Posted June 30, 201014 yr From the Dennison Depot Museum in Coshocton (a great place to visit BTW): RESTORE THE ENGINE 2700: Special engine finds permanent home It is not often that we have an opportunity to save a piece of history. The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum is inviting rail aficionados to help them restore a historic steam engine which was abandoned and vandalized, and has patiently waited 11 years to have a permanent home and be restored back to its glory. Ownership of the engine has been in question for the past decade. Finally the Fifth District Court of Appeals agreed with Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court that the engine currently located at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum can remain at the museum. Chesapeake & Ohio Engine 2700 has lived quite a life. It’s story begins during World War II when the C&O turned to the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement to handle the fast freight schedule demanded by the war and built a series of engines they named “Kanawhas” after the Kanawah River which paralleled the C & O main line. Between 1943 and 1947, the C & O purchased ninety, Class K-4, 2-8-4 "Kanawhas", twenty from the Lima Locomotive Works and seventy from the American Locomotive Company. These locomotives were numbered 2700 through 2789. All of these locomotives had 69" diameter drivers, 26" x 34" cylinders, a 245 psi boiler pressure, they exerted 69,350 pounds of tractive effort and each weighed about 292,500 pounds. The very first steam locomotive in the Kanawha series was Dennison’s 2700. Only fourteen K-4 Engines were built by the C & O in 1943, and they were numbered 2700 through 2713. By mid 1952, the C & O had received enough diesels that it began to retire even the "Kanawhas", which still had service time, and by 1957 all were retired. All but the thirteen that were donated to various cities were scrapped by May 1961, putting the 2700 into an elite group. The remaining engines include: 2705 on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD, the 2707 on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL , the 2716 owned by the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, KY, the 2727 on display at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO, the 2732 on display at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, the 2736 on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI., the 2755 on display in Chief Logan State Park, Logan, WV, the 2756 is on display in Huntington Park adjacent to the War Memorial Museum in Newport News, VA, the 2760 on display in Riverside Park in Lynchburg, VA, the 2776 on display in Jesse Eyman Park in Washington Court House, OH and the 2789 restored at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, IN. The City of Buffalo, NY received number 2701 and placed it on display near the waterfront where vandals wrecked it and it was scrapped. There are twelve surviving C&O 2-8-4 "Kanawha" type locomotives. For many years, 2700 was displayed in Coonskin Park in Charleston, WV where it was neglected and vandalized. The area where 2700 was displayed was adjacent to the B&O line that ran from Charleston to Sutton. In the early 1970s, the St. Albans Fire Department restored and moved 2700 to St. Albans, WV. When 2700 was moved, it was pulled along this same line to the mainline of the NYC and up river cross the Kanawha at Deep Water approximately 45 miles east of Charleston. It was then brought back down the C&O mainline to St. Albans. In 1986, the engine was brought to Ohio by S.T.E.A.M., the Silver Throttle Engine Association Museum in Canton Ohio, who had plans to restore the engine. The engine stood for years on the Esber Beverage siding by Timken. Parts were stripped from the engine in the process and many never returned. Abandoned and on a spur that was to be disconnected by the Wheeling & Lake Erie, the engine was going to move to either the scrap yards or somewhere else. The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, with the help of the W & LE and Ohio Central Railroad, moved the engine to Dennison. In May of 2009, the Dennison Depot went to court to win ownership. They won the case and the following appeal. Today, the 2700 proudly stands at its permanent home located at the Dennison Railroad Museum in Dennison, OH, in front of a passenger train which is actually a wing to the Museum. She is considered to be one of the most stripped engines in the country, completely stripped of all the gauges, valves, name plates, windows, bell, and whistle. Some of her parts are in safe storage and are expected to be recovered soon. Others are lost forever. It is the Museum’s plan to cosmetically restore the engine, and if funds are ever available in the future, to fully restore her to working order. Anyone with original parts to the engine are encouraged to contact the Museum. The Museum invites folks to help with the restoration by contributing $27.00 to her restoration campaign. July 27 has been designated “Engine 2700 Day”, where cake will be served to celebrate the engine’s permanent home and the first 100 donors will receive a collector’s print of the Engine. Donations can be sent to: “Restore Engine 2700”, c/o The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, P.O. Box 11, 400 Center Street, Dennison, Ohio, 44621. For more information, contact Wendy Zucal at the Museum, toll free 877-278-8020, www.dennisondepot.org, [email protected]. About the museum Dennison is located halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus on what was once the famed Panhandle Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and part of the strategic national defense route. Dennison is known as “Dreamsville USA”, a nickname it received during the forties for its Servicemen’s Canteen that served 1.5 million soldiers, 13% of all armed personnel. The Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently nominated as a National Landmark in the Home front Category. The Museum is open year round Tuesday through Sunday with a restaurant, gift shop and static rolling stock including a rare WWII Hospital Car, Caboose and more. A full calendar of events includes Polar Express in December and the American Soldiers Homecoming Festival every August.
September 8, 201014 yr Railway museum slipping off the tracks Worthington attraction closed as leaders ponder its survival The Columbus Dispatch The signs outside the Ohio Railway Museum say it all. "Due to technical issues we are closed." For how long and at what cost have yet to be figured out. The Worthington museum has struggled over the years, with too few volunteers, uncertain revenue and the challenge of making hulking old trains interesting and safe. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/09/08/worthington-museum-slipping-off-the-tracks.html?sid=101
September 13, 201014 yr A few shots of the vintage railroad equipment at the ORM.... out in the open and rusting away. The steam locomotive is a vintage Norfolk & Western passenger locomotive that actually used to make its runs between Portsmouth, Ohio and Columbus. It was completely renovated and lubricated by the railroad prior to be donated. The passenger car is the Pullman Car "Times Square", which (i am told) used to run as part of the consist of the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Broadway Limited". It is a shame to see these and other peices of Ohio's railroad history being left out in the elements to decay.
October 8, 201014 yr From the Dennison Depot Museum in Coshocton (a great place to visit BTW): Wait, isn't it in Dennison?
October 8, 201014 yr From the Cincinnati Enquirer: Historic Loveland train station restored The history of Loveland is rooted deep in farming, but its growth can be tracked to the railroad. Loveland Station, in the heart of Historic Loveland, was built in 1907 for B&O Railroad to serve the growing community. First William Schickel, and now his son Martin Schickel, transformed the station into a popular community gathering place. "My dad bought it from the railroad," said Martin Schickel, who bought the landmark from his dad. "In 100 years, I'm the third owner; the railroad, my dad and now me." Martin was just a young boy when William Schickel bought the abandoned run down station from the railroad in the late 1960s. It almost didn't happen at all. At first the railroad didn't respond to Bill Schickel's inquiries and he leased space across the river for his business. http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20101006/NEWS/10060380/Historic-Loveland-train-station-restored
October 8, 201014 yr Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad Depot in Granville getting new foundation Newark Advocate Oct 8, 2010 Written by CHARLES A. PETERSON Advocate Reporter GRANVILLE -- The former Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad Depot is getting a new lease on life. That's why it's standing 8 feet 6 inches higher than its former elevation. That won't be the case for long. The 130-year-old structure on South Main Street has gone skyward to make room for the construction of a new foundation, said Alan Montgomery, whose mother, Eva, is the owner of the historic structure located between the bike path and the lumber yard. Full story at: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20101008/NEWS01/10080311/Former-Toledo-and-Ohio-Central-Railroad-Depot-in-Granville-getting-new-foundation
October 9, 201014 yr Ohio rail history: 1948 Nickel Plate Railroad promotional movie (18 min): YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 1946 Pennsylvania Railroad promotional film part (1 of 3):
October 9, 201014 yr Ohio Rail History: 1941 Chesapeake & Ohio Newsreel. Cincinnati Union Terminal footage and comments about Cincinnati history at 1:29 Interesting comments about the standards of service on their passenger trains. Travel today is absolutely barbarous by comparison. Very interesting the segment about their dining cars. They say flat out that the railroad makes no money on the dining car. It's impossible, but say they aren't selling a dining room, they are "selling transportation." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.
October 9, 201014 yr A few shots of the vintage railroad equipment at the ORM.... out in the open and rusting away. I hate to see the ORM go under, but I'm sure there are other museums and preservation societies that would love to have this equipment. If the museum is struggling so badly, they need to find homes for this stuff with organizations that have the ability to care for it before it becomes beyond repair. Some of the stuff looks like time is running awfully short. This museum seems better suited to be somewhere like Akron where they could develop partnerships with the Department of Interior/National Park Service and the City of Akron to develop a railroad historic site in the city that could house and care for, and display the equipment, and maybe rent the equipment (once restored) for special runs on the CVSR.
October 9, 201014 yr A few shots of the vintage railroad equipment at the ORM.... out in the open and rusting away. I hate to see the ORM go under, but I'm sure there are other museums and preservation societies that would love to have this equipment. If the museum is struggling so badly, they need to find homes for this stuff with organizations that have the ability to care for it before it becomes beyond repair. Some of the stuff looks like time is running awfully short. This museum seems better suited to be somewhere like Akron where they could develop partnerships with the Department of Interior/National Park Service and the City of Akron to develop a railroad historic site in the city that could house and care for, and display the equipment, and maybe rent the equipment (once restored) for special runs on the CVSR. That N&W steam locomotive would be ideal for an operation like the CVSR....as would the Erie gas-electric self-propelled passenger car.
