Recently found these two 5"X10" photos taken at the Ohio Railway Museum.
The scans don't show the same clarity the actual pictures capture.
Despite a few scratches and blemishes, it seems fitting to share them here.

The back of both photos are stamped:
--------------------------
Dave Bunge
Photographer

Minerva Park
Columbus, Ohio

AM-3-9945

JUN 25 1959
--------------------------

John

I visited Ohio Ry. Museum in 1977 as part of my "Dog Tired Tour". They had recently finished the bridge over Highway 161, and they were running N&W Pacific 578, Columbus streetcar 703, CTA 4449 and a freight motor. This was probably at the high point of ORM's existence--the freight motor had to help the N&W steamer, and both of the then-operable electric cars have deteriorated since then. The carbarn in the photo was still there in 1977, but when my wife and I stopped briefly in 2007 while heading east in our motorhome, the carbarn was gone, and the only active car was Illinois Terminal PCC 450, which in 1977 was on lease to Cleveland for the Shaker Heights lines.

Side note: 1977 was when Southern Pacific Daylight Northern 4449 was all over the railfan news scene. The host of one informal gathering put an embargo on 4449 photos at his slide shows because we had all seen so many of them. When I said "I have some different 4449 photos," there were groans until the green CTA car showed on the screen.

Thanks for sharing the photos taken by my father (now retired in Las Vegas). It is certainly interesting to see the freshly laid train leading into the car barn. In the 2nd photo, Ohio Public Service #21 can be seen behind #2. This car had been restored to full glory and was a treasure of the museum even if they didn't run it too often.

I spent most weekends of my youth there, from age 5 to the teenage years. 1977 for the glory days is pretty close, perhaps a bit earlier for myself. I don't have a clear memory of 5012 operating, but spent so much time in the cab of #2 while dad moved cars around I remember getting bored and taking a nap laying down in the corner even with the noise and arcing of the electrical gear. CT&I #119 was rarely run since it was single ended, but it could fly, especially south of Rt 161. A real workhorse was South Shore car 451, which could also pick up an fly on pretty rough track. While it was hard work, spent many summer days with friends trimming trees and brush working from the top and side of the line car.

In the 1970's a very popular and successful operation was a Halloween haunted train that was set up in a string of wooden box cars. Those cars were stored in the yard south of Rt 161 and were torched one year.

I sometimes wonder how many others born post N&W steam can claim to have experienced four N&W hot steam locomotives.

I graduated from high school in 1980 to join the Navy; I think things were already seriously going down hill with some veteran ORM members migrating to the Hocking Valley. Dad spent some time working the Buckeye Scenic in the 1980s. He moved to Tennessee in 1986.

Thanks for the memories!

Bob Bunge

I remember being there early 60's as a kid, riding behind 578. I didnt know it but my father said to be quiet as we were saying hi, bye leaning out the window, apparently someone was audio recording. They made a 10 inch vinyl sound record, so if you have that recording, and listen to the 578, thats me and family...8-D