Age of Steam Roundhouse
As a young teen, Jerry Jacobson loved to watch the Baltimore & Ohio steam locomotives operating on the Akron Division run through his hometown of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He was fortunate, as this stretch of B&O main line was the track where Steam fought its last stand in 1957 on the B&O. Jerry was even more fortunate one day when he was invited to ride in the cab of B&O Mountain-type 4-8-2 No. 710 as it switched out cars from the local freight it was pulling. Unfortunately, the B&O shut down the last of its steam locomotives later that year. From that moment on Jerry dreamed about how great it would be to own his own steamer.
Knowing that he would have to own his own railroad in order to run his own steam locomotives, in 1988 Jerry bought a 90-mile railroad and named it Ohio Central. Twenty years later his Ohio Central Railroad System had grown to ten individual freight-hauling railroads, 84 diesels, ten steam locomotives, and two dozen heavyweight and lightweight passenger cars. The highlight of the OC was the daily-except-Sunday steam-powered summertime tourist passenger trains that operated seven miles from Sugarcreek to Baltic.
The Age of Steam Roundhouse
he Age of Steam Roundhouse is a steam locomotive restoration, maintenance, and interpretation facility, located along the Ohio Central mainline south of Sugarcreek, Ohio. Created in 2008 on former farmland, the facility features a working turntable, an 18-stall roundhouse, and a complete steam backshop. All of the rolling stock — including steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, and passenger cars — began as the private collection of Jerry Joe Jacobson, former developer and chief of the Ohio Central shortline system. Ohio Central had previously operated excursions with some of the collection's equipment. Since his death, the property has transitioned to a public museum.
Overhead photos from Age of Steam Roundhouse website / Sugarcreek, Oh / 2012
Click to see the Age of Steam Roundhouse plotted on a Google Maps page
Motive Power
Age of Steam #84
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Age of Steam #84
to Bay Colony #1052
to Ohio Central #84
to Age of Steam #84
painted in Nickel Plate scheme
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Bay Colony #1052
South Braintree, Ma / Jul 1986 / Carl Weber
Age of Steam #452
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Age of Steam #452
rebuilt and regeared to F40M-2C
to Ohio Central #452
to Age of Steam #452
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Age of Steam #460
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Age of Steam #460
rebuilt and regeared to F40M-2C
to Ohio Central #460
to Age of Steam #460
Ohio Central #1077
Sugarcreek, Oh / Feb 2016 / RWH
Ohio Central #1077
to Detroit & Mackinac #1077
to Michigan Shore #1077
to Ohio Central #1077
Sugarcreek, Oh / Feb 2016 / RWH
Sugarcreek, Oh / Feb 2016 / RWH
Ohio Central #1802
Sugarcreek, Oh / Feb 2016 / RWH
Ohio Central #1802
to North Carolina Port Authority
to Ohio Central #1802
Rolling Stock
Ohio Central #X504
baggage car / Sugarcreek, Oh / Feb 2016 / RWH
Publications
collection
Lagniappe
I've been wanting to see the progress on the remarkable Age of Steam Roundhouse project ever since the news broke about Jacobson's big kettle plans, but Ohio railfan outings never took me that far south (relative to my western Pennsylvania home). But a safari up from Zanesville through Coshocton following the main Ohio Central route gave me the perfect opportunity to locate the roundhouse. The term "middle of nowhere" certainly applies: One has to get off the beaten path to find it, but once you do you'll be glad to you did. Understandably, everything is fenced off. However, you can still get a good view of the impressive buildings from the adjacent county road. The roundhouse and turntable are stunning. The whole place has a step-back-in-time feel, yet every wall and fixture is brand new. Always interested in the next roster shot, the facility is one giant temptress -- dozens of first generation diesels and other rollings stock, all but a few out of reach from a camera lens on the fence-line. Perhaps I'll donate money to build a giant reviewing stand just across the road! I'm hoping the place will become more open to the public over time, although I can understand the tricky balance between private collection and public interpretation. Still, maybe a visit inside the fence-line will be in the cards over the next few years. How I would love to see the inside of those walls, and their iron contents.
Links / Sources
- Age of Steam Roundhouse website
- Wikipedia article for Age of Steam Roundhouse
- Railroad Picture Archives Age of Steam roster