October 25, 201014 yr A very interesting story from NPR on the competition to build the first transcontinental railroad.. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130762740
October 25, 201014 yr ^ It is amazing that they constructed that alignment through the Sierra Mountains near Donner Pass. I can appreciate how a route near the 32nd parallel would have been better. It would seem like a long route, especially compared to the Great Circle routing from Illinois.
October 25, 201014 yr ^ It is amazing that they constructed that alignment through the Sierra Mountains near Donner Pass. I can appreciate how a route near the 32nd parallel would have been better. It would seem like a long route, especially compared to the Great Circle routing from Illinois. Absolutely. If you ever ride on a converted rail trail, you really get an appreciation for the level of engineering that went into these rail lines...even in the hilliest terrain and especially given the level of engineering technology of that day..
October 25, 201014 yr The Elroy-Sparta trail reused the Chicago and Northwestern alignment through unglaciated "driftless" countryside through three tunnels. I could ride it in without shifting out of my middle chainring, even with 28 pounds of stuff on my bicycle. One of these days, I am going to produce a web travelogue of my five day, 150 mile self supported tour. The prairie flowers in June in Western Wisconsin are beautiful. The famous Allegheny Highlands Trail is aligned with a 1.5% grade as a traverse up the side of Savage Mountain. Talking about Allegheny, one can travel to Dearborn, Michigan to see an Allegheny locomotive. How far would one have to travel to see a Challenger or a Big Boy?
October 25, 201014 yr Talking about Allegheny, one can travel to Dearborn, Michigan to see an Allegheny locomotive. How far would one have to travel to see a Challenger or a Big Boy? Scranton, PA (Steamtown) or Omaha (on the Missouri River Bluffs) to see a Big Boy.....Cheyenne, WY to see the Challenger. Either way...decent bike ride.
October 25, 201014 yr A few shots of the vintage railroad equipment at the ORM.... out in the open and rusting away. I hate to see the ORM go under, but I'm sure there are other museums and preservation societies that would love to have this equipment. If the museum is struggling so badly, they need to find homes for this stuff with organizations that have the ability to care for it before it becomes beyond repair. Some of the stuff looks like time is running awfully short. This museum seems better suited to be somewhere like Akron where they could develop partnerships with the Department of Interior/National Park Service and the City of Akron to develop a railroad historic site in the city that could house and care for, and display the equipment, and maybe rent the equipment (once restored) for special runs on the CVSR. I seem to remember reading that ORM fell victim to the sort of internal power struggles and fractiousness that have been the fate of many similar groups. I believe that in the sixties they had control of a significant piece of track leading toward downtown Columbus, with option and intent to acquire more. They had some very nice interurban cars and streetcars and they were giving short rides, although I think the day I visited, they were using an industrial locomotive to push/pull the interurban car. I visited there around 1968, and they had been hit with epic vandalism the night before. They had no fence then and a lot of equipment, then as now, was parked outside and unprotected. Rocks had shattered the windows in a number of passenger cars, including original curved plate glass in some of the interurban cars. A friend told me back then that some of the directors had such a mania for preserving every piece of iron that had ever been associated with rails, that they spent all their money retrieving hopeless junk from far-off places and had no funds left to fence the property. Many railroad museums and preservation groups fall apart because the "founding fathers" put all their energy into activities that boost their egos and protect their turf, and instead of encouraging, nurturing, and instructing newbies, they seek to keep them "in their places." They'll let them cut weeds, haul trash, sweep floors, and wipe grease with never a word of thanks and sometimes even an air of disdain for the menial laborers they've made of them. Never mind that the new volunteers will quit after a season or two; someone else is bound to come along to take their place. When the old farts move on to the nursing home, though, there's no one to take their place, and when their engine's boiler needs new flues or the crown sheet needs replaced there's no one to do it and the community support that might have been cultivated by some outreach isn't there to raise funds. Been there.</rant> The Elroy-Sparta trail reused the Chicago and Northwestern alignment through unglaciated "driftless" countryside through three tunnels. I could ride it in without shifting out of my middle chainring, even with 28 pounds of stuff on my bicycle. One of these days, I am going to produce a web travelogue of my five day, 150 mile self supported tour. The prairie flowers in June in Western Wisconsin are beautiful. The famous Allegheny Highlands Trail is aligned with a 1.5% grade as a traverse up the side of Savage Mountain. Talking about Allegheny, one can travel to Dearborn, Michigan to see an Allegheny locomotive. How far would one have to travel to see a Challenger or a Big Boy? N&W 1218, a 2-8-8-2 Class Y6b articulated locomotive, is at the Virginia Museum of Transportation at Norfolk. There's a Big Boy at Steamtown in Scranton, PA, along with a wealth of other fascinating stuff, and the Electric City Trolley Museum (real streetcars that go somewhere) that shares the rail yard. And while you're in Scranton, don't pass up the Lackawanna Mine Tour and the Anthracite Museum. There's a Mallet articulated compound locomotive at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth. I believe the wheel configuration is 2-8-8-2, but I'm not certain of that. I'm pretty sure the drivers are eight each, though (four axles per set). I rode the Elroy - Sparta Trail, and then on marked county roads that are part of the Wisconsin Bikeway network into LaCrosse during October Tour 1973, a tour that used to be hosted by a local cycling club during Octoberfest. Much of the ride was damp and misty, and the wetness enhanced the beautiful fall color. Gorgeous ride, on a trail that's designed to accomodate both family day-trippers and long-distance tourists.
