Railroad: Ohio & Morenci Railroad Company, The

The Ohio & Morenci railroad was created in 1933 to purchase the Toledo & Western railroad along the Michigan-Ohio border in Lucas, Fulton, and Lenawee counties. It operated from Allen Jct. in Ohio to Morenci in Michigan, about 24 miles. The line was abandoned in 1950.

Toledo & Western railroad → Ohio & Morenci Railroad → Ended

Bought: 1933 - in Morenci and lines from Sylvania Township (Ohio) to Wakefield Corners. Later part of Toledo & Western.

Operated for 21 years.

Operations Ended: 1854 - discontinued Michigan operations.

Reference: [MRRC]

Photo Info: Westbound O&M No. 52 is photographed in Ohio, heading towards Michigan. [Jim Tarbell photo, Doug Leffler collection].

Notes

This company went bankrupt several times.

Construction of the T&W began in 1900 west from Toledo. The line was completed to Sylvania in 1901 and then northwest to Adrian as far as the Wabash railroad tracks the same year. An underpass was finished in 1903 permitting access to the Adrian City lines and downtown.

The main line of the road was built west from Allen Junction and reaching Fayette, Ohio in 1902. It terminated at Pioneer, Ohio in 1903. This line veered into Michigan to reach the city of Morenci. The company handled both passenger and freight traffic, the later which continued even after interurban service was eliminated. Two freight trains were operated daily as early as 1902. The Wabash, DT&I and Toledo Terminal all interchanged with this line. Railway Postal Service also used this line to reach these small towns.

Time Line

1902. The main line of the road was built west from Allen Junction and reaching Fayette, Ohio in 1902.

1906 The line was sold to the Everett-Moore syndicate. Thereafter, the line was mainly devoted to hauling Willy's automobiles from Fitch Yard in Toledo and an interchange with the Wabash at Adrian. Traffic reached 13,000 cars per year (34 per day) and was 83% of the roads total traffic.

1933. Passenger service was discontinued when the U.S. Mail service was discontinued.

1933. When the railroad applied for abandonment of the Allen Jct. to Pioneer line in 1933, two local companies continued to operate much of it  under the names Pioneer & Fayette, and Ohio & Morenci, using gasoline locomotives. 

1933. Bought in Morenci and lines from Sylvania Township (Ohio) to Wakefield Corners. Later part of Toledo & Western.

1935. The T&W abandoned the Adrian to Toledo line, but 12.5 miles were preserved from Adrian to Riga, this time by the Blissfield Railroad, an affiliate of the O&M.  Electric power was used until September, 1936. 

1950. The O&M petitions the MPUC to tear up four miles of track in southern Michigan. [BCE-1950-0227]