AA and Textileather Observations

[AARR]

I just want to make sure I know which AA vehicle yard is for Ford. Is it the one south of I75? I thought it was the "old" jeep transload north of I75 but now I think I'm mistaken.

Textileather, just west of the jeep plant, was always good to watch because they'd have a handful of tank cars on their spur. Yesterday, for the first time ever, they had nothing. Although the parking lot looked sparse, the plant looked operational. Anyone know what's going on there?

Lots of closed factories along the I75 corridor that were open a short year ago. Many of them served by rail.

[railohio]

Textileather is shutting down soon if they haven't already. It was in The Blade a few weeks ago.

[MSchwiebert]

I believe it's the facility to the east of the Jeep plant. The Jeeps are loaded on the north side of the assembly facility. I haven't paid attention to see what's loaded/unloaded at the 'old' facility though. Also, keep in mind that the track that leads into the unloading facility that's part of CSX's Walbridge yard is called the "Jeep lead". That facility serves as a distribution point for Honda cars that are not made in Ohio, so you'll see Pilots, Odessey minivans, Fits and so on there. As Railohio said, the Textileleather facility is or in the process of shutting down.

I just want to make sure I know which AA vehicle yard is for Ford. Is it the one south of I75? I thought it was the "old" jeep transload north of I75 but now I think I'm mistaken.

Textileather, just west of the jeep plant, was always good to watch because they'd have a handful of tank cars on their spur. Yesterday, for the first time ever, they had nothing. Although the parking lot looked sparse, the plant looked operational. Anyone know what's going on there?

Lots of closed factories along the I75 corridor that were open a short year ago. Many of them served by rail.

[AARR]

I wish I knew how to post a map with markings.

Jeep loads on north side of plant - check

That leaves two other transload locations on AA track. There's one on the east side of Ottawa Yard - who operates this one and what do they handle? (I think this is the CSX Honda location)

Then there's a newer one south of I75. Who operates this one and what do they handle? (I think this is the AA Ford location)

Thanks guys!

[sd70accsxt700]

CSX Honda location is a Walbridge yard, south. The one on the east side of the AA used to and still may be Ford, but dont know. It reacently has been filled with, some make of car and I never did find out. Ford I think moved to the new one south of Manhattan Blvd., where the dump used to be, across from M&M.

[MSchwiebert]

Don: Here's a link for google maps for the street level view of the drive into the Jeep plant. The facility on the right is the old Jeep loadout. Not sure who owns/uses this now. I do know that this is not where the Honda cars are loaded/unloaded. That is in CSX's Walbridge yard property (on the south end - between SR 795 and the Ohio Turnpike) which is in Walbridge on the Wood County side of the river. (a good 8-10 rail miles south of the Jeep plant). I did see vehicles at the other location that you were talking about (south of the I-75 overpass) but I figured that they were just stored there awaiting distribution.

http://tinyurl.com/ceo6u3

[jimnorthwood]

Textileleather was originally scheduled to close in June, but as others have posted the closing date was moved forward due to low demand for its (automobile interior related) products. Final day of production was a couple of weeks ago, although there may still be a handful of people left doing cleanup or security. I remember seeing a NS Geep sitting perpendicular in the Detroit Avenue grade crossing, probably on account ice buildup, following a trip either to or from Textileleather a number of winters ago. Textileleather was the only remaining customer so look for that line to go away.

The "new" loading site was built for Ford, I believe. Honda uses the facility at the south end of Walbridge Yard.

[MDH]

Also, keep in mind that the track that leads into the unloading facility that's part of CSX's Walbridge yard is called the "Jeep lead".

Just like the connection from the Toledo Branch to the Toledo Terminal is the "Passenger Wye" (wonder when the last time a "passenger train" used it and it's not exactly a wye any more!) - old railroad names tend to linger for quite a while...


...hmmm - maybe if we get that Columbus-Toledo passenger service it's name could match reality again

[redside20]

ok i need to get to Toledo because i don't get up there like i used to. What industries besides Andersons and Jeep that are still online?

