Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Coshocton, Ohio |
Reporting mark | OHCR, OSRR, CUOH, MVRY, OHPA, WTRM, YARR, YB, POHC, AOR |
Locale | Ohio, Pennsylvania |
Dates of operation | 1988–present |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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.
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 [1] and the old Panhandle Route, owned by the State of Ohio. [2]
Ohio Central's rail system comprises [3]
As well as being a regular revenue railroad, the Ohio Central had its own steam department that operated steam locomotives for tourist trains, excursions, and special events. When owner Jerry Joe Jacobson sold OHCR in 2008, he maintained ownership of the antique equipment, including the collection of steam locomotives. He built the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio to house that equipment. Jerry Jacobson died in 2017 at the age of 74.
The collection includes the following:
Operational:
Awaiting restoration:
Former engines:
On August 5, 2008, Genesee & Wyoming announced an agreement to purchase the Ohio Central System for $219 million. [6] [7] Approval was granted by the Surface Transportation Board on December 30, 2008. [8]
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio, in the Haselton neighborhood in the west and Connellsville, Pennsylvania, to the east. It did not reach Lake Erie until the formation of Conrail in 1976. The P&LE was known as the "Little Giant" since the tonnage that it moved was out of proportion to its route mileage. While it operated around one tenth of one percent of the nation's railroad miles, it hauled around one percent of its tonnage. This was largely because the P&LE served the steel mills of the greater Pittsburgh area, which consumed and shipped vast amounts of materials. It was a specialized railroad, deriving much of its revenue from coal, coke, iron ore, limestone, and steel. The eventual closure of the steel mills led to the end of the P&LE as an independent line in 1992.
There have been two uses of Columbus and Greenville Railway, both for the same rail line.
The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in New York and Pennsylvania.
The Aliquippa and Ohio River Railroad is a six-mile short line railroad in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, United States, controlled by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. through its ownership of the Ohio Central Railroad System. It lies between CSX Transportation's ex-Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad line and the Ohio River, extending south from CSX's yard in northern Aliquippa to near the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge. Formerly known as the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad, its owner and primary customer was LTV Steel, which mostly closed its Aliquippa plant in 1985 and sold the line to the Ohio Central in 2002. The AOR now connects the Aliquippa Industrial Park, which occupies the LTV site, with CSX.
The Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad is a short-line railroad operating 35 miles (56 km) of track over the Chartiers Branch in southwest Pennsylvania. It also operated a small portion of the former Conrail Panhandle Route between Carnegie and Walkers Mill. This portion has not seen a train since 2014, and both bridges on the line have been fenced off. A three-foot (1 m) section of rail was also cut from the line just west of Carnegie in 2015, rendering the line completely impassible. It is owned by the Ohio Central Railroad System, which is a division of the rail holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
The Youngstown–Warren, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, typically known as the Mahoning Valley, is a metropolitan area in Northeast Ohio with Youngstown, Ohio, at its center. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes Mahoning and Trumbull counties. As of the 2020 census, the region had a population of 430,591, making it the 125th-largest metro area in the country.
The Youngstown and Southeastern Railroad is a short-line railroad subsidiary of Midwest & Bluegrass Rail that operates freight trains between Youngstown, Ohio and Darlington, Pennsylvania, United States. The line is owned by the Columbiana County Port Authority, leased to the Eastern States Railroad, which is owned by the line's primary shipper, and contracted out to the YSRR. Freight is interchanged with CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway at the Youngstown end.
The Youngstown Belt Railroad is a part of the Ohio Central Railroad System, which was bought by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 2008, serving the area northwest of Youngstown, Ohio. It began operations in 1997, mainly on ex-Erie Railroad trackage owned by the affiliated Warren and Trumbull Railroad (W&T), which acquired the "Lordstown Cluster" from Conrail in 1996. It also leases a short ex-Baltimore and Ohio Railroad segment from CSX Transportation, formerly operated by the W&T.
The Warren and Trumbull Railroad is a part of the Ohio Central Railroad System, which was bought by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 2008, operating three lines in and near Warren. It began operations in 1994 on a line formerly operated by CSX Transportation, and expanded in 1996 on two ex-Conrail lines.
The Columbus & Ohio River Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. state of Ohio owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
Youngstown and Austintown Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates just west of Youngstown, Ohio, United States, and was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 2008. It interchanges with the Youngstown Belt Railroad and Norfolk Southern in Youngstown, Ohio, as well as CSX in Yanda, Ohio. Acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in 2008, the Youngstown and Austintown Railroad spans across 5 miles of track and can hold up to 286,000 pounds of supplies. The YARR is essentially two former Erie Railroad branch lines. The line come together at M&T Jct.. The lines are very short and they service the steel industry in Youngstown. For years the largest customer on the YARR was Youngstown Steel Door and United Freezer Storage. The first operator of the YARR was Jerry Jacobson. The original YARR rostered an Alco switcher and former P&LE GP7 1501. The one-stall enginehouse still stands today in Austintown on Oakwood Ave. A small section of the structure was constructed by the Erie railroad.
Mahoning Valley Railway (MVRY) is a short-line railroad in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It has an interchange with Norfolk Southern Railway at its east end. The west end is Youngstown Belt Railroad which is also owned by Genesee & Wyoming. This services Youngstown, Ohio area for its steel mills. The line connects Struthers, Ohio with Youngstown.
Ohi-Rail Corporation was a short line railroad that ran from Minerva, Ohio to Hopedale, Ohio, United States, with the reporting mark "OHIC". Interchanges were with Columbus and Ohio River Railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. In March 2020, operations were taken over by Genesee & Wyoming's Mahoning Valley 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.
The Mahoning Coal Railroad (MCR) was a railroad line in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Incorporated in 1871, it largely linked Youngstown, Ohio, with Andover, Ohio. It had a major branch into Sharon, Pennsylvania, and several small branches and spurs to coal mines and iron works along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The railroad leased itself to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway in 1873. The lease was assumed by the New York Central Railroad in 1914, when that company consolidated with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. The New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to create the Penn Central. Despite abandonment of much track, bankruptcy of the Penn Central in 1970 eventually caused the MCR's dissolution on January 7, 1982.
The Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad (C&MV) was a shortline railroad operating in the state of Ohio in the United States. Originally known as the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad (C&M), it was chartered in 1848. Construction of the line began in 1853 and was completed in 1857. After an 1872 merger with two small railroads, the corporate name was changed to "Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad". The railroad leased itself to the Atlantic and Great Western Railway in 1863. The C&MV suffered financial instability, and in 1880 its stock was sold to a company based in London in the United Kingdom. A series of leases and ownership changes left the C&MV in the hands of the Erie Railroad in 1896. The CM&V's corporate identity ended in 1942 after the Erie Railroad completed purchasing the railroad's outstanding stock from the British investors.
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