This line began in 1887 under the direction of the Cincinnati, Hamilton
and Dayton Railroad (CH&D). It reached Ft. Wayne in 1895. Its original name was
the New York, Mahoning and Western Railroad. After several name changes, it
became the Findlay, Fort Wayne and Western Railroad. It connected to the T&OC
West Division in Findlay, and to the Pennsylvania and Wabash Railroads on the
east side of Fort Wayne. This short-lived line once ran between Findlay, Ohio
and Fort Wayne. It was constructed in the late 19th Century due to high demand
for natural gas. Findlay was a major natural gas supplier at that period in
time. The FF&W also had passenger service, including a Pullman car via the
Pennsylvania Railroad. The line entered Indiana at Baldwin (right on the state
line) and then passed through Townley. It curved northwest into Fort Wayne,
basically paralleling north of today's US 30. The line ended at the Wabash
Railroad near Winter St. The FF&W was abandoned in 1919 and today there are
still some remnants of the line in the area.
In 1904, an extension was built to connect it to the CH&D's Delphos-Dayton
Branch (also abandoned).
In 1916, the Baltimore and Ohio bought the CH&D, and immediately removed
the connection. The B&O had no use for the line, and by 1919, the entire
line was abandoned, except for a small portion from the Cincinnati Northern
(also abandoned, see Jackson, MI to Franklin, OH) at Haviland to Grover Hill.
This was removed in 1920. Various roads now occupy much of the right-of-way.

Findlay, Ft. Wayne & Western train, Findlay, Ohio Photo around 1890
The Findlay & Ft. Wayne Railroad that was also a part of Findlay's
railroad history. The line is gone now but according to some old railroad
maps I could find, it ran across Northwest Ohio through Findlay and other
communities including Benton Ridge, Gilboa & Ottawa on its way to Ft. Wayne.
Unfortunately, the line was short lived and disappeared from railroad maps
of the time in the mid 1920s.
Locomotive 7642 on its last run to Vanlue, Ohio. Rhis section closed in 1932
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