Flats Industrial Railroad

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gaugeLength4 miles (6 km)^[1][2]

Flats Industrial Railroad vertical lift bridge
Flats Industrial Railroad vertical lift bridge
Coordinates	41°29′31.5″N 81°41′59.25″W / 41.492083°N 81.6997917°W / 41.492083; -81.6997917 (FIR vertical lift bridge)
Carries	Flats Industrial Railroad
Crosses	Cuyahoga River
Locale	Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Maintained by	Flats Industrial Railroad
Characteristics
Design	Metal Riveted Warren Through Truss, Stationary, Vertical lift bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	260 feet (79.2 m)
Longest span	260 feet (79.2 m)
No. of spans	1
Piers in water	0
History
Opened	1953
Location

v t e Flats Industrial Railroad
Technical Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Length 4 miles (6.4 km)
Legend
Cuyahoga River Cuyahoga River EOL Cuyahoga River EOL ? siding Merwin Level crossing Merwin EOL Merwin EOL ? siding Fall Switch Fall-Leonard switch Fall Level crossing ? EOL ? EOL ? siding ? EOL ? siding French switch Leonard switch CUT (GCRTA Red Line) Viaduct Columbus-French switch Columbus-French-Leonard Level crossing Columbus-Leonard switch ? Clark ? Clark Cuyahoga River Vertical-lift bridge ? Clark Carter Level crossing ? Clark 10 miles (16 km) Carter-Old River EOL Carter-Scranton EOL ? siding ? switch ? switch ? switch DK Yard ? switch OH-10, Lorain 1932-1001.3-1801503 Overpass ? switch ? switch ? Clark Abbey 1991-333.2-1870084 Overpass Clark-? switch ? siding Willey EOL Willey Level crossing ? Clark US-42, W.25 1912-208.8-1803301 Overpass ? Clark ? RR Overpass ? switch ? switch DK Yard Fulton 1901-148.4-1869663 Overpass DK Yard I-90 1975-161.5-1807870 Overpass ? switch ? switch 14 miles (23 km) CUT-Clark Border

v t e Cleveland Union Terminal Branch
Technical Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Length 4 miles (6.4 km)
Legend
? Yard CUT Overpass CUT GCRTA Red, Blue, Green Overpass CUT Interstate 77 Overpass CUT E.37 Underpass CUT- Switch CUT- Switch CUT- Switch CUT- Switch CUT- Switch CUT- Branch Broadway-E.34 Overpass CUT ? Switch Rockefeller Overpass CUT ? EOL CUT CUT CUT Canal underpass CUT W.3 underpass CUT CUT Interstate 90 Overpass CUT Cuyahoga River CUT University underpass CUT Abbey 1991-333.2-1870084 Overpass CUT-? branch CUT-? switch CUT Fairfield-Scranton 1910-62.5-1840444 underpass CUT Willey 1909-33.2-1840606 underpass CUT ? crossover US-42, W.25 1912-208.8-1803301 Overpass CUT CUT-? switch CUT-? branch Train underpass CUT Fulton 1901-148.4-1869663 Overpass CUT I-90 1975-161.5-1807870 Overpass CUT-? branch CUT-? switch CUT-Clark Flats Industrial Railroad Border 14 miles (23 km) CP Knob switch W.41 1930-158.2-1833707 Overpass CUT W.44 Overpass CUT W.53 1993-150-1870092 Overpass CUT Clark 1906-42.7-1840118 underpass CUT ? CrossOver W.65 1914-34.4-1869760 underpass CUT ? Switch CUT Denison Overpass CUT CUT-? Wye CUT ? Switch CUT ? CrossOver CUT Clinton underpass CUT I-71 underpass ? switch Lindale Yard CUT-? branch

The Flats Industrial Railroad (reporting mark FIR) is a Class III railroad that provides short-line commercial/industrial switching service in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, primarily with CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Trains have run in the Cuyahoga Valley since the 1880s. In 1880, the Valley Railway began operations, transporting coal to Cleveland, Akron, and Canton from the Tuscarawas River Valley and providing passenger service along the way. After a decade of operation, the Valley Railway became part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In the 20th century, competition from automobiles, trucks, and buses caused the decline of both freight and passenger service.

Right-of-way ownership shifted over the years from Valley Railway to the Cleveland Terminal & Valley Railway (CT&V), to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to the Chessie System.

Flats Industrial Railroad acquired its rails and right-of-way within the Flats District (Cleveland) from former Conrail. As of 2009, the Class III Short Line railroad operates as the Flats Industrial Railroad Company. The railroad operates on weekdays, reportedly around 7:00 to 10:00AM. At one time, they used to have a sand trans-loading business to keep themselves busy while not switching at Cleveland's Cereal Food Processors elevator. They also used to serve fatty oils and synthetic esters producer, "Werner G. Smith." They interchange with the Norfolk Southern in a yard between Fulton Road and W.41 Street in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cloggsville Line, operated by Norfolk Southern, serves that yard.

As recently as 2014, FIR had only two employees.^[3]

In April 2020, the railroad's primary customer, the Grain Craft flour mill on Merwin Avenue, announced it would be closing due to "challenging market dynamics and long-term supply chain obstacles."^[4]

Flats Industrial Railroad initially operated one switching locomotive, later adding a second locomotive, until 2021 when SW1200 #1202 was sold to the Davenport Industrial Railroad in Davenport, Iowa.^[5]

• EMD SW1500 #1222

In 2005, FIR reported a single Highway-Rail Crossing incident, no other accidents, and no one killed or injured.^[6] From 1996 to 2004 and 2006–2020, FIR did not report any accidents (train, highway-rail crossing, other incidents).^[7]

• Cleveland railroad history
• List of crossings of the Cuyahoga River

• Cleveland's Flats Industrial Railroad on YouTube (channel NorfolkSouthernModel)