 Inside the Age of Steam Roundhouse | |
 | |
| Established | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Location | Sugarcreek, Ohio |
| Type | Vintage steam and diesel locomotives, and other rail equipment |
| President | Jerry Joe Jacobson (2011–2017) |
| Website | www |
The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum, Sugarcreek, Ohio, United States, is a museum roundhouse housing steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars and other railroad equipment.
The roundhouse was built by Jerry Joe Jacobson, former CEO of the Ohio Central Railroad System (OCRS). In October 2008, Jacobson sold his interest in OCRS to Genesee & Wyoming, including the track, modern equipment, and most of the workshops and depots. Jacobson kept a collection of vintage steam and diesel locomotives, other old equipment, and a depot at Sugarcreek, Ohio. [1] [2] He bought 34 acres in Sugarcreek and began constructing a roundhouse to house his collection. The roundhouse building was completed in 2011 and all of the steam locomotives, along with a few other select pieces of rolling stock in Jacobson's collection, were moved inside the roundhouse that same year. [3] It was the "first large roundhouse built in the United States since 1951," with the previous building being Nickel Plate Road's roundhouse in its Calumet Yard. [2] As of 2012, the Age of Steam Roundhouse's website outlines its goals as:
The project was paid for by Jacobson and his wife, Laura. They set up an endowment to support the museum. [2] [4] Architect F. A. Goodman says the building is 48,000 square feet and of "solid masonry walls" and "heavy timber framing". It has 18 stalls, each of which is large enough for a locomotive and its tender. [5] The Goodman company says the roundhouse is one of the largest heavy timber structures in America. [5]
| Number | Images | Heritage | Wheel Configuration | Builder | Built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Cuban Sugar | 0-4-0CA | H.K. Porter | 1915 | Display | Fireless locomotive Compressed Air locomotive. [7] |
| 2 |  | Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Company | 0-4-0F | Heisler Locomotive Works | 1940 | Display | Fireless, from Sharon, Pennsylvania. [7] |
| 3 | Southern Wood Preserving Company | 0-4-0T | American Locomotive Company | 1926 | Display, awaiting a rebuild | [7] | |
| 9 |  | McCloud Railway | 2-6-2 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1901 | Display, awaiting restoration [8] | From the Kettle Moraine Scenic Railroad, Wisconsin. [7] |
| 12 | Morehead & North Fork | 0-6-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1905 | Operational | Built as Southern Railway No. 1643. [7] | |
| 13 |  | Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal | 0-6-0T | H.K. Porter | 1919 | Display | From the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. [7] |
| 13 | Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad | 2-8-0 | American Locomotives Company | 1920 | Display, awaiting restoration | [7] | |
| 19 |  | McCloud River Railroad | 2-8-2 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1915 | Under restoration | From the Yreka Western Railroad and the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway (pictured). No. 19 was used as OP&E No. 19 in the 1973 Robert Aldrich film Emperor of the North (Pole). [7] |
| 33 | Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad | 2-8-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1916 | Display, awaiting future overhaul | First from the Munising, Marquette and Southeastern as No. 44, No. 33 operated on the LS&I until 1962. Owned by the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway from 1965 to 2003, when it first arrived at the Ohio Central. [9] [10] [11] [7] | |
| 37 |  | Sugar Pine Lumber Company | 2-8-2T | American Locomotive Company | 1925 | From the Timber Heritage Association. [12] [13] | |
| 96 |  | Canadian National | 2-6-0 | Canadian Locomotive Company | 1910 | Display | [7] |
| 105 | Sturm & Dillard Co. | 0-6-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1917 | Display | From the Orrville Railroad Heritage Society. [7] | |
| 401 | Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad | 2-10-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1928 | Display | From the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. [7] | |
| 643 | Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad | 2-10-4 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1944 | Display | As of January 2024, the engine has been moved from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania [7] | |
| 727 | U.S. Steel | 0-4-0T | H.K. Porter | 1897 | Display | From Sewickley, Pennsylvania | |
| 763 |  | New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad | 2-8-4 | Lima Locomotive Works | 1944 | Display, awaiting possible restoration | From the Virginia Museum of Transportation [14] [15] [7] |
| 1187 |  | Reading Company | 0-4-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1903 | Display | From the Strasburg Rail Road, No. 1187 was recently acquired from Strasburg from an auction on July 15, 2020 and left Strasburg on July 31, 2020. [16] [17] [7] |
| 1190 | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | 0-6-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1904 | Display | [7] | |
| 1278 | Canadian Pacific Railway | 4-6-2 | Canadian Locomotive Company | 1948 | Display | From the Gettysburg Railroad, No. 1278 suffered a crown sheet failure in 1995, underwent a partial cosmetic restoration in 2016. [7] | |
| 1293 |  | Canadian Pacific Railway | 4-6-2 | Canadian Locomotive Company | 1948 | Display, awaiting future rebuild | Age of Steam's primary locomotive/locomotive power. [18] [7] |
