Rail line through Helena, Ohio

[Hoosierailnut]

Whats the line that crosses US 6 in Helena and how often is it used anymore?

[catfoodflambe]

I believe that is the old Pennsy Detroit line, which left the Pittsburgh- Chicago mainline at Toledo Junction ( just west of Mansfield ).

I think a short line runs the lines southeast from Toledo, although I don't know how far.

[matt]

The line is the old Pennsy main. From Woodville to the B&O interchange at Tiffin, including Helena, the line is operated by the Northern Ohio and Western.

Probably 1-2 trains daily but it's basically "local" work.

[Hoosierailnut]

What Kind of customers do they have and how many engines do they own?
Does the line still use position light signals at the interlockings?

[matt]

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... 1&z=17&w=1

I'm sure they serve the chemical (DOW?) facility in Woodville. There are numerous quarries along the line. Businesses may also be found in Burgoon and Gibsonburg.

Use the link from where it meets the B&O in Tiffin and follow it north into Walbridge to at least see where business once was.

[chessie8212]

The Northern Ohio & Western is owned by Omnitrax and usually operates two locomotives. The line is dark, except for the interchange with the NS at Maple Grove and there the signal is a simple searchlight style signal. Most traffic on this line is indeed quarry traffic near Woodville, but the NOW also serves the above mentioned chemical plant as well as a few businesses/industries in the Tiffin area. Best bets to see this line in action are in Tiffin in the morning hours and Maple Grove in the mid afternoon.

Here is a photo of the only locomotive with the name of the NOW on it.

[MR77100]

That locomotive is ex-C&NW. It was purchased by the NOW in 1995. I have video of the unit doing switching of the NS interchange at Maple Grove. I believe the NOW has 2 other chop-nosed geeps. One is painted white and yellow with no lettering, and other is blue and white and lettered for Omnitrax.

[chessie8212]

Thanks for the info on that loco... I was wondering where it came from!
As last I knew, the NOW has the blue one, a green and yellow one lettered for OmniTrax, and every once and awhile a blue/gray loco lettered as OmniTrax shows up.
They store their locos near the American Standard plant in Tiffin. There is a wye track there where one loco sits on the main and the second loco sits on one of the wye tracks.

Here is the only other one I have seen there on a regular basis with the above photographed locomotive.

[MR77100]

When I was in Tiffin in 1999, all three locos were sitting in by the wye. I'm not sure what model the ex-C&NW is, but the other 2 units were GP9's.