Trolleyology: Ohio Electric Railway

Ohio Electric Railway
11/9/2022 - Presented by Bill Van Doren

This 617 mile Ohio Electric Railway system broke up in 1921 but only lasted in its entirety from 1906 until 1917. Despite its complex structure of leases and stock control, the rumor that Ohio Electric owned nothing but the paint on its cars was not totally true—they did own the Lima Toledo outright, and upon dissolution OE was renamed L-T. They provided city service in seven cities, Columbus having been sold off early. The complex corporate structure included Ohio Electric, the Millcreek Valley out of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Traction Co, the Cincinnati Zoo, and the Cincinnati Car Co. The original Toledo entrance was to have been along the Maumee River and over city streets but instead saw the construction of the quarter mile long Tontogany Viaduct -- it still barely stands and is for sale by the State of Ohio for $100 to anyone who will restore it. The company was in trouble from the beginning and never recovered from the 1913 Midwest flood. This program touches on all the OE lines.

To cover such a large enterprise in one session obviously means that only the highlights can be covered. Still, Ohio Electric looms large in traction history and should be of interest.

This video is part of the Trolleyology series originally shared via Zoom. To help us continue these programs, please consider making a donation at https://pa-trolley.org/support​​​​. Thanks for watching!


00:00 Intro