| 1551 |  | Canadian National | 4-6-0 | Montreal Locomotive Works | 1912 | Display, awaiting restoration | Traded from Steamtown in exchange for BLW No. 26 in 1986. [7] |
| 2630 |  | US Army | 2-8-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1943 | Display | From the Southeastern Railway Museum, USATC S160 Class. Cosmetically restored. [7] |
| 3960 | Wheeling and Lake Erie | 0-6-0 | W&LE Brewster Shops | 1935 | Display, awaiting in-depth cosmetic restoration | From Canton, Ohio. [7] | |
| 6325 |  | Grand Trunk Western Railroad | 4-8-4 | American Locomotives Company | 1943 | Display | From Battle Creek, Michigan. [19] [7] |
| Number | Heritage | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Newburgh & South Shore Railroad | S2 | |
| 18 | South Buffalo Railway | S4 | |
| 84 | Great Northern | S2 | Painted in fictional Nickel Plate Road livery |
| 100 | Southern Pacific | S2 | |
| 101 | Norfolk & Western | S2 | |
| 102 | Norfolk & Western | S2 | |
| 400 | Monongahela Connecting Railroad | T6 | |
| 1077 | Long Island Rail Road | RS3 | |
| 1663 | South Buffalo Railway | S2 | |
| 1782 | S2 | ||
| 1800 | Erie Mining Co. | RS18 | Named "Chappy" |
| 4099 | Delaware & Hudson | RS3 | From Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad |
| 7230 | Erie Mining Co. | C424 | |
| 9100 | Baltimore & Ohio | S4 |
| Number | Heritage | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | Montour Railroad | SW9 | |
| 84 | Montour Railroad | SW9 | |
| 211 | Detroit Edison | SW1 | |
| 212 | Detroit Edison | SW1 | |
| 452 | Amtrak | F40M-2C | |
| 460 | Amtrak | F40M-2C | |
| 556 | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe | SW1200 | |
| 736 | New York Central | SW1 | |
| 1202 | Aliquippa & Southern | SW1200 | |
| 1203 | Wabash | SW1200 | |
| 1205 | Aliquippa & Southern | SW1200 | |
| 1501 | Pittsburgh & Lake Erie | GP7 |
| Number | Heritage | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1802 | Yankeetown Dock | H12-44 | |
| 1852 | United States Army | H12-44 | Painted in a Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway inspired scheme. |
| Number | Heritage | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Bethlehem Steel Johnstown Works | 25-Ton |
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum and historic railway station exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) company originally opened the museum on July 4, 1953, with the name of the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the U.S. The museum is located in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's old Mount Clare Station and adjacent roundhouse, and retains 40 acres of the B&O's sprawling Mount Clare Shops site, which is where, in 1829, the B&O began America's first railroad and is the oldest railroad manufacturing complex in the United States.
Nickel Plate Road 765 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road". In 1963, No. 765, renumbered as 767, was donated to the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, where it sat on display at the Lawton Park, while the real No. 767 was scrapped in Chicago in 1964.
The Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) is a museum in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, that is devoted to the topic of transportation.
The Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad (BC&G) was a railroad chartered on April 1, 1904 and ran along Buffalo Creek in Clay County, West Virginia. The original Buffalo Creek and Gauley ended service in 1965.
The Ohio Central Railroad System is a network of ten short line railroads operating in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. It is owned by Genesee & Wyoming.
Grand Trunk Western 6325 is a class "U-3-b" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built in 1942 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. As a member of the dual service U-3-b class, the 6325 handled heavy passenger and freight work for the Grand Trunk Western. In 1946, the 6325 gained notoriety for pulling United States President Harry S. Truman's election campaign train through the state of Michigan. Retired in 1959, the locomotive was donated for display to the City of Battle Creek, Michigan where a failed restoration attempt left 6325 in danger of being scrapped. Purchased in 1993 by Jerry Jacobson of the Ohio Central Railroad, the locomotive sat in storage for six years until being restored to operating condition on July 31, 2001, for use on excursion trains across the Ohio Central System. The locomotive is in storage, on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Steamtown, U.S.A., was a steam locomotive museum that ran steam excursions out of North Walpole, New Hampshire, and Bellows Falls, Vermont, from the 1960s to 1983. The museum was founded by millionaire seafood industrialist F. Nelson Blount. The non-profit Steamtown Foundation took over operations following his death in 1967. Because of Vermont's air quality regulations restricting steam excursions, declining visitor attendance, and disputes over the use of track, some pieces of the collection were relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s and the rest were auctioned off. After the move, Steamtown continued to operate in Scranton but failed to attract the expected 200,000–400,000 visitors. Within two years the tourist attraction was facing bankruptcy, and more pieces of the collection were sold to pay off debt.
Southern Railway 1643 is a preserved A-7 class 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive built in 1905 by the Pittsburgh Works of the American Locomotive Company for the Southern Railway.
