Additional Tuesday morning rail news:
Fundraising effort begins to save Union City, Ind., tower
Union City, Ind., via YouTube
A fundraising effort has launched to save a former CSX interlocking tower in Union City, Ind., which is scheduled for demolition. The Winchester News Gazette reports the “Save the Rail Tower” effort seeks to raise $50,000 by March 25 for funds to move the tower; if that goal is reached, the project will receive a $50,000 matching grant. The tower would be moved a few hundred feet into the Artisan Crossing park, where it would become a multipurpose building. More information is available and donations to the campaign, announced by Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Union City Mayor Chad Spence, are available at the Patronicity and Union City websites. As of Tuesday morning, the effort has already raised more than $8,000. Union City is about 30 miles east of Muncie and 80 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
Former CN, CP executive to head effort to build line to Ontario’s ‘Ring of Fire’
Former Canadian National and Canadian Pacific executive Tony Marquis has been named as the head of Canada Chrome Corp., which seeks to build a new rail line to the “Ring of Fire” area of Northern Ontario, a project which would cover more than 200 miles and cost up to C$2 billion. The Sault Star reports the project to reach chromite ore would connect to an existing CN line at Nakina, about 375 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie; Marquis says the project would take three years to build after receiving the necessary permits and is not contingent on government funding. The first step will be environmental assessment, with the Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations taking a lead role. “It’s great to open up prosperity for the First Nations and it’s been wallowing for 12 years now,” Marquis tells the newspaper, “so I think it’s time to do a reboot and get moving with it.”
Operation Toy Train adds, seeks to restore Erie cabooses
Three former Erie cabooses and a TTX flatcar have been acquired by Operation Toy Train, the New York-New Jersey non-profit which operates an annual toy-collection special train. The equipment will be displayed at the new Port Jervis (N.Y.) Transportation Museum. The Township Journal reports two of the cabooses were built at Erie’s Dunmore, Pa., shops in 1941 and 1946, respectively; the third caboose was built by International Car Co. in Canton, Ohio. Operation Toy Train is soliciting funds to restore the cabooses; more information is available at the Operation Toy Train website.