[MDH]

ok i need to get to Toledo because i don't get up there like i used to. What industries besides Andersons and Jeep that are still online?

Umm... quite a few in the area on NS & CSX - looking for anything in particular? I can think of at least 15-20 other companies off the top of my head not counting things like the Docks or CSX Transflo in Rossford. At least half are switched pretty frequently although the rest aren't as frequent and I don't know the actual frequency...

Enough to keep several yard jobs busy on CSX and NS on most days...

Here's a Y125 backing past one to work another: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=278519

[redside20]

oops minor Epic Fail on my part, i forgot about those transload facities

[AARR]

GM, OmniSource, Libby Ford, Toledo Blade, Wonder Bread, etc. etc. etc.

[esprrfan]

GM, OmniSource, Libby Ford, Toledo Blade, Wonder Bread, etc. etc. etc.

Plus you have all the lumber moves, like bringing plywood to close up the ever growing abandoned homes and factories. Then there's the high/wide specials used for the Mayors ego

[MDH]

Plus you have all the lumber moves, like bringing plywood to close up the ever growing abandoned homes and factories. Then there's the high/wide specials used for the Mayors ego

So NS got the high/wide's for that? Did they also get the contract for moving the deaf people out by the airport since the Chicago line goes by there?

[MSchwiebert]

So That's where the $27 million budget deficit came from.... It'd probably take that much to make worth the pain NS would incur

GM, OmniSource, Libby Ford, Toledo Blade, Wonder Bread, etc. etc. etc.

Plus you have all the lumber moves, like bringing plywood to close up the ever growing abandoned homes and factories. Then there's the high/wide specials used for the Mayors ego

[chapmaja]

My understanding is the new AA location is across Manhatten Blvd from Ottawa Yard (south of I-75). I recall it being built and that area was torn up a few years ago.

The area next to Ottawa Yard is the CSX Yard. I think CSX used it for Ford Traffic at one time.

As for customers in Toledo. Just on the AA I can think of the Jeep plant. The Ford autorack unloading, the GM plant by Temperance Yard plus Terregrow or something like that down towards the river. I didn't think that was AA served, but I saw an AA crew dumping ballast there a couple years ago. I think they also serve another customer or two from Temperance Yard as well.

Other operations I can think of are the CSX transflo and ore docks. Several customers on a spur running from near the docks yard. The BP refinery near the docks (served by both CSX and NS). NS also serves a power plant east of the docks.

There is Kraft foods along front street that appears to get pretty good service. The Toledo blade had 4 cars on their spurs the other night. There appeared to be a couple cars on the same blade spur by Lafarge as well.

In addition there is a place along side Lang Yard that appears to deal with old railroad cars, but it doesn't appeared to be CN operated/owned.

I was just on that general side of town so I didn't see the other areas. I think Toledo still has a decent, although shrinking industrial base.

[sd70accsxt700]

There is no "new" AA location. They are still in the same spot, just a new rack loading facility on the south side of Manhatten Blvd. AA industries, in Toledo, are the new loading facility to the south, both loading ramps, on either side of Ottawa yard. Interchange with CSX, and NS at Ottawa yard. And what ever is over at the old Temperance yard (fluff, and auto parts, and a place for tanks. The CSX yard is Bullavard yard, and is used for trains interchanging to the AA and switching stuff on the old TT back side.

CSX has a lot along with NS. Everything on the back side of the old TT is switched by CSX, except for the mentioned stuff at the AA, old DT&I Temperance yard. Lots of stuff in and around the docks, One tank farm off of Front St. five industries around Walbridge, and then what ever is left in Rossford, yard, and a few on the line towards Deshler.

NS so many I cant name them all. They switch anything south of Manhatten Blve., and along the river, also Omni Source, and all kinds of places.

I could name all on the CSX, and quite a few on the NS, but that would take all day.