Eastern Railroad Discussion > Flats Industrial Railroad rare move

On March 12th the Flats Industrial Railroad in Cleveland, Ohio made a run to deliver their former 1202 to the NS for shipment west. It was purchased by the Davenport Industrial Railroad late last year. Any move on the FIR these days is a bonus since their main customer shut down. This was the first move over the Cuyahoga River lift bridge since last summer. In the first photo the FIR 1222/DIR 1202 pair wait as the bridge goes back up after they crossed it. The other two photos are the two units side by side at the NS interchange.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

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Three photos, 2 after the 1202 was delivered as they returned to their yard and another of the pair at the bridge.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/21 15:57 by EL833.

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A test lift was done the day before to ensure there were no issues with the lift bridge. Here is a photo looking through the bridge once it was down.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

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Nice catch Roger !  I believe that before it was lake Teminal 1202 it started out as LV 289. Good to see it going to another line and hopefully kept working. Love the symmetry of that last shot through the bridge.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/21 15:58 by perklocal.

That "tower" looks as if it might be manned. Do they still have an "operator" or "bridge tender" working there? Is it staffed as needed or does somebody man it in hopes of a move that never comes?

Andy

EL833 Wrote:
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> On March 12th the Flats Industrial Railroad in
> Cleveland, Ohio made a run to deliver their former
> 1202 to the NS for shipment west. It was purchased
> by the Davenport Industrial Railroad late last
> year. Any move on the FIR these days is a bonus
> since their main customer shut down. This was the
> first move over the Cuyahoga River lift bridge
> since last summer. In the first photo the FIR
> 1222/DIR 1202 pair wait as the bridge goes back up
> after they crossed it. The other two photos are
> the two units side by side at the NS interchange.

Fantastic bridge.  Is there any builder's plate?

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

wheel_slip Wrote:
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> That "tower" looks as if it might be manned. Do
> they still have an "operator" or "bridge tender"
> working there? Is it staffed as needed or does
> somebody man it in hopes of a move that never
> comes?
 Andy

That tower is the FIR offices as well as housing the bridge controls. It's manned only as needed these days. It's always in the up position otherwise due to lots of freighter traffic on the Cuyahoga.
 

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

perklocal Wrote:
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> Nice catch Roger !  I believe that before it was
> lake Teminal 1202 it started out as LV 289. Good
> to see it going to another line and hopefully kept
> working. Love the symmetry of that last shot
> through the bridge.

  Thanks Rod. I'm guessing somewhere along the line LV 289, built as an SW-9, was rebuilt into the SW1200 it is today.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

Great day Roger.  Rare move with great light and cool that you included the transit trains in two of them.

That's a lot of bridge to no where!
Sad!
Thanks for the post.
Go

Right place at the right time !
Excellent images.
Gary

Roger, how did you find out about the move in advance?
Does the FIR have and lesser customers left after the flour mill closed?

Excellent photos Roger. Glad I shot these guys, although rosters- one of the neatest railroads ive come across.

Cool stuff old buddy! I actually like the last shot best. What a great perspective of the bridge's infrastructure!

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

Roger,
Curious? When was that bridge built? Looks like a 1950 or later creation. 
Such a shame to lose the little business the railroad had.
Go