Call me a hopeless romantic, a dreamer, maybe even someone who is blinded by optimism, but the pulling into the intermodal yard last night, of a train from the Port of Toledo, seemed historic!

Parts that were manufactured in Austria, then assembled, then numbered, then disassembled and put in containers, on an ocean going vessel, for a trip to our little corner of the world seems to be a pretty cool thing to me! This is something that I would have never imagined in my youth, growing up here in NB. I would not have imagined it 5 years ago, and even though it is there and happening as we speak, many of us still do not believe it, nor comprehend what will happen to our town!

The train was carrying into the new intermodal yard, about 70 containers, that were unloaded from the Beluga Fanfare at the Port of Toledo, earlier in the week. In the containers are the parts that will make the FIVE giant, ultra efficient electric cranes spring to life. The cranes are going to be over 100 yards wide and must be around 100 feet tall!


This is one of the shorter sections of the spans coming through town last evening.

Wide loads have been passing through NB's 4-way stop at State Street and Route 18 all week. With many of the 30 steel beams being over 100 feet long, you can imagine how wide a swing would have to be made! All this in preparation for an opening of the yard next year. Over 200 jobs will be created in the yard. There are estimates that 2,600 jobs will be developed in the area (just how big of an area, is yet unclear, but I am saying in all of Northwest Ohio).

We hope that the assembly of the giants will go well and safely and within budget for CSX and the contractors! Good Luck and welcome to the North Baltimore Area!


As the container train pulls slowly into the yard and sunset, we should look forward to the sunrise and the new day that is dawning for NB. Sure, there are drawbacks and negatives, but if you can not see all of the potential and good things that WILL come from this project, well, maybe you need to have your glasses checked???