Word is that the two nicely-painted (in PRR red with pinstripes) OHCR FP9s have been sold to Canadian Pacific. Those units have been widely used by OHCR on all the non-steam passenger specials.

Does this signify any particular changes at OHCR regarding passenger operations?

While not a direct answer to your question, it appears that the OC dabbles in 'horse trading'-the horses being of the iron variety and IC powered.

A few years back, they sold two MLW 2000 hp road-switchers to the A&M

Dave

I'm well aware of the revolving door at Morgan Run Shop, and it's not unusual to see ex-AMTK F40s on OHCR coal trains. However, these FP9s were sort of the "crown jewels" of the OHCR's diesel fleet, and were apparently refurbished at no small expense.

Rumor that I heard is that OCRR got an offer that was too good to refuse, and that they plan to fix up a couple of other F's for passenger service.

I'm not sure this rumor is true. They were posted for sale by a locomotive broker online (I forget which one) long before the CPR bought them. I was surprised to see them for sale, too.

I wouldn't be surprised by anything anymore. Given the #76 was sold this past year, and now the FP9's, its quite possible that anyone with the right amount of cash could purchase either steam or diesel from OC. Nothing wrong with it particularly, but its pretty obvious that OC was always in the freight business first, passenger second; no commentary, just reality --- FREIGHT PAYS THE BILLS.

Its also pretty obvious that the OC has added a lot of new trackage in the last few years, and getting their new customers supplied, adding new customers, and getting the track up to snuff has pretty much meant stretching the labor force to the point that the passenger business is and will be fairly non-existent in the near future.

Hey, I wish they ran more steam/ passenger more often as well, but if you look at it from a strictly business ledger standpoint, hauling more coal, in particular, makes more sense than subsidzing a losing passenger business, which may be part of the reason there have been no Amish Trains since the lare 1990's, and fewere trips in general. OC is single track, and the single track generates more trains than even a couple of years ago. That being said, given how much coal business they DO carry, having, say, #33 haul a couple of coal trains might go a long way towards shipper development. Not everyday, but do it enough and it may generate some more business AND placate railfans enough to get them off OC's back.


TJG

Don't forget that the National Railway Historical Society is holding its annual national convention in New Philadelphia, Ohio this summer--with Ohio Central the focal point of excursions. All of a sudden, in spite of a LOT of NRHS members grousing about ticket prices being double what they were for comparable excursions a year or three ago, it appears at least possible that this convention could end up as a "last hurrah" of the steam Camelot we've come to think of the Ohio Central as being.

Think I'm exaggerating? Tell me, when was the last time you saw the Blue Mountain & Reading's 425, 2102, and Pennsy E8s? That's right--one of those PRR E8s is now razor blades or tin cans.

Tomorrow never comes.

Seems to me that Mr. Mitchell has hit the nail squarely on the head! It's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!!! With the entire system a single track affair and with the freight business growing dramatically there's precious little time nor manpower for money losing passenger specials hauled by manhour hungry steam engines!
I think Mr. Mitchell may well prove right that this summers NRHS affair on the O/C will prove to be the swan-song??? Hard to say, but it wouldn't be shocking if that turns out to be the case.
At least that's how I see it.
Ross Rowland

5706 was the one sold to Transglobal for scrap in 1998. Was it actually scrapped? I thought it was in Sumiton, AL on display less prime mover and traction motors.

5898 is here:
http://www.rosecity.net/trains/pennsylvania_engine.html

Erich Russ

I had received a report--not reliable, throw it in the rumor file--that the loco ended up scrapped in Alabama. Despite several inquiries and online searches, I have been unable to get any confirmation that the loco is still in Sumiton, or even that it actually arrived there. Lots of online rosters list it there, and my recollection was that it was gutted and set up as some dentist's office (or am I confusing another E or F that was used thus?). Sumiton is northwest of Birmingham on U.S. 78 and on a branch off the old Frisco(!).

So we're left with two "rumors"--the printed/online one of the loco making it to Sumiton, and the unprinted one that it was scrapped.

Unless someone with a good track record (sorry) come up with a recent photo or sighting of this loco at its current location, I'm not chalking this one up as "preserved" yet.

Bennett--any ideas?

I have seen a photo somewhere of the 5706. It was gutted and turned into a wedding chapel complete with stained glass windows. No, I am not kidding and I have not been building model trains in closed spaces with excessive amounts of model cement.

No need to be sorry. I like accurate data too.

This page mentions a locomotive in Sumiton, AL used as a wedding chapel along with passenger cars and caboose.
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/rail/prr/F ... tives.html

Here is a picture of the owner in front of the locomotive. Unfortunately, he is obscuring the full road number.
http://www.dorahighschool.com/alumniSto ... rofile.htm

Erich

Is the other E8, #5898, still on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern excursion ry in Southern Missouri (near Cape Girardeau)?

That page has a few minor and major inaccuracies, such as listing switcher 9251 as being in York when (I believe) it's over at Juniata Terminal (although it joined up with K4 1361 for trips out of York in 1988), listing the Dennison steamer as a PRR loco, listing a GG1 that's since been scrapped, and not being able to confirm the well-documented Reuben Wells in Indianapolis.......... so I want more than that and several other pages rehashing the same information..........



Disregarding such possible nonsense as the guy faking it via Photoshop or posing at the Blue Mountain & Reading a decade or so ago, this is 99.8% probability PRR 5706 in Alabama. Now the next question remains, how accurate and up to date is this information? That profile could have been posted in 1999 and the loco since scrapped for all we can tell.

Now, if we have any volunteers, if someone goes here:
http://www.dorahighschool.com/year/class-of-1959.htm
there is this rather convenient e-mail address posted............

That doesn't mean all the information is incorrect. The reason I linked it wasn't for it's overall accuracy, but because it offered a location: "Along highway 78, with passenger cars and caboose". That location was the hint that helped me find the next page.



The source information for the web page indicates it was published Monday, November 14, 2005 9:11:24 PM. I suppose they could have re-uploaded it to their server, but that date falls within the range of the dated articles listed on the following page (note it falls between stories from 2004 and 2005). http://www.dorahighschool.com/archives.htm

He would be about 65 now, based on his year of graduation. As you say, perhaps someone will volunteer to contact the alleged owner. I'll leave that to a PRR or E-Unit fan.

Erich