Huron to Norwalk, OH

This abandoned railway was built in 1871 as a narrow-gauge railroad to connect the docks at Huron to Norwalk, Ohio. This was actually the Wheeling & Lake Erie's (W&LE) first line. It was converted to standard gauge in 1880, and its southern terminus at Norwalk was later connected to the newly-built (and still active) mainline that runs between Toledo and the Ohio River.

In 1949, the W&LE became part of the Nickel Plate Road (NKP); this line was connected to the NKP mainline (now operated by Norfolk Southern) in 1952. In 1964, the NKP became part of the Norfolk & Western railway, to become Norfolk Southern in the early 1980s. The last Norfolk Southern train to run on this track was in the early 1980s.

In 1990, Norfolk Southern sold off portions of their lines to the reborn W&LE, including this line. However, this line from the ex-NKP connection south was never used by the "new" W&LE, and it was subsequently abandoned in 1992.

Today, a small portion of this line is in use to connect the Huron docks with the ex-NKP mainline. Beyond that, it has been abandoned. A rail-trail, The Huron River Greenway, has been constructed on a few miles of right-of way on the northern portion of this line. Unfortunately, due to a property dispute between neighboring residents and the Erie County Metroparks, this trail has been closed indefinitely as of Fall, 2007.

Looking north on the ROW, between Milan and Norwalk. Crossties a...
Looking north on the ROW, between Milan and Norwalk. Crossties are still in place. Photo by Aaron M.
The right-of-way as it parallels US Route 250. This photo was ta...
The right-of-way as it parallels US Route 250. This photo was taken from the parking lot of an adjacent fast-food restaurant. Photo by Aaron M.
Looking north on the right-of-way in Norwalk. The crossties and ...
Looking north on the right-of-way in Norwalk. The crossties and trestles have been removed here. Photo by Aaron M.
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