Toledo "Cloverleaf Yard?"

[animatrixie]

I posted this question in another area on this forum yesterday, but this one seems more appropriate.

While doing some family history research a few months ago in Toledo, I discovered that a relative of mine had been hit by a train and killed at the "Cloverleaf Yard." It was in the early 1900s and they lived on Lorain Street at the time. Is there anyone out there who can tell me what this is, a little bit about what it was used for at the turn of the last century and whether I can still find the area the Cloverleaf Yard is in present day?

Thanks in advance!

[BaltOhio]

I'm no expert on Toledo, having been there maybe four or five timesin my life (living 12 years in Cleveland was more than enough), so take this for what it's worth.

First off, the "Clover Leaf Route", more formally the Toledo, St. Louis & Western, was absorbed by the Nickel Plate in 1922, and afterward it formed the NKP's route into Toledo.

The yard itself appears to have been (maybe still is) SW of the city center at the point where South St. crossed the former NKP track, and also adjacent to Prouty, which appears to have dead-ended at the yard.

[nycrick]

That yard is gone although 1 track still remains, it ends at South Ave. The old RoW is still clearly discernable all the way to downtown where the NKP passenger station was at the corner of Erie & LaFayette Sts. I'm not sure this track was ever officially abandoned with the ICC. There was also a small yard where the NKP interchanged with the TTRR at Gould.

[jimnorthwood]

The short-lived Toledo Central operated on the former CloverLeaf between South Ave and the former interchange near the Toledo Zoo. Actually, sections of the former CloverLeaf are still in place beyond South Avenue. If you follow the Anthony Wayne Trail where it passes beneath Interstate 75 you can see some rail still in place underneath the overpass. One of the bridges on this route where it crosses over the NS Water Level Route was raised about 12 inches a couple of years ago. And I'm pretty sure that none of this route was ever formally abandoned with the ICC or STB. When the Toledo Central started up a few years ago an article that I read noted that the TC was leasing the track from NS. For whatever reason NS has maintained title to this track and probably the rest of the right of way into downtown.

[WNYRailfan]

Please consult the Toledo Terminal Railway Map from 1944

http://www.railsandtrails.com/Maps/Tole ... /index.htm

This map shows the Clover Leaf Yard in Toledo just South of South Ave.

It also shows the Clover Leaf trackage as it enters Toledo and dead ends at the freight house on Erie St. The tracks still are in North of Western Ave. all the way to Erie St. and dead end near where the freight house was.

[nycrick]

The Fall 2000 issue of CLASSIC TRAINS has a 10 page article about the "Cloverleaf".