The Muskingum Electric Railroad was a private coal-carrying railroad owned by American Electric Power, and operated from 1968 [1] to 2002.
The line was the first automated railroad in the U.S. [2]
The MERR shuttled coal from Central Ohio Coal Company's Muskingum mine, (near Cumberland, Ohio) to the Muskingum River Power Plant at Relief, Ohio, a distance of 20 miles (32 km).
The trains did not leave the property, and were used solely for shuttling coal. Initially, the Muskingum Electric Railroad maintained a connection with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, allowing for coal to be transported elsewhere, however this saw limited use. The MERR was connected via the former Pennsylvania Railroad Marietta branch, which terminated in Cumberland. In later years, after the branch line saw a discontinuation in regular freight service, it was only occasionally used for equipment deliveries.
The trains were driverless, and powered by two automated General Electric E50C locomotives, numbered 100 and 200 respectively.
The railroad owned two private Pullman cars, Dover Fort and Oak Lane, which were put on display alongside two former Ohio Power Company locomotives; #2 and #3.
The railroad had one station, initially named Prentice, later renamed Brookfield, for the nearby Brookfield Township. It was located away from the electrified trackage on a separate spur, (near the OH-83 crossing) and was used as a display track for executive cars.
AEP would eventually donate the consist in 1982 to the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, in Nelsonville, Ohio. The Dover Fort and both locomotives still reside at the railroad, with Ohio Power Company No. 3 being fully restored to operation in 2015. Ohio Power Company No. 2, a fireless locomotive, is awaiting restoration.
In later years of the railroad, the coal tipple was moved much farther down the line, a result of the diminishing coal supply. This shortened the journey significantly, requiring only one train to shuttle coal. E50C 100 was retired as a result, and the rest of the line would go unused.
The line as a whole is now defunct, as the captive coal mine has since run out of economically recoverable coal. The coal was notably extracted by the largest dragline ever built, "Big Muskie", and was operated by the Central Ohio Coal Company.
The railroad closed in January 2002, and by 2004 was scrapped entirely. The land was reclaimed shortly after, becoming The Wilds. Both of the E50C locomotives were scrapped, in addition to the hoppers.