Canadian Pacific 1293 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Built for passenger service, 1293 served an eight-year career until being replaced by diesel locomotives where it was then retired in 1959. Purchased in 1964 by F. Nelson Blount for use at his Steamtown site in Bellows Falls, Vermont, 1293 was easily restored to operation for hauling fan trips for the general public. 1293 was later sold to the Ohio Central Railroad in 1996 for tourist train service. Today, the locomotive is out on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Canadian Pacific 1278 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. After being retired from revenue service, the locomotive was purchased in 1965 by F. Nelson Blount for excursion trains at his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection. The locomotive was sold to Gettysburg Railroad in 1987, and it pulled excursion trains between Gettysburg and Biglerville, but it was subject to shoddy maintenance by inexperienced crews. The locomotive was retired from excursion service in 1995, after suffering a firebox explosion in June. As of 2024, the locomotive is on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Canadian Pacific 1246 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. In 1965, it became one of three G5 locomotives to be purchased by Steamtown, U.S.A. for excursion service. After operating in Scranton for a few years in the 1980s, No. 1246 was sold at an October 1988 auction to the Railroad Museum of New England with plans to restore and operate it, and it was initially put on static display. As of 2023, No. 1246 is stored at the Railroad Museum of New England.
Nickel Plate Road 759 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio as a member of the S-2 class for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road". Built as a fast freight locomotive, No. 759 served the Nickel Plate until being retired in 1959 and placed into storage. In 1965, No. 759 was purchased by F. Nelson Blount for display in his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection in North Walpole, New Hampshire. The locomotive was restored to operating condition in 1967 by New York commodity broker Ross Rowland for use in hauling his Golden Spike Centennial Limited, a special commemorative train that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1969. Afterwards, No. 759 pulled numerous excursions for Ross Rowland and Steamtown until being retired once more and placed back on display in 1977. As of 2023, the locomotive remains on static display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and sibling engine No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service.
Nickel Plate Road No. 763 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive. It was built in August 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, as the ninth engine of its class. It is a high powered fast freight locomotive that carried perishables between Chicago and Buffalo, New York.
Baldwin Locomotive Works 26 is an 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive, currently a part of the operating fleet at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania for use on excursion trains.
Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad No. 33 is a preserved SC-1 class 2-8-0 "consolidation" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in April 1916 for the Munising, Marquette and Southeastern Railway as No. 44. In 1924, the MM&SE was purchased by the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad and the locomotive was renumbered to 33. It served the LS&I by pulling heavy iron ore trains until it was retired from revenue service in 1962. The following year, it was sold to the Marquette and Huron Mountain tourist railroad to operate in excursion service, but instead sat idle in Marquette. In 1965, No. 33 was purchased by the founders of the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Ohio. Rebuilt to operating condition, No. 33 ran on the HVSR for many years before being sidelined in 1996 for an FRA-required overhaul that couldn't be accomplished. In 2003, No. 33 was traded to the Ohio Central Railroad and was overhauled for some occasional excursion runs between 2005 and 2008. The locomotive briefly operated again around the Age of Steam Roundhouse between 2018 and 2020. As of 2024, No. 33 is sidelined, awaiting to go through a 1,472-day inspection.
Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad No. 643 is the sole survivor of the class H-1 2-10-4 "Texas type" steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1944 for the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, primarily used for hauling heavy mainline freight trains in Pennsylvania and Ohio, until retirement in 1952. It is now owned privately by the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio, which purchased No. 643 in 2019, and is currently in the process of being moved to Sugarcreek piece-by-piece from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. It was purchased by George Hart, who used it for excursion service in the 1960s. It was later sold to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. In late December 2023, No. 1238 was purchased by the Waterloo Central Railway, and they have plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.
Canadian Pacific 1286 is a preserved G5d class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull excursion trains in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.
Reading 1187 is a camelback 0-4-0 switcher locomotive built in 1903 by Baldwin for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. It was primarily used for yard switching services, until 1946, when it was sold to the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's E&G Brooke Plant as No. 4. In 1962, it made its way to the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania to be used in hauling tourist trains, but due to its small size, it was reassigned to switching passenger cars. After being removed from service in 1967, 1187 sat on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, before sitting idle at the Strasburg yard. In 2020, it was acquired by the Age of Steam Roundhouse, who is currently giving the locomotive a cosmetic stabilization at their location in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Canadian Pacific 1201 is a 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive. Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway's Angus shops in Montreal, Quebec, in 1944, No. 1201 was used to pull passenger trains across Ontario and Quebec. After the Canadian Pacific removed the locomotive from service, the railway put the No. 1201 in storage at the Angus shops yard, and it was donated to the Canada Science and Technology Museum six years later. In 1973, No. 1201 was removed from the museum to be restored to operating condition. Subsequently, No. 1201 pulled a variety of excursion trains and participated in a variety of special events, such as the Canadian Pacific centennial of 1985 and the 1986 Steam Exposition. As of 2023, No. 1201 is stored out of service at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. It is the oldest survivor of the Canadian Pacific's G5 class locomotives, and the last remaining locomotive of two prototypes of the class to be preserved.
