Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad was the second railroad to be built and operated in the U.S. state of Ohio
(the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad was first, beginning operations in Toledo during the Toledo War
in 1836). It was also the first railroad company chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains
.
, for construction on September 17, 1835 at the site which is currently Battery Park Marina. On December 2, 1837, the MR&LE took delivery of its first steam locomotive
, Sandusky
, built by Rogers, Ketchum and Grosvenor
of Paterson, New Jersey
. Sandusky was also the first locomotive built by Rogers and the first to include features such as cast iron
driving wheel
s and counterweights. The locomotive's transportation from New Jersey
was overseen by Thomas Hogg, the railroad's chief mechanical engineer.
The MR&LE used a rail gauge
of , a gauge that soon became known as "Ohio gauge".
Construction continued on the MR&LE, reaching Tiffin
by 1841 and Kenton
in 1846. The railroad was completed to Springfield
in 1849. Over the next several decades, the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad changed ownership at least four times. In 1892, it came under the control of the Big Four Railroad (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad), which itself became part of the New York Central Railroad
. Most of the original MR&LE lines were abandoned by Penn Central at the advent of Conrail in 1976, if not earlier. However, a portion between Bellefontaine
and Springfield continues in operation by RailAmerica
's Indiana and Ohio Central Railroad.
Most of the MR&LE lines that once ran through Downtown Sandusky have been removed, but structures created for the railroad can still be seen today. The break wall directly southeast of the Battery Park Marina and the Sandusky Police Station is one of these structures. It once supported tracks, although the bridge connecting the end of the break wall to the main land has been removed to allow larger boats to pass through to several apartments with boat garages. In addition, tracks serving the Norfolk Southern coal docks located west of downtown still use a small portion of the original MR&LE right-of-way.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad was first, beginning operations in Toledo during the Toledo War
Toledo War
The Toledo War , also known as the Michigan-Ohio War, was the almost entirely bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan....
in 1836). It was also the first railroad company chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
History
The railroad first broke ground in SanduskySandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, for construction on September 17, 1835 at the site which is currently Battery Park Marina. On December 2, 1837, the MR&LE took delivery of its first steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, Sandusky
Sandusky (locomotive)
Sandusky was the name of a steam railroad locomotive, a 4-2-0, built in the United States. This locomotive included engineering features that hadn't been used before in locomotive construction and it played an integral role in the railroad history of Ohio....
, built by Rogers, Ketchum and Grosvenor
Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works
Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works was a 19th-century manufacturer of railroad steam locomotives based in Paterson, in Passaic County, New Jersey, in the United States. It built more than six thousand steam locomotives for railroads around the world. Most railroads in 19th-century United States...
of Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. Sandusky was also the first locomotive built by Rogers and the first to include features such as cast iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s and counterweights. The locomotive's transportation from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
was overseen by Thomas Hogg, the railroad's chief mechanical engineer.
The MR&LE used a rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
of , a gauge that soon became known as "Ohio gauge".
Construction continued on the MR&LE, reaching Tiffin
Tiffin, Ohio
Tiffin is a city in and the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,135 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Tiffin as a Tree City USA....
by 1841 and Kenton
Kenton, Ohio
Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. It is named for Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton...
in 1846. The railroad was completed to Springfield
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
in 1849. Over the next several decades, the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad changed ownership at least four times. In 1892, it came under the control of the Big Four Railroad (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad), which itself became part of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
. Most of the original MR&LE lines were abandoned by Penn Central at the advent of Conrail in 1976, if not earlier. However, a portion between Bellefontaine
Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
and Springfield continues in operation by RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
's Indiana and Ohio Central Railroad.
Most of the MR&LE lines that once ran through Downtown Sandusky have been removed, but structures created for the railroad can still be seen today. The break wall directly southeast of the Battery Park Marina and the Sandusky Police Station is one of these structures. It once supported tracks, although the bridge connecting the end of the break wall to the main land has been removed to allow larger boats to pass through to several apartments with boat garages. In addition, tracks serving the Norfolk Southern coal docks located west of downtown still use a small portion of the original MR&LE right-of-way.