DESHLER, Ohio — After years of neglect, the former Baltimore & Ohio railroad station in Deshler, the community known as “Crossroads of the B&O,” is coming down.
The building last saw a passenger train in 1971, has been closed since the 1990s, and was damaged by a coal hopper in an April 2002 derailment. The Toledo Blade, in a February article, had been told by CSX Transportation that the structure was scheduled for demolition this year. A local historical society approached the railroad in 1993 about buying the building, but was told the L-shaped brick structure would have to be moved from its current location. The cost then was estimated at $100,000, more than the society had available.
The building sits at the northwest quandrant of the diamond at Deshler, where two CSX lines — the former main line and the former Toledo Line — cross. A railfan park sits on the southwest side of the diamond. DR Tower, closed since 1988, is in the northeast quandrant and remains in use by CSX maintenance-of-way crews.
— Updated at 3:20 p.m. CDT to correct photo credit.
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