Flats Industrial Railroad

Flats Industrial Railroad
vertical lift bridge
Flats Industrial Railroad; vertical lift bridge
	Flats Industrial Railroad vertical lift bridge
Coordinates	41°29′31.5″N 81°41′59.25″W / 41.492083°N 81.6997917°W
Carries	Flats Industrial Railroad
Crosses	Cuyahoga River
Locale	Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Maintained by	Flats Industrial Railroad
Characteristics
Design	Metal Riveted Warren Through Truss, Stationary, Vertical lift bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	260 feet (79.2 m)
Longest span	260 feet (79.2 m)
No. of spans	1
Piers in water	0
History
Opened	1953
Location

Flats Industrial Railroad
Overview
Headquarters	1757 Columbus Road, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio 44113
Reporting mark	FIR
Locale	Cleveland,; Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Dates of operation	1996–
Predecessor	Conrail
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	4 miles (6 km)

Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	4 miles (6.4 km)

Legend

	Cuyahoga	River
	Cuyahoga River	EOL
	Cuyahoga River	EOL
	?	siding
	Merwin	Level crossing
	Merwin	EOL
	Merwin	EOL
	?	siding
	Fall	Switch
	Fall-Leonard	switch
	Fall	Level crossing
	?	EOL
	?	EOL
	?	siding
	?	EOL
	?	siding
	French	switch
	Leonard	switch
	CUT (GCRTA Red Line)	Viaduct
	Columbus-French	switch
	Columbus-French-Leonard	Level crossing
	Columbus-Leonard	switch
	? Clark
	? Clark
	Cuyahoga River	Vertical-lift bridge
	? Clark
	Carter	Level crossing
	? Clark
10 miles (16 km)	Carter-Old River	EOL
	Carter-Scranton	EOL
	?	siding
	?	switch
	?	switch
	?	switch
	DK	Yard
	?	switch
	OH-10, Lorain 1932-1001.3-1801503	Overpass
	?	switch
	?	switch
	? Clark
	Abbey 1991-333.2-1870084	Overpass
	Clark-?	switch
	?	siding
	Willey	EOL
	Willey	Level crossing
	? Clark
	US-42, W.25 1912-208.8-1803301	Overpass
	? Clark
	? RR	Overpass
	?	switch
	?	switch
	DK	Yard
	Fulton 1901-148.4-1869663	Overpass
	DK	Yard
	I-90 1975-161.5-1807870	Overpass
	?	switch
	?	switch
14 miles (23 km)	CUT-Clark	Border

Cleveland Union Terminal Branch

Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	4 miles (6.4 km)

Legend

	?	Yard
	CUT
		Overpass
	CUT
	GCRTA Red, Blue, Green	Overpass
	CUT
	Interstate 77	Overpass
	CUT
	E.37	Underpass
	CUT-	Switch
	CUT-	Switch
	CUT-	Switch
	CUT-	Switch
	CUT-	Switch
	CUT-	Branch
	Broadway-E.34	Overpass
	CUT
	?	Switch
	Rockefeller	Overpass
	CUT
	?	EOL
	CUT
	CUT
	CUT
	Canal	underpass
	CUT
	W.3	underpass
	CUT
	CUT
	Interstate 90	Overpass
	CUT
	Cuyahoga	River
	CUT
	University	underpass
	CUT
	Abbey 1991-333.2-1870084	Overpass
	CUT-?	branch
	CUT-?	switch
	CUT
	Fairfield-Scranton 1910-62.5-1840444	underpass
	CUT
	Willey 1909-33.2-1840606	underpass
	CUT
	?	crossover
	US-42, W.25 1912-208.8-1803301	Overpass
	CUT
	CUT-?	switch
	CUT-?	branch
	Train	underpass
	CUT
	Fulton 1901-148.4-1869663	Overpass
	CUT
	I-90 1975-161.5-1807870	Overpass
	CUT-?	branch
	CUT-?	switch
	CUT-Clark Flats Industrial Railroad	Border
14 miles (23 km)	CP Knob	switch
	W.41 1930-158.2-1833707	Overpass
	CUT
	W.44	Overpass
	CUT
	W.53 1993-150-1870092	Overpass
	CUT
	Clark 1906-42.7-1840118	underpass
	CUT
	?	CrossOver
	W.65 1914-34.4-1869760	underpass
	CUT
	?	Switch
	CUT
	Denison	Overpass
	CUT
	CUT-?	Wye
	CUT
	?	Switch
	CUT
	?	CrossOver
	CUT
	Clinton	underpass
	CUT
	I-71	underpass
	?	switch
	Lindale	Yard
	CUT-?	branch

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.

History[edit]

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 the Cleveland Terminal & Valley Railway (CT&V), to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to the Chessie System.

