Outstanding photos! Thanks!

Later!
Mr. Ed

It is great to see that the locomotive will be brought back to operating condition, however once again I have yet to get a good answer to this question, when does the OCsteam team ever run their locomotives? I checked their site and they have no scheduled excursions, doesn't seem like having the track is a big issue for them, so why don't we see something like a weekend train or two? Do they ever take their locomotives out for a spin? Or is their a museum where one can visit their collection? Just wondering, seems like they have quite the collection, yet does it ever leave the shops? Seems like if they wanted they could almost fill a whole roundhouse of steam over there.

Adam

Adam,

The Ohio Central RR is owned by Jerry Jacobsen. Jerry purchases, restores and operates steam locomotives at his own discretion and not necessarily for the pure enjoyment of the rest of the rail and steam community. He will operate them when it best suits the operations and logistics of the Ohio Central RR freight operations.

In short, he doesn't need to have a good reason to run them or not.

This year, the ex LS&I 2-8-0 No.33 has operated peridically around Coshocton on some coal moves as they work some bugs out of the engine after its restoration. The 1293 ex CP 4-6-2 has operated quite a bit including two stints at the Buckeye Scenic RR just south of Cambridge, Ohio and a week-long stint up on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. All three of these outings were publicized in advance so just watch the OC's website, www.ocsteam.com for updates.

Two factors have had a hand in determining the current state of steam operations at the OC. First is insurance. I don't pretend to know all of the details, but essentially the OC's primary insurance carrier didn't like the exposure of ensuring both the freight and passenger operations. Passenger and excursion train operations are a little foreign to most insurance companies and they reserve the right to either offer coverage or not for those things. Since freight is what pays the bills and keeps the lights on at the OC, and the RBM&N for that matter, the freight side of the railroad will often rule the day.

That is not to say, however, that Jerry Jacobsen would probably prefer to see his steam engines run more often than they do. I also believe he truly enjoys sharing his passion for steam with the rest of us. Unfortunately, business decisions often preclude more steam activity from taking place.

No doubt, we will see 763 in steam in the next few years. It won't be next year, or even the year after that, as the OC's steam department is not quite as large as it once was. Freight business is still up as it is on most railroads, and they have had press a lot of the steam guys into service in the operating department. if you can make it to Coshocton, I'm sure they're open to have a new volunteer or two join the ranks.

Hope this helps shed some light on things.

Rob Gardner

Rob,

Since you seem to be in the know on what's going on at the OC, what plans are there (if any) for future operation of 6325? I'm still kicking myself for not getting out there when she was running, and now I'm wondering if that opportunity will ever again be available. A coal burning 4-8-4 complete with a Vanderbilt tender is an awesome sight to behold.

Unfortunately 33 gives me a bad case of the yawns since I have ridden in the cab of her sister on the Western Maryland Scenic which is a lot closer to me than the OC.

I am delighted to know that 763 will ultimately run again, but 6325 is so tantalizingly close to running, that I hope they will make whatever firebox or running gear repairs need to be made to get her back on the road.

Rob if it is truly an insurance thing that is a real bummer lawyers can really screw up many good things! I personally was lucky to be taken into a local live steam club at the age of 13 and that was where I really grew up and got interested in steam. On day one of going down there, they handed me a shovel and said "we don't like having kids run around here on work days, act like one and we will kick you out! Yet act like an adult and no one will ever give you a problem!" I acted like an adult and had a blast, there wasn't much down there that I couldn't do. Imagine an insurance company hearing of that policy!

If steam is to survive more generations though it will take guys like Jerry and the likes running mainline steam through the towns of America to inspire little kids everywhere! That is how I got interested in it.

Currently I am a senior in college studying mechanical engineering. Next year I am hoping to get a job with one of the firms who designs power plants, have a few interviews, one even on monday but they are all hiring big time for pressure vessel departments. There they have steam boilers that make our steam engines highest pressures pail in comparison. Imagine pushing 3800psi on a steam locomotive, today's power boilers are there. Hopefully I'll get my PE license and learn a set of skills that will allow me to be of help to steam groups around the country one day.

None the less the point I am trying to make is when I show pictures of steam locomotives particularly with people in the image for an idea of scale to some of my friends they are in awe. These kids mechanical engineering students many of which have become interested in the career by loving cars, or aviation are they type of kid who will be drawn to steam locomotives! Yet many of them have never seen one shy of a drawing of a silhouetted "Choo Choo!" For steam to survive another few generations of interest we need more of it pounding away down this nations rails, it is the best recruiting tool for its self! By the way I think Thomas very well could be the best investment into the future that steam enthusiasts could have made! Like it or not he is probably most kid's first introduction to steam ever, I know he was mine!

Adam

6325 will run when the owner wants it to run, and is willing to put several months and thousands of dollars into the mechanical problems, both currently known and for those unforeseen.

The space and substantial manpower to work on both the 763 and 6325 concurrently is nonexistent -- at least for now. Plans for an exclusively steam-centric shop have been in the works, even going so far as to obtain a turntable.

Berkshire fever will no doubt last a few years, and probably eclipse the 6325 until as flue time runs out and other projects arise.

William W

It's very straightforward. Mr. Jacobson is the sole shareholder in the Ohio Central RR and therefore the SOLE decision maker. He'll run or not run his engines where when and how he pleases and the ONLY one who knows what the future holds for those engines is Mr. Jacobson--no one else!!!
Seems to me that the rest of us ought to be grateful that the industry has produced at least one senior executive that cares enough about the industries heritage to keep it alive even if its not on a timetable pleaseing to all!!
Assuming Mr. Jacobson stays healthy I'm confident that we'll see the 763 join the ranks of serviceable loco's in the reasonably near future!!
IMHO-Ross Rowland

so just what does 6325 need to run? I got to run behind her at Train Fest. Enjoyed it imenessly.

Adam and Dave,

Ross pretty well hit it on the head in a little more concise way than I explained it.

There seem to be differing opinions about what 6325 really needs to make it servicable. The main problem that developed was a chronic overheating of the No.2 driver bearings which seems to be blamed on a tramming issue. Others say that the new pedestal liners were not machined from the same exact alloy that the originals were made from. They are generally made from brass or bronze. The new liners, when exposed to the heat and vertical movement of the boxes, causes the alloy at the contact surface area to become very gummy and sticky causing the material to stick to the boxes. This essentially hangs up the bearing boxes from moving freely up and down in the pedestal openings. I've heard all of this second hand and do not claim to have any first hand knowledge. Some say the actual needed repairs amount to replacing the existing liners with new ones made from the correct material. I'm not sure if OCRR management agrees with this assessment or not.

I've heard of a dedicated steam shop and turntable being in the works. That will require a significant investment the likes of which the steam preservation community has not seen since the development of Steamtown at Scranton. It would be a fitting next step to truly preserve this collection in one place and see it kept intact as it is now. So long as OCRR has the operating contract for the ex PRR Panhandle line, there will be ample room to let these engines stretch their legs on a heavy duty mainline. If not, the ex-Wheeling Zanesville line to Sugarcreek offers plenty of curves and grades to make a NKP Berk or a GTW Northern strut their stuff.

If I am incorrect on any of this, my apologies to the OCRR.

Rob Gardner