Akron Barberton Cluster

Company History: Akron Barberton Cluster is the result of Wheeling & Lake Erie's purchase and reorganization of the Akron & Barberton Belt in 1994. ABCR has been busy the last two decades. They've abandoned a short segment, bought another, obtained some trackage rights and expanded the line from the East Akron - Barberton – Rittman, Ohio area into Ravenna and Canton. Two SW1500's and an SW1200 keep the traffic moving today.

Successor/Parent History: The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (reporting mark WLE) was a Class I railroad mostly within the U.S. state of Ohio. It was leased to the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road) in 1949, and merged into the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1988. A new regional railroad reused the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway name in 1990 when it acquired most of the former W&LE from the N&W.

At the end of 1944, W&LE operated 507 miles of road and 1003 miles of track; that year it reported 2371 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 0.002 million passenger-miles.

The current Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (reporting mark WE) is a Class II regional railroad that provides freight service, mainly in the U.S. state of Ohio. It took its name from the former Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, most of which it bought from the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1990.

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