According to John B. Corns first book on the W&LE Ry. on page 4 it gives the history on the narrow gauge line and mentions the RR was incorporated in 1871, due to the 1873 financial panic the project stalled and the backers changed from standard to narrow gauge to save money on construction costs. It says the first 35 lb. rail was laid on April 16, 1877. 12 and 1/2 miles were laid linking the towns. Norwalk to Huron. The first narrow gauge engine was an 11 ton 4-4-0 built by National Locomotive Works of Connelsville, Pa. with 36" drivers named Milan. The tender had an unusual wheel arrangement, a fixed single axle in front and a swiveling 4 wheel truck in the rear. The first operation on the line was on May 31st 1877 with the engine and 3 flat cars used to haul passengers the 4 miles from Norwalk to Milan. The dreams of wealth did not materialize and 2 years later the RR abandoned the narrow gauge operation. There are 2 photos on page 4 of the locomotive Milan and of flat cars with passengers. I have lived in the Norwalk area since 1985. I got to live in Colorado for 6 months from late Aug.1984 to Feb. 1985 and boy did I love it out there! Unfortunately my wife did not and got homesick and we moved back to Ohio. Anyhow i'm always wandering around old RR grades and had heard the history of the W&LE narrow gauge. One day a good 20 plus years ago I was wandering around the old Huron RR yard along the river. I was down along the embankment a ways from the yard near the river and I stumbled on a set of 16" diameter 3ft. narrow gauge RR wheels on 2 axles. Each axle had 2 bearing blocks and they were bolted to a heavy steel swivel plate that was rusty and looked like swiss cheese full of holes. The wheels looked old they were pitted and had some chips out of them. Seeing them got me all excited as I knew the line was originally narrow gauge and I wondered if they were off the engine Milan. These wheels were the only thing I found in that area thrown over the embankment. I was able to pull them up with a couple chains with my 4x4. I got them home and cleaned them up a bit ,then was rather disappointed. 3 of the wheels had 4-5-99 in raised numbers on the inside and 1 had 3-31-99 on the inside and all 4 also had E No.262. The outside of the wheels had some unreadable letters with MFG. Co. Columbus, Ohio The bearing blocks had 276 M on them. The only company I could think of that may have made them was that Jeffery's Co. that made mining equipment in Columbus, Ohio. Oh well, I still wonder how those wheels ever got tossed over the embankment and where they came from? Did the RR have a small shop building in the yard that used narrow gauge carts or were they brought to Huron and disposed of over the embankment from somewhere else?
