The FP&E was started to serve the Diamond Alkali Chemical plant on Lake Erie. It was jointly owned by the Nickel Plate and the New York Central. As time and mergers went on N&W and Penn. Central, then it was totally owned by the N&W. The cars used on the FP&E were hand me downs from its parent companies. The car we chose to produce is a twin bay hopper of the series 301-399. It was probably originally a Nickel Plate Car. We do know these where operated during WWII and into the diesel era. They also weren�t used in interchange with other railroads.

Diamond Alkali produced different types of Chlorine based chemicals. In the 1970�s Diamond Alkali merged with Shamrock Oil forming Diamond Shamrock. This operation moved to Texas. The FP&E also served the limestone docks on the Grand River. The limestone was used in making coke, however this operation closed in the 1990�s. During World War II the FP&E also served the Rayon Plant (Uniroyal) in Painesville. This plant made material for tires and magnesium products used in the production of atomic material. At this point there is no FP&E, but the trackage is still being used by the Norfolk Southern.