Long-time steam locomotive aficionado, Jerry Jacobson, who was CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Ohio Central Railroad System (OCRS), decided to retire from the railroad industry. Effective as of October 1, 2008, Jerry sold his entire freight railroad interest in OCRS to Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. Included in that transfer were the ten, separate and individual railroads that comprised the greater OCRS, all track, property, modern diesel locomotives, freight cars, the Morgan Run Shop, and all other depots and structures. The control and day-to-day operation of OCRS leased railroads -- for example, the ex-PRR Panhandle Line which is still owned by the State of Ohio and the Mt. Vernon-Newark-Zanesville-Cambridge line which is still owned by CSX Transportation -- were assigned to G&W with the permission of the owners of these leased lines. Based on OCRS's low operating ratio, yearly growth and continuing profitability, it had become a prime candidate for a friendly takeover by a larger railroad. Negotiations were held with several railroads, but G&W got the nod to add the 525-mile OCRS to its list of 53 other short line railroads. However, Jerry retained ownership of all ten of his beloved steam locomotives, 22 old diesels, twelve heavyweight and twelve lightweight passenger cars, and the depot at Sugar Creek.

Age of Steam Roundhouse

August 4, 2008

A Connecticut railroad operator has signed a deal to buy the 445-mile Ohio Central Railroad System for $219 million.

Greenwich, Conn.-based Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (NYSE:GWR) said the deal for the Coshocton-based railroad system brings it nine short-line railroads in southern Ohio, Youngstown and Pittsburgh.

Ohio Central Railroad System was founded in 1988 and primarily handles steel, coal and solid waste freight. Its Ohio operations include the Columbus and Ohio River Railroad, which runs about 160 miles to Mingo Junction, near Pennsylvania, from Columbus, and about 85 miles between Newark and Cambridge. The system also has the Ohio Central Railroad and the Ohio Southern Railroad, which run from South Glouster near Athens to Brewster, about 100 miles north.

The railroads interchange with several operators, including CSX Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp. and Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.

Genesee & Wyoming expects its newest acquisition, which awaits final closing conditions, to generate about $70 million in revenue in 2009. It recorded $516.2 million in revenue last year.

"Business development on the rail lines has been extraordinarily successful, and we look forward to further increasing shipments and strengthening the local economies," Genesee CEO John C. Hellmann said in a release.

Genesee owns and operates short-line and regional freight railroads in North America, Australia and the Netherlands. The company runs 52 railroads with more than 6,000 miles of owned and leased track.

Columbus Business First

Super 7 series

The General Electric Super-7 series was a variant of the "Dash 7" line. There were two types of Super-7s; the Super-7N built from C30-7s and C36-7s for Mexican carrier Ferrocaril Nacionales Mexicano and the model best known by us here in the United States the Super-7R. The latter model included several variants itself and was rebuilt from many earlier GE U-boat models like the U23B, U30C, and U36C that were first released by the company from the early 1960s through the 1970s (the U-boats were replaced by the newer "Dash 7" models mentioned above). The primary difference in these rebuilt locomotives were upgraded components and electronics that extended their running years and increased operational efficiencies. Only one American line went on to operate the Super 7s and today a few remain in operation on regional Providence & Worcester as well as Ohio Central and Arