Very nice photo of the start up of the ND&W, which I presume stands for the Napoleon Defiance & Western? Back when the N&W/NS still owned and operated this line (I believe it was called the "Maumee District"), I was assigned to assist signal maintainer J.J. Rettig cut down the abandoned pole line in Defiance during the spring or early summer of 1982. I had about six months seniority at the time and I was thrilled with the opportunity to see some different territory besides the former Wabash main line between Detroit and Montpelier, Ohio. At this time, the track between the tire plant near Woodburn and Toledo was in dire need of major work. NS did some tie and surfacing work, but just enough to keep the FRA "happy" and the line open. While it's possible the 4154 worked this line at some point, I seem to recall GP7's, 9's, 30's and 35's working in and out of Defiance. Back then, the GP38AC's were still considered "new" power and most generally were assigned to main line manifest freights. I do wish I had taken my camera to work back then, but being a camera-toting "railfan" and a professional railroader at the same time was frowned upon and an open invitation for ridicule and ribbing by co-workers. So, for many, many years, I worked in a lot of interesting places and have only my memories. I'm very interested in seeing what Pioneer Rail does with this line and I do hope you'll continue to chronicle the changes (and hopefully some major track work!) in the months and years ahead.
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