Ohio Central Railroad System

Ohio Central Railroad System

An Ohio Central train in South Zanesville, Ohio
Reporting mark	OHCR, OSRR, CUOH, MVRY, OHPA, WTRM, YARR, YB, POHC, AOR
Locale	Ohio, Pennsylvania
Dates of operation	1988–present
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Headquarters	Coshocton, Ohio

The Ohio Central Railroad System is a network of short line railroads operating in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. It is owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

Headquartered in Coshocton, Ohio, the system operates 500 miles (800 km) of track divided among 10 subsidiary railroads. Most of the system's routes were divested from Class I railroads and connect industries to the Class I railroads.

The Ohio Central operates on track owned by other entities, including a line from Newark, Ohio to Mount Vernon, Ohio owned by CSX Transportation and the old Panhandle Route, owned by the State of Ohio.

Railroads in the system

Ohio Central's rail system comprises

• Ohio Central Railroad
• Ohio Southern Railroad
• Columbus and Ohio River Rail Road, the former Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle Route
• Mahoning Valley Railway
• Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad
• Warren and Trumbull Railroad
• Youngstown and Austintown Railroad
• Youngstown Belt Railroad
• Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad
• Aliquippa and Ohio River Railroad

Steam operations

As well as being a regular revenue railroad, the Ohio Central has its own steam department that operates steam locomotives for tourist trains, excursions and special events.

Steam locomotives The Ohio Central Railroad System owned and operated several steam locomotives. When Jerry Joe Jacobson sold OCRS in 2008, he maintained the ownership of the antique equipment including the collection of steam locomotives. He built a large roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio, called the Age of Steam Roundhouse to house that equipment including the following:

Operational:

• Grand Trunk Western 6325
• Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad 33
• Canadian Pacific Railway No. 1293
• Canadian National Railway 1551
• Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad 13
• Southern Wood Preserving Company 3

Awaiting restoration:

• Nickel Plate Road 763
• Canadian Pacific Railway No. 1278
• Canadian National 96
• Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway 3960

Former engines:

• Mississippian Railway 76, sold in 2005 to the Steam Railroading Institute of Owosso, Michigan.
• Baldwin Locomotive Works 26, was traded for Canadian National 1551 in 1986 to Steamtown

Acquisition by Genesee and Wyoming

On August 5, 2008, Genesee and Wyoming Inc announced an agreement to purchase the Ohio Central System for $219 million. Approval was granted by the Surface Transportation Board on December 30, 2008.

Notes

^ A: formerly the Pittsburgh Industrial Railroad, a 42-mile (68 km) line from Arden to Neville Island, Pennsylvania. The Ohio Central purchased this line from RailAmerica, in December 2000 for $7.7 million. In 2005, the State of Pennsylvania awarded $2.1 million to repair flood damage along this line.