October 25, 201014 yr You're right on Robert. The ORM suffers (and has for a long time) from a board that can't decide whether they want to run a troley/interurban museum or a rail museum.... replete with ego conflicts and disappearing funds. A good friend of mine joined the board a few years ago and asked to see the books and none could be produced. Funds gathered from numerous railfan trips could not be found. What suffers in reality is all of that Ohio railroad and interurban history that sits exposed to weather and rust. A fence was put up a few years ago, but it does little to stop the inevitable impact of weather and time. They are a sorry excuse for a museum.
October 25, 201014 yr Here's a pretty good link to the history of the ORM..... which acknowledges that it isn't what it used to be. http://www.columbusrailroads.com/n-orm.htm
December 2, 201014 yr Did you know The Ohio State University once had its own railroad? An excerpt: "Quite possibly the railroad is most remembered for hosting “Scarlet and Gray Specials” that carried Ohio State football fans to far away games. In 1909 a round trip to Ann Arbor could be had for $2. Other team’s fans and football specials from elsewhere in the state also arrived on Ohio State’s tracks. Up to six passenger trains could be stuffed into the tracks around the stadium (although six trains were rare and required the use of the west campus mains). After disembarking passengers, the specials moved to the C&O’s Yard A for servicing, and were back on the OSU spur before the game was over." Full story at: http://www.ohiovalleyrail.com/2010/history/ohio-states-railroad/
April 6, 201114 yr Fostoria train action hits Web By ALLISON WINGATE Staff Writer Fostoria's Iron Triangle will have a lot more eyes on it come Saturday. Greatlakeslive.com administrator Mike Kisser plans to install a full-motion live video camera on the exterior of The Rail, 440 S. Main St., which will monitor activity on the tracks and transmit the feed to viewers online 24 hours a day. The Internet feed is designed for rail fans who would like to watch trains pass through town, but live too far to visit, much like Kisser, who is a Bloomville, Ind. resident. He said he plans to install the equipment during a visit to Fostoria this weekend and is already familiar with the area, as he installed an audio feed at the same location in 2008 after the former feed administrator decided he could no longer provide the service. Read more at http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2011/Mar/25/ar_news_032511_story2.asp?d=032511_story2,2011,Mar,25&c=n Rail Web-Cam at: www.greatlakeslive.com
April 18, 201114 yr Press Release for immediate release DENNISON DEPOT APPROVED FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK STATUS The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum has been unanimously approved for National Landmark Status by the National Park Service at their meeting this week in California. This follows earlier approval by the National Landmarks Commission in November in Washington, DC. Patty Henry of the National Landmark Commission reported today to museum director Wendy Zucal that “The Depot sailed through the process with flying colors. The NPS accepted the recommendation presented to them by the National Landmarks Commission to make the Dennison Depot a National Landmark.” The next and final step will be for the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to sign the official paperwork and Henry states that they are preparing the paperwork for signature now and have great hopes it will be signed by the end of summer. National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designed by the Secretary of the Interior because they process exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Today, fewer than 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction. Ohio, because with its presidents, battle fields and other historic sites, has one of the larger number of National Landmarks at 69. However, the Dennison Depot, which will be number 70, is the only one in Tuscarawas County and the first designation since 2007. The Dennison Depot was nominated for a landmark for its role as a military canteen site that served 1.5 million soldiers in WWI and WWII. It is one of the only sites in the country that still reflects the WWII trackside Canteen image that was so crucial to feeding soldiers, boosting morale and engaging communities in the war effort. So beloved by the soldiers, Dennison was nicknamed “Dreamsville USA” by them during the war. Ohio had the largest number of trackside Canteens at 22. As a National Landmark, The Depot will now share the status with such sites as President Garfield’s home, Thomas Edison’s birthplace, The Fallen Timbers Battlefield, Johnson’s Island Civil War Prison, Serpent Mound and President William McKinley’s Tomb. Zucal shares that they have worked on this for ten years. “Everyone told us to give up, that we could not accomplish National status. But true to Dennison’s railroad heritage and grit, we never gave up.” For additional information on the Dennison Depot contact the Museum at 877-278-8020 or www.dennisondepot.org. - 30 –
April 25, 201114 yr Railroad history up for sale UA to auction surplus merchandise acquired from purchase of Quaker Square By Carol Biliczky Beacon Journal staff writer Published on Monday, Apr 25, 2011 When the University of Akron bought Quaker Square in 2007, a valuable hoard of railroad memorabilia came with it. Now collectors will have a chance to get their hands on some of it. UA will auction off tens of thousands of items divided into more than 1,300 lots Saturday at the former shopping and entertainment complex in downtown Akron. The train collection once was the heart of the complex that opened as a tourist mecca in 1975. The shops, restaurants and bars in the former oats factory were decorated with model trains and actual train equipment, plus memorabilia. Read more at: http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/120587409.html Link to auction site: http://www.uakron.edu/aux/trainauction.dot.
