Ohio Central Railroad System


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 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 and the old Panhandle Route, owned by the State of Ohio.

Railroads in the system

Ohio Central's rail system comprises
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:
On August 5, 2008, Genesee & Wyoming announced an agreement to purchase the Ohio Central System for $219 million. Approval was granted by the Surface Transportation Board on December 30, 2008.