Pictures
- Locomotive #1293 pulls the Fall Foliage Excursion under SR 60 near Dresden, Ohio, on October 4, 1998.
- Locomotive #1293 drifts light backwards from Fresno on October 10, 1998.
- Jason Johnson of the OC Steam Department stands in doorway of locomotive #1551 in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
- Grant Geist lubricates locomotive #1551 in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
- Locomotive #1551 steams back into Sugarcreek.
- Locomotive #1551 drifts light backwards to Fresno.
- A panoramic view of the double-headed train at the photo-runby backing into position. and a a smaller version
- Locomotives #1293 and #1551 side-by-side in Fresno.
- Alco S-2 #1663 poses next to EMD F-7 #1001 in Sugarcreek on September 30, 2000.
- Inside of the Cab of F-7 #1000 on September 30, 2000.
- An Ohio Central workman positions a locomotive power truck on February 27, 1999.
- Ohio Central workmen position a locomotive power truck on February 27, 1999.
- Steam locomotive 4-6-2 #1293 between Sugarcreek and Morgan Run, Ohio, on October 13, 2002.
- F-7A locomotive #6307 between Sugarcreek and Morgan Run, Ohio, on October 13, 2002.
- Locomotive #1293 pulls the Strawberry Festival Flyer into Newark, Ohio, on May 31, 2003.
- F-7A #6313 follows the Strawberry Festival Flyer into Newark, Ohio, on May 31, 2003.
- Jason Johnson cleans the valve gear on #1293 in Newark, Ohio, on May 31, 2003.
- Jason Johnson and Grant Geist lubricate the rods on #1293 in Newark, Ohio, on May 31, 2003.
I have no association with the Ohio Central Railroad, just an interest in tourist shortline railroads. I have built and I maintain this page as a service to other railfans. For more information about the Ohio Central Railroad, visit the official page at http://www.ohiocentralrr.com.
The Ohio Central Railroad is a regional freight railroad consisting of a 385 mile network of seven railroads in Ohio. Until 2003, the Ohio Central maintained a busy schedule of tourist excursions behind vintage diesel and steam. Alas--the OC is no longer running passenger trains. See OC Steam for details. We have witnessed the end of an era; steam may no longer to be seen in Ohio.
My family and I had the good fortune to experience the Ohio Central in action several times, including...
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On Sunday, October the 4th, 1998, we were able to watch ex-Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 #1293 leave the Pennsylvania depot in Newark, Ohio with a "Fall Foliage Excursion" to Dennison, Ohio. We chased the train to Dresden, Ohio and photographed it at several locations.
On Saturday, October the 10th, 1998, we rode the 11am-departure one-hour ride from Sugarcreek behind ex-Canadian National 4-6-0 #1551. After the ride and lunch, we watched the return of the 2pm train, the run-around of the train by #1551, and the re-filling of its tender with water, and the departure of the 3:30pm train. We chased the train to the run-around track at Baltic, Ohio, where we expected to see #1551 run around the train to the other end. Instead, #1551 continued south on the tracks, traveling light while a first-generation diesel locomotive pulled the passenger cars back to Sugarcreek. We learned from an elderly railfan that it was to meet a second steam locomotive for the "Double Headed Steam Trip Extra". We chased #1551 as it backed down the tracks to the passing siding at Fresno, Ohio, where it met 4-6-2 #1293. We watched as the two lomotives were serviced by the crews, and as the passenger train arrived, pulled by the the same diesel locomotive we had seen earlier. The steam locomotives individually followed the passenger train to the photo-runby location, where the diesel was cut off, the passengers dis-embarked, and the steam locomotives coupled on with #1551 at the point. We watched as the double-headed steam train made two photo-runbys, and we drove back to Fresno to watch the train one more time as it passed at the crossing.
On October 13, 2002 we chased a double-head steam train out of Sugarcreek to the engine shops at Morgan Run.
On May, 31, 2003, we watched the arrival of the double-headed steam excursion "The Strawberry Festival Flyer" in Newark, Ohio, behind steam locomotive #1293 and #6325 and followed by the matched pair of F-7 locomotives beautifully painted in a scheme inspired by the PRR. The weather was terrible--rainy and cold--but it was probably the perfect weather to experience this last-ever event, the end of an era.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the Ohio Central Railroad and its beaufiful vintage rolling stock. The Ohio Cental will be sorely missed by the fans of steam and vintage diesels in Ohio.
Radio Frequencies
| Road | 160.845 MHz |
| Dispatch | 160.215 MHz |
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Map of East-Central Ohio |
Maps courtesy of MapQuest Interactive Atlas.