Today[edit]

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. The railroad operates on weekdays, reportedly around 7:00 to 10:00AM. At one time, they used to have a sand trans-loading business to keep themselves busy while not switching at Cleveland's Cereal Food Processors elevator. They also used to serve fatty oils and synthetic esters producer, "Werner G. Smith." They interchange with the Norfolk Southern in a yard between Fulton Road and W.41 Street in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cloggsville Line, operated by Norfolk Southern, serves that yard.

As recently as 2014, FIR had only two employees.^[3]

In April 2020, the railroad's primary customer, the Grain Craft flour mill on Merwin Avenue, announced it would be closing due to "challenging market dynamics and long-term supply chain obstacles."^[4]

Equipment[edit]

Flats Industrial Railroad initially operated one switching locomotive, later adding a second locomotive, until 2021 when SW1200 #1202 was sold to the Davenport Industrial Railroad in Davenport, Iowa.^[5]

Locomotives[edit]

EMD SW1500 #1222

Accidents[edit]

In 2005, FIR reported a single Highway-Rail Crossing incident, no other accidents, and no one killed or injured.^[6] From 1996 to 2004 and 2006–2020, FIR did not report any accidents (train, highway-rail crossing, other incidents).^[7]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c "Vol. 66, No. 221/Thursday, November 15, 2001/Notices STB Finance Docket No. 34108". Federal Register. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-20.
^ "Table 1-13: Freight Railroads Operating in Ohio by Class: 2000". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
^ "TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY STATE AND LAST RAILROAD EMPLOYER - CALENDAR YEAR 2014" (PDF). Railroad Retirement Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
^ Sosland, Josh (2020-04-24). "Grain Craft closing flour mill in Cleveland". World Grain. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
^ "Flats Industrial Railroad rare move". Retrieved 2022-02-27.
^ "Railroad Safety Statistics 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-07-28. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Railroad Safety Statistics 2004 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-07-28.

General References[edit]

Ohio Department of Transportation
- "RAILROADS IN OHIO". Ohio Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on 2008-02-29.
- "OHIO RAILROADS EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST CODE" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation.^{[permanent dead link]}
"Railroads". Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
"Short Line Details - 519 Flats Industrial Railroad Co". Norfolk Southern Railway. Retrieved 2008-07-19.

External links[edit]

Cleveland's Flats Industrial Railroad on YouTube (channel NorfolkSouthernModel)

[REG-FIR-1] "Vol. 66, No. 221/Thursday, November 15, 2001/Notices STB Finance Docket No. 34108". Federal Register. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-20.

[BTS-FROO-2] "Table 1-13: Freight Railroads Operating in Ohio by Class: 2000". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-06-25.

[RRB-TE2006-3] "TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY STATE AND LAST RAILROAD EMPLOYER - CALENDAR YEAR 2014" (PDF). Railroad Retirement Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-06-18.

[4] Sosland, Josh (2020-04-24). "Grain Craft closing flour mill in Cleveland". World Grain. Retrieved 2022-02-27.

[5] "Flats Industrial Railroad rare move". Retrieved 2022-02-27.

[6] "Railroad Safety Statistics 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-07-28. ^{[dead link]}

[7] "Railroad Safety Statistics 2004 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-07-28.

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v t e Railroads of Ohio
Common carriers	Akron Barberton Cluster Railway Ann Arbor Railroad Ashland Railway Ashtabula, Carson and Jefferson Railroad Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad CSX Transportation Camp Chase Railway Canadian National Railway Central Railroad of Indiana Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad Cleveland Commercial Railroad Cleveland Works Railway Columbus and Ohio River Railroad Flats Industrial Railroad Indiana Eastern Railroad Indiana Northeastern Railroad Indiana and Ohio Railway Kanawha River Railroad Lake Terminal Railroad Mahoning Valley Railway Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railroad Newburgh and South Shore Railroad Norfolk Southern Railway Northern Ohio and Western Railway Ohi-Rail Corporation Ohio Central Railroad Ohio Southern Railroad Ohio Terminal Railway R.J. Corman Railroad/Cleveland Line R.J. Corman Railroad/Western Ohio Lines Republic N&T Railroad U S Rail Corporation Warren and Trumbull Railroad Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Youngstown and Austintown Railroad Youngstown and Southeastern Railroad Youngstown Belt Railroad
Private carriers	AK Steel Centrus Dupps Company Railservice Temperance Yard Corporation U.S. Rail Corporation
Passenger carriers	Amtrak RTA Rapid Transit
Heritage railroads	Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad Byesville Scenic Railway Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Hocking Valley Scenic Railway Lake Shore Railway Association Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway Zanesville & Western Scenic Railroad
See also: Former carriers in Ohio List of United States railroads by political division