Cube On The Cuyahoga. The Flats Industrial Railroad is a Class III railroad in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio. The line went through a long history of Class I operation with railroads, with successor ownership from Conrail until 1996 when the FIR was created. The line is so named for serving customers in the Flats area of Cleveland. On the night of Wednesday, February 3, 2021, FIR 1202 (SW1200) sits by the lift bridge that leads to their interchange partner, Norfolk Southern, with Tower City in the background. In April of 2020, Grain Craft flour mill announced its closure, leaving the railroad without a single active customer. This locomotive was sold to the Davenport Industrial Railroad in Davenport, Iowa in 2021. Although another group had proposed to step in and take over no subsequent filings were made, and on September 14, 2023, the Surface Transportation Board ruled that railroad may remove signals, rails and other equipment from its operation.
