Railroad Car Barn

Railroad Car Barn. . , This building is a reproduction of the center bays of the original Sylvania interurban car barn. It was located on South Main Street at Ten Mile Creek (near Sautter's Foodcenter). It houses two important pieces of Sylvania's rail history. , , The electric Baldwin-Westinghouse Locomotive #403 was built in 1915. Electric locomotives were built as replacements for steam locomotives, which were notorious polluters and had a dangerous tendency for accidents in steam-filled terminals. Weighing 63 tons, it was the heaviest and with four 125hp motors it was the most powerful locomotive owned by the Toledo and Western Railway. The interurban railway operated from 1901 until 1935. It linked Toledo to Morenci, Michigan and Pioneer, Ohio via Sylvania and was used for both freight and passengers. , , The cupola-style wooden caboose No. 90781, was built in Butler, Pennsylvania by the Standard Steel Car Company in 1924. It is fully restored and is similar to the one used by The Toledo, Angola and Western Railway. This railroad, nicknamed "the Goatline," was 8 1/4 miles of track that linked the Sylvania area stone quarries to the world. Lacking a turntable, and because the engine was placed on the tracks heading away from Toledo, it would have to puff backwards each morning (with the caboose in the lead) and returned at the head pulling empty cars back to the quarries in the afternoon. , , These two railways were of great importance to the growth of Toledo, Sylvania and Northwest Ohio in the 20th century. , , Sign Sponsored By: Reeb Funeral Home