metal Riveted Warren Through Truss, Stationary, Vertical lift bridge
Material Steel
Total length 260 feet (79 m)
Longest span 260 feet (79 m)
Number of spans 1
Piers in water 0
Opened 1953

All locations are in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio:

(former)
ConRail/PennCentral
Clark branch and DK yard
Overview
Type Industrial Freight Short-line railroad
System Flats Industrial Railroad
Locale Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Termini CP Knob switch connection with CSX/NS
1. Train Avenue and Willey Road
2. Carter and Scranton road
3. Carter and Old River road
4. FIR siding, Fall and French street
5. FIR siding, Fall and French street
6. FIR siding, Fall and French street
7. flour mill, Merwin street
8. flour mill, Merwin street
9. flour mill, Cuyahoga River
10. flour mill, Cuyahoga River
Operation
Opened 1996
Owner Flats Industrial Railroad
Operator(s) Flats Industrial Railroad
Character Class III railroad
Technical
Line length 4 miles (6.4 km)[1]
Track length 4 miles (6.4 km)[1]
No. of tracks 1 to 3
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Standard gauge
Highest elevation 571 feet (174 m)
Flats Industrial Railroad - Facilities
Coordinates
 Name
A[›]		 Type
 Address
 Description
Head Quarters 1757 Columbus Road, 44113
Vertical Lift bridge over Cuyahoga River
Locomotive parking 1757 Columbus Road, 44113 model ?
W Switch 1757 Columbus Road, 44113
E Switch Carter Road, Scranton Road
EE Switch Carter Road, Scranton Road
EEE Switch Lorain-Carnegie, Scranton Road
EEEN Switch Carter Road, Scranton Road
EEENW EOL Carter Road and Old River Road ruins to former Old River Road rail lift bridge and GCRTA W.10th tracks
EEENE EOL Carter Road and Scranton Road rear of Carter and Scranton Road businesses
ES Switch Scranton Road, University Road
ESS Switch Scranton Road and University Road
ESSS Switch Scranton Road, Abbey Avenue
ESSSE EOL Willey Road, Train Avenue
Willey Switch Willey Road, Train Avenue
ESSSS Switch Train Avenue, West 30th. Street
ESSSSN Switch Train Avenue, Richner Avenue
ESSSSNS Switch Train Avenue and Richner Avenue
ESSSSS Switch Train Avenue and Richner Avenue
ESSSSSM Switch Train Avenue, Richner Avenue CP Knob connection to (NS/NSR?) main line
WN Switch Fall Street and Leonard Street
WNN Switch Fall Street and Leonard Street
WNNN EOL Cuyahoga River flour mill
WNNS EOL Cuyahoga River flour mill
WNS Switch Fall Street
WNSN EOL Merwin Street flour mill
WNSS EOL Merwin Street flour mill
WS Switch French Street and Columbus Road
WSN Switch Fall Street and French Street
WSNN EOL Fall Street and French Street FIR siding
WSNS EOL Fall Street and French Street FIR siding
WSS EOL Fall Street and French Street  ? spare parts locomotive ?

Accidents

In 2005, FIR reported a single Highway-Rail Crossing incident, no other accidents, and no one killed or injured.[4] In 2004, FIR did not report any accidents (train, highway-rail crossing, other incidents).[5]

See also

Notes

^ A: Switch names are HQ-relative, should be Main-line relative.
^ B: Both locomotives are visible on Google Earth and Maps imagery, there are many (copyrighted) pictures of each posted on other web sites.
^ C: CP as in CP Knob refers to "control point". FIR operates on what used to be the Clark Branch and the DK Yard. The other bridge across the Cuyahoga River (OX/Flats Tower/Carter-Old River) in no longer used. FIR's interchange connection at CP Knob is to the CUT branch/main line.[6]
^ D: Department of Transportation, Surface Transportation Board, STB Finance Docket No. 33044
Flats Industrial Railroad Company--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Consolidated Rail Corporation
Flats Industrial Railroad Company, a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire by purchase, and to operate, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) of rail lines owned by Consolidated Rail Corporation between M.P. 14 at Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH, and M.P. 10 at Carter Road, Cuyahoga County, OH, including the industrial lead to Cereal Food Processors, Inc. The proposed transaction was to have been consummated on or after October 1, 1996.
Decided: October 3, 1996.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Vol. 66, No. 221/Thursday, November 15, 2001/Notices STB Finance Docket No. 34108" (PDF). Federal Register. http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ContentViewer?objectId=09000064803013c9&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf. 
  2. ^ "Table 1-13: Freight Railroads Operating in Ohio by Class: 2000". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. http://www.bts.gov/publications/state_transportation_statistics/ohio/html/table_01_13.html. 
  3. ^ "TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY STATE AND LAST RAILROAD EMPLOYER - CALENDAR YEAR 2006" (PDF). Railroad Retirement Board. http://www.rrb.gov/pdf/act/TotalEmployment2006.pdf. 
  4. ^ "Railroad Safety Statistics 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/Objects/bull2005-book.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-28. 
  5. ^ "Railroad Safety Statistics 2004 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. http://web.archive.org/web/20080422002918/http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/Objects/bull2004-book.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-28. 
  6. ^ "Lake Region - Cleveland Division Lakefront". Penn Central Railroad Online. http://pc.smellycat.com/pics/lake/clevlake/index.html. Retrieved 2008-07-19. 
  7. ^ "DoT Report #21 - October, 1996". TrainNet.Org, Federal Register, Surface Transportation Board, United States Department of Transportation. http://www.trainnet.org/Libraries/Lib001/DOT-21.TXT. Retrieved 2008-07-19. 

General References

Current

AA • AB • ACJR • ASRY • BLE • CCRA • CCRL • CFE • CIND • CN • CSXT • CUOH • CWRO • FIR • IERR • IN • IORY • LT • MAW • MVRY • NOW • NS • NSR • NTRY • OHCR • OHIC • OSRR • RJCL • RJCW • USRP • WE • WTRM • YARR • YB • YSRR