Flats Industrial

Company History: The FIR is a 1996 spin-off of Conrail operating 4 miles of line in Cleveland’s Flats District. The line opened with a single SW1001 and one employee. Thanks to increased traffic, FIR now runs two SW1200’s and an SW1500 and has added a bit to the employee ranks as well. FIR’s claim to engineering fame is a 260’ Warren through truss vertical lift bridge over the Cuyahoga River. The entire railroad consists of a mainline with four sidings and 10 spurs – a fine subject for a switching layout.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.