Toledo Railroads

The advent of the railroad–a major mode of transportation and an important link to industry–forged the interworkings of a nation, and especially the City of Toledo due to its location on the harbor. In 1850, rail companies began moving in, and Toledo soon became a central connecting point for railroads, bridging the gap between cities like Chicago and Cleveland and Detroit and Cincinnati, making coal available to cities everywhere. Just after the turn of the 20th century, there were 20 different railroads servicing Toledo with four different main stations, providing employment for the town and shaping its commerce and architecture. Today, many of the railroads have been lost to evolution of the city and mergers of the railroad. This book preserves their history through vintage images of trains, rail yards, stations, roundhouses, towers, bridges, and special trains.