Towns and Nature: Maple Grove, OH: Maple Grove (DN) Tower: NS/NKP vs. NOW/Pennsy and Carmeuse Cement

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Maple Grove, OH: Maple Grove (DN) Tower: NS/NKP vs. NOW/Pennsy and Carmeuse Cement

NOW = Northern Ohio & Western Railway

This "town" is more railroad and industry than residential.

Mark Hinsdale posted
Maple Grove OH
A westbound Norfolk & Western merchandise train bangs across Conrail's ex Pennsylvania Railroad Carrothers Branch at "DN" Tower in Maple Grove, Ohio on a sunny February, 1978 afternoon. The train is on the former Nickel Plate Road main line between Bellevue and Fostoria OH, where NKP's fleet of 2-8-4 Berkshire Type steam locomotives, once provided Nickel Plate Road's famous "High Speed Service" between Buffalo and Chicago. February, 1978 photo by Mark Hinsdale
Mark Hinsdale shared

FMLT Railroad, Oct 2021
[A Google search of "FMLT railroad" did not find anything informative. I presume that it is an industrial railroad that internally switches the many covered hoppers I saw in a satellite image.]

It looks like parts of Ohio also have limestone close to the surface.

Satellite

The quarry has grown quite a bit since 1960. The railroad spur has also crossed N County Rd 31 to add a connection to the NOW tracks.

1960 Tiffen North Quad @ 24,000

The plant has two kilns, a pile of coal and covered hopper loaders, so it makes cement.

Satellite

In addition to the NOW connection, NS is also serves the plant. This satellite image caught them switching the plant. I added a blue line between two long cuts of cars that were setting on their mainline. The cut on the right has two locomotives on the frontend. I have not figured out what kind of liquid product is handled by the tank cars and the big tanks.