Cereal plant in Cleveland

[Mike Kieran]

There's buildings that I know that you would think should be condemned, but are fully functional. It varies with the structure. Some structures were built to handle heavier load bearings, but have industries that don't put as much weight on the structure. As long as the foundation, plumbing, electrical, and roof work, then the building is usable.

[faraway]

On the roof of the mill in Cleveland is technical equipment installed. Neither Google nor Bing is clear enough to see all details but I think there are two "boxes" (a larger and a smaller) and a lot of pipes. It is all white painted.

I will do some freelance there but I would like to know what it is used for at the prototype.

It might be some kind of air condition or some kind of (dust?) filter. Do we have someone with us who knows or has an educated guess what is mounted on the roof of the mill in Cleveland?

[Mike Kieran]

It looks like an air conditioning system. Maybe to eliminate humidity from the flour or to just keep the workers comfortable?

[eje]

               

These images were taken May, 2011. I cannot help y'all with the rooftop machinery. I do know there has been an elevator at that location seemingly forever. Also, there is another sizable brick structure across Merwin Street that, at one time at least, was associated with the main structure. Back in the early '70's this industry was extremely busy and tended to operate around the clock, but it may have been a different owner/industry then. The photographer's location in the Trackmobile video (south of the elevator) was a multi-track stub yard for the facility. Prior to Penn Central this was switched by NYC (Big Four). I recall being down there around 2AM one incredibly cold morning and the scene was amazing; there must have been a dozen guys working really hard to keep the ice out of the flangeways while the operation proceeded. Back then there were a couple really great rock n roll clubs within a couple blocks, and that was a happening part of the Flats.

[Mike Kieran]

What amazing shots. I remember hitting some restaurants, bars, and clubs in The Flats (that's all that I remember). I don't remember seeing a railroad around there though. I do remember what a great looking industrial area it would be to model.

[eje]

This part of the Flats hasn't been 'hip' for a good thirty years! I should add that the cereal plant area was brilliantly illuminated with that harsh yellowish lighting, and on a cold winter night the steam lines and switching and trucks made for quite a dramatic scene. Until the mid-'70's B&O had a small trans-loading yard located about four blocks to the northeast between the river and Columbus Road, with a spur that diagonally crossed and then ran south parallel to Columbus Road. It crossed the cereal plant lead at grade and served, IIRC, Cleveland Waste Paper. All the B&O track is long gone. Where the NYC stub yard was located, Flats Industrial now has two stub tracks, but I'm not certain how or if they are used.

[faraway]

That fine photos show how important the area around the building is. I missed a lot of the atmosphere because I did the building only. Thank you very much for posting!

[Mike Kieran]

This part of the Flats hasn't been 'hip' for a good thirty years! I should add that the cereal plant area was brilliantly illuminated with that harsh yellowish lighting, and on a cold winter night the steam lines and switching and trucks made for quite a dramatic scene. Until the mid-'70's B&O had a small trans-loading yard located about four blocks to the northeast between the river and Columbus Road, with a spur that diagonally crossed and then ran south parallel to Columbus Road. It crossed the cereal plant lead at grade and served, IIRC, Cleveland Waste Paper. All the B&O track is long gone. Where the NYC stub yard was located, Flats Industrial now has two stub tracks, but I'm not certain how or if they are used.

I don't know if I was by the cereal plant. Someone from Cleveland was taking us around. I read my post and realize what I typed. I don't remember because it was dark and 15 years ago, not because of where I was that night. I was actually working.

There are 3 stub tracks to the south of the cereal plant. Two of the spare engines are kept on one. Look on Google maps.

[eje]

Yes, three tracks! I have more pix of the facility, but nothing much different.

[Mike Kieran]

What puzzles me is that the Flats Industrial has a 3 track yard, yet they store the active locomotive on top of the wye switch by the lift bridge. I would have thought that letting an engine sit on the turnout points would damage the points.

[eje]

That general area in the Flats still has almost all the old brick buildings intact and active. Dunno about the locomotive squatting on the switch points! Columbus Road could make a very cool small ISL.

[eje]

I'm fairly certain cars for the cereal plant come up from Rockport Yard on Cleveland's southwest side. Rockport Yard is located between the old CCC&StL and the old LS&MS near West 130th Street. The old Big Four used to run all the way to the NYC main just east of Bridge 1 near Whiskey Island. Around the mid-eighties the connection was broken north of the vertical lift bridge where Flats Industrial parks its locomotive, so all cars must come from the southwest over the Flats Industrial Spur (Conrailspeak). The cereal plant is about the only thing there on the Columbus Road peninsula; I wonder if the Flats Industrial switcher runs down to Rockport, or if there is an interchange at Cloggsville which is located where the old Union Terminal line ran through Wallworth Run heading toward Linndale and then Berea.