Toledo, Lake Erie & Western
Railway & Museum
Home | |
 | History |
Timeline | |
Equipment | |
Gallery | |
Information | |
History of the Toledo Lake Erie & Western
The Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway, a completely volunteer organization, started operating the Bluebird Special from Dorr Street and Secor Road in Toledo, on June 1, 1969, using a rented steam engine and three borrowed cabooses, later replaced by donated Wabash Railroad coaches. Some of these were later exchanged for lighter weight New York Central commuter coaches with greater seating capacity. In 1973 it was learned that the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad would not renew the lease on Engine #377. The Michigan Railroad Club came to the rescue by offering to donate Baldwin 0-6-0 switcher #202, built in 1920 for Detroit Edison, and sitting beside a city park in Monroe, Michigan for nine years, provided that TLE&W restor it to operation within 18 months. TLE&W also acquired the use of a 1941 Whitcomb 44 ton switcher, Ann Arbor Railroad's diesel #1 from Dundee Cement Co.
As operation from Dorr and Secor Road in Toledo had not been too stisfactory, involving long back-up moves across busy city streets arrangements were made with the Norfolk & Western Railway to use their trackage between Waterville and Grand Rapids, Ohio since through service on this line had ended. Local freights, however, still serviced Waterville from the north and Grand Rapids from the south.
In 1974, eleven months to the day from receipt, engine #202 pulled TLE&W's first train from Waterville to Grand Rapids, and remained in constant service until 1982, when the annual FRA inspection revealed that major overhaul was required on the engine. Diesel engines have been in use since that day.
In 1976, N & W petitioned for abandonment of its line south of Milepost 15 in Waterville. TLE & W purchased the portion they were using, to Milepost 25 on the western edge of Grand Rapids, and obtained trackage rights to mile post 14 to continue to use the Waterville depot. N & W ceased having a full time agent in Waterville, in 1978.
Email Webmaster