May 25, 201114 yr Vandals leave passenger train inoperable $75,000 worth of seats, equipment reported stolen BY JANET ROMAKER BLADE STAFF WRITER Thieves have swiped engine parts and sections of seats from the Bluebird passenger train, enough to derail plans for a 2011 operating season. It’s also enough to raise suspicions of sabotage, volunteers with the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway of Waterville said Tuesday. “Someone doesn’t want us operating,” said TLE&W president Clarice Wyse of Fulton County's Lyons. Stolen was nearly $75,000 worth of seats and equipment, including engine parts recently purchased but not yet installed. “Someone knew what those parts were for,” Ms. Wyse said. And they knew, too, she said, that the new parts were essential to get the train running for the 2011 season. Read more at: http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2011/05/25/Vandals-leave-passenger-train-inoperable-2.html
June 3, 201114 yr Volunteers help preserve Fostoria's railroad history By CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI STAFF WRITER The signs are still there. The pole at the corner of North and Wood streets where a conductor once operated the lights to allow trains to pass through, the railroad ties sticking up from the concrete at a North Street building, the depressions made by removed rail ties that run through the ground and the foundation to a platform are reminders of the area's history. "All the little details start to add up and you can see the whole picture," Kevin Tucker, member of the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society, said. Tucker, along with nearly a dozen other FRPS members, are volunteering this week to replace the roof on the Lake Erie and Western (LE&W) Depot, the most obvious reminder of the previous rail traffic in the area. Most volunteers are from Fostoria, but there were others from as far away as Akron. Read more at: http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2011/Jun/03/ar_news_060311_story1.asp?d=060311_story1,2011,Jun,03&c=n
June 30, 201113 yr A rare display of the landmark rail photography of O. Winston Link coming to Mt. Vernon, Ohio at their beautifully restored B&O Depot. Even if you're not a railfan, but love historic photography, you will appreciate Link's innovative work with light and black&white nighttime photography. Link to more info: http://www.linkedin.com/share?viewLink=&sid=g3820539-60054429&url=http%3A%2F%2Flnkd%2Ein%2F2WUSgH&urlhash=U4rH&pk=member-home&pp=1&poster=9621971&uid=5492045050479116288&trk=NUS_UNIU_SHARE-title
July 18, 201113 yr (Not an Ohio station, but a grand exam ple of railroad architecture that is worth visiting.....) MILLONS ONCE WELCOMED AS TRAVELERS; PUBLIC NOW WELCOMED TO TOUR BUFFALO CENTRAL TERMINAL Guided Tours of One of America’s Greatest Art Deco Buildings Continue this Summer BUFFALO, N.Y. – The public is invited to experience the grandeur of Buffalo Central Terminal. Guided tours of this unique historic site are scheduled for: July 17th , July 31st, August 14th , August 28th , September 4th , September 18th and October 9th*. When it opened in 1929, Buffalo Central Terminal was one of the largest and most modern railroad terminals in the world. Known for its grand art deco architecture, towering office building and cavernous internal spaces, the last passenger train to depart the Terminal was in 1979. The guided tours include access to areas of the Terminal not open during special events, insight into the Terminal’s colorful past and the opportunity to learn about the restoration and development of the Central Terminal complex. “As seen on TV,” Buffalo Central Terminal was recently the subject of the Travel Channel’s Off Limits program and has appeared as on the Syfy television channel’s Ghost Hunters. READ MORE AT: http://buffalocentralterminal.org/2011/07/millons-once-welcomed-as-travelers-public-now-welcomed-to-tour-buffalo-central-terminal/
July 18, 201113 yr I and a few others in All Aboard Ohio, All Aboard Erie and the Empire State Passengers Association got a tour of the complex on Halloween 2009 -- how appropriate! Here are my pictures from that tour........ http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,21124.msg438082.html#msg438082 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 1, 201113 yr Orrville Railroad Day The Orrville Railroad Heritage Society presents its 31st annual Orrville Railroad Day celebration in Orrville, Ohio, on Saturday, August 13. The Orrville Railroad Heritage Society will hold train and track car rides on the railroad line at 245 McGill Street from 11 AM to 4 PM. The train rides are about 15 minutes long. Track cars will run between the train rides. Norfolk Southern Corporation will have an Operation Lifesaver booth at trackside. Hot dogs, soft drinks and water will also be available at trackside. Tour the Orrville Union Depot Museum located at 145 Depot Street, off West Market Street, and visit our many railroad displays and gift shop. The Depot Museum open house will be held in conjunction with the Orrville Music and Rib Fest sponsored by Main Street Orrville. The Depot Museum will be open for tours from 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturday. Train tickets for the Fall Foliage Circle Trip and Riding With Santa can be purchased in the depot office. The Orrville Historical Museum next door to the depot is scheduled to be open 12 Noon to 4 PM on Saturday. The Toy & Hobby Museum at 531 Hostetler Road will be open 12 Noon to 5 PM on Saturday. They charge $5.00 a person. D&J Hobbies, at 801 West Market Street, will be open for tours both days from 11 AM to 5 PM. They have a large HO gauge model railroad in their display room. Please note that there are steep stairs there. Some of these locations may ask for donations. For information, phone the Orrville Union Depot Museum at 330-683-2426. Come to Orrville for Railroad Day and join in the fun!
August 19, 201113 yr Rail Fest rolls into Fostoria By CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI STAFF WRITER The Fostoria Rail Fest is gearing up for another year of trains and the rail fans who love them. The Rail Fest is planned for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24, at Fostoria Intermediate Elementary School, formerly Fostoria Middle School. Admission is $2 for adults and any children 12 or younger accompanied by an adult are free. The Rail Fest will follow the groundbreaking for the Iron Triangle Rail Park, which is currently scheduled for Sept. 23. Fostoria Rail Preservation Society Treasurer and Secretary Ellen Gatrell said the format would be roughly the same as last year and she is currently looking into prices to arrange to have flights take off from the airport to show fans the area from the air, including the new inter-modal yard in North Baltimore. The plans to do the same last year didn't quite work out. Read more at: http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2011/Aug/15/ar_news_081511_story1.asp?d=081511_story1,2011,Aug,15&c=n
September 1, 201113 yr PRESS RELEASE 8-23-11 BYESVILLE SCENIC RAILWAY, INC. P.O. BOX 254 BYESVILLE, OHIO 43723 bsrw.org “Byesville Scenic Railway to temporarily suspend its passenger service” Byesville Scenic Railway’s President, Tim Brown, reports the Byesville Scenic Railway has temporary suspended it passenger service as of 8-21-11. This action comes as a result of the railroad track owner, Byesville Scenic Trails, LLC; Mr. Jerry Jacobson, of Sugarcreek, Ohio providing a written notice without warning or reason to the Byesville Scenic Railway to terminate their railroad track lease agreement. Brown, stated “Our Board was shocked and has no explanation for Mr. Jacobson’s actions” The Byesville Scenic Railway will be working with the former owner of the railroad track, the Cambridge-Guernsey County Community Improvement Corporation and Byesville Scenic Trails, LLC to hopefully quickly resolve the situation and resume passenger service. The Byesville Scenic Railway will continue to operate its coal mining and railroad museum, static train equipment displays and our new “Coal Miner’s Journey” performances. The Byesville Scenic Railway will be open as published in our brochures and on the web site www.BSRW.org and additional information may be obtained by contacting the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors & Convention Bureau by calling 1-800-933-5480 or visit www.VisitGuernseyCounty.com Persons who have pre-purchased tickets for train rides or for our October 8th wine train may contact us for a full refund. The Byesville Scenic Railway wishes to apologize for any inconvenience to our visitors and tourism partners. Brown states, “This suspension of passenger service could impact the entire county and the region’s tourism industry and especially Dickens Victorian Village. The Board of Directors and our volunteers have acted swiftly to re-craft the experience for visitors and residents alike so that the tourism industry does not feel the affects of Mr. Jacobson’s actions.”
September 1, 201113 yr OK Jerry, what are you doing now?? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 7, 201113 yr Though the story is out of a Houston TV station, a number of these privately-owned passenger cars are owned by Ohioans. Luxury trains making a comeback Saturday, November 05, 2011 Dave Ward HOUSTON (KTRK) -- You've heard of private planes, but what about private trains? The world's most expensive privately owned fleet of train cars is valued at over $25 million. It's been used for Super Bowls, World Series, and the Kentucky Derby. We give you a closer look at this old mode of transportation made new again, and the Houston area train lover who's leading the way. Patrick Henry grew up in Houston loving trains. Video at: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8419560
November 8, 201113 yr Fostoria (OH) Rail Cam Is Back On-Line http://www.railstream.org/Video_Streams/fostoria-01.html
November 10, 201113 yr On the rails again By ALLISON WINGATE Staff Writer Fostoria rail fans may be relieved to learn the RailStream.org live feed is back online, because website administrator Mike Kisser sure is. "It's a kind of a weight lifted off my shoulders having it back in Fostoria, because a lot of people missed it," he said. The full-motion, live video camera previously installed on the Rail Bar, 440 S. Main St., was relocated to the former Davis & Newcomer building, 420 Columbus Ave. The property was donated to the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society in July. The new location gives online visitors a bird's eye view of the Nickel Plate and C&O diamond in the Iron Triangle, according to FRPS member Ellen Gatrell. Read more at: http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2011/Nov/10/ar_news_111011_story2.asp?d=111011_story2,2011,Nov,10&c=n
February 9, 201213 yr Sad to report the loss of the historic train station in Chillicothe, Ohio. Depot fire in Chillicothe ruled arson; building a total loss 12:39 PM, Feb. 8, 2012 CHILLICOTHE — Chillicothe Fire Capt. Dave Russell said a fire at a former rail depot in Chillicothe on Wednesday was intentionally set. The building, at South Sugar and East Main streets, caught fire before dawn and was reported in a phone call at 4:11 a.m. Russell said the department believes the fire started in the southeast corner of the building. He said electricity had been shut off at the structure, and nothing inside it could have ignited on its own. Firefighters will remain on site all day, putting out the fire as they tear the structure down. He said there was only so much firefighters could do about hot spots after the roof and walls began to collapse. Heavy machinery will be brought in this afternoon to pull debris away so firefighters can extinguish all the parts of the fire. Read more at: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/302080003/Depot-fire-Chillicothe-an-arson-building-total-loss
November 26, 201212 yr Steam locomotives to be restored in Cleveland roundhouse by railroad preservationists By James Ewinger, The Plain Dealer on November 25, 2012 at 3:00 PM, updated November 25, 2012 at 3:04 PM Print CLEVELAND, Ohio - Steam could breathe new life into the old Baltimore & Ohio roundhouse near Steelyard Commons. The Midwest Railway Preservation Society is already restoring a Mikado 2-8-2 locomotive there, where it has been rebuilding rolling stock since the organization began in 1955. Saturday marked a turning point when the society and representatives of the Columbus-based America Steam Railroad Preservation Society signed an agreement to work together restoring a second Mikado. Read more at: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/11/steam_locomotives_will_be_rest.html#incart_river PHOTO GALLERY: http://photos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2012/11/engine_restoration_projects_ga_5.html
January 26, 201312 yr This is truly sad to see that Cincinnati Union Terminal is in such poor shape. Here's an inside look at how historic Union Terminal is falling apart Cincinnati Museum Center executives have been talking for years about the millions of dollars in repairs needed at historic Union Terminal – and the tab’s not getting any cheaper. The cost of repairs is now approaching $180 million, Museum Center CEO Douglass McDonald told me. This week I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the building’s deterioration. Photographer Mark Bowen and I saw bulging bricks, peeling paint and blistering plaster. We saw rusting steel beams and cracks that stretch across interior walls that sit behind the rotunda’s famed murals. And we saw a boiler stack spewing steam that looks like it belongs in a horror movie. The metal stack has rusted through and is gradually falling into itself. (I told McDonald he ought to see if the folks who run the USS Nightmare in Newport want to buy it for a few thousand dollars to cover replacing at least that scary piece of history.) To be sure, the Art Deco structure, which opened in 1933, has been deteriorating for many years, largely because of the construction methods used to build it. Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/18/heres-an-inside-look-at-how.html?r=full
January 31, 201312 yr Downtown train station’s future uncertain By Ed Richter HAMILTON — CSX Transportation officials could close the train depot in downtown Hamilton as part of a company-wide plan to close a number of these buildings across the nation. Hamilton officials are taking a proactive approach in hopes of keeping the structure at 432 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. from becoming a vacant eyesore in the middle of downtown’s revitalization. Jody Gunderson, Hamilton’s economic development director, said city leaders have met with CSX Transportation a couple of times during the past few months. “The city prompted the meeting after it heard that it may close,” Gunderson said. “The employees there wanted the city to be proactive.” Read more at: http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/downtown-train-stations-future-uncertain/nWBS7/
July 29, 201311 yr Four Ohio rail history projects score national grant dollars! Dailey Foundation awards 13 rail heritage grants Published: July 29, 2013 CHICAGO – The Tom E. Dailey Foundation has issued 13 Railroad Heritage Grants totaling $53,300, bringing its total 2013 grants to $140,205. The grants were announced by the foundation’s board of directors at its quarterly meeting on July 27. The following groups received grants: Read more at: http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2013/07/Dailey%20Foundation%20awards%2013%20rail%20heritage%20grants.aspx#.UfaAumHKIBc.facebook
September 3, 201311 yr Not Ohio, but sometimes its shadow is seen/felt here........ 10:06 AM TUE SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 Buffalo Central Terminal restoration plans aim to boost regional tourism By ASHLEY HIRTZEL Restoration efforts continue for Buffalo’s historic Central Terminal. The plans focus on bringing life back to the large train station while boosting cultural tourism in the area. Buffalo’s Central Terminal opened its doors in 1929. It was built to resemble Grand Central Station in New York City. During that time, the train station was filled with a variety of businesses where people could drop off their dry cleaning, get their shoes shined, or grab a meal in the restaurant. Central Terminal Restoration Corporation’s Executive Director Marilyn Rodgers says on June 22, 1929 there were 2,200 people in the concourse at a sit-down luncheon. She says it gives people an idea of how big it is inside. READ MORE AT: http://news.wbfo.org/post/buffalo-central-terminal-restoration-plans-aim-boost-regional-tourism "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 3, 201311 yr Yep. They did. A recent picture of the Hudson depot...... http://akronrrclub.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/dsc048441.jpg In happier days, where trains from New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Columbus, Akron and Cleveland converged. In the late 1940s, 30 passenger trains a day came through here and most stopped....... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 15, 201311 yr Fostoria, Ohio now has a brand new park for those who love to watch trains. The "Iron Triangle" RailPark had it's official opening today. It is located at one of the busiest rail junctions in Ohio with over 100 trains a day.
December 16, 201311 yr Really good piece on the only surviving train station in Columbus…outlived the station that replaced it. http://www.columbusunderground.com/the-most-unusual-building-in-columbus-je1
June 1, 201411 yr BTW, this is the depot on the west side of town on West Main, not the grand brick depot that's in downtown Kent. 133-YEAR-OLD KENT RAILROAD DEPOT MAY DISAPPEAR IF BUYER NOT FOUND by JEREMY NOBILE | RECORD-COURIER REPORTER Published: May 28, 2014 1:00AM Kent -- A symbol of this city's iconic industrial roots is in jeopardy. A former railroad depot with ties to the city's early beginnings may be torn down if a private investor doesn't come forward to save it. But whether the building on West Main Street adjacent to a Carter Lumber facility, with its chipped red siding, dingy white doors, broken windows and weathered foundation, can actually be saved remains unclear. READ MORE AT: http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news%20local/2014/05/28/133-year-old-kent-railroad-depot-may-disappear-if-buyer-not-found "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 4, 201510 yr I didn't know anything about this commemoration, but obviously there are a lot of other stops in Ohio as well as other states. I know Lincoln stopped in Painesville on his was to his inauguration as well as his funeral-- http://www.the2015lincolnfuneraltrain.com/ http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
May 5, 201510 yr BTW, this is the depot on the west side of town on West Main, not the grand brick depot that's in downtown Kent. 133-YEAR-OLD KENT RAILROAD DEPOT MAY DISAPPEAR IF BUYER NOT FOUND by JEREMY NOBILE | RECORD-COURIER REPORTER Published: May 28, 2014 1:00AM Kent -- A symbol of this city's iconic industrial roots is in jeopardy. A former railroad depot with ties to the city's early beginnings may be torn down if a private investor doesn't come forward to save it. But whether the building on West Main Street adjacent to a Carter Lumber facility, with its chipped red siding, dingy white doors, broken windows and weathered foundation, can actually be saved remains unclear. READ MORE AT: http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news%20local/2014/05/28/133-year-old-kent-railroad-depot-may-disappear-if-buyer-not-found Anyone know whatever happened with this?
May 5, 201510 yr Yay http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news%20local/2014/07/24/historic-kent-train-depot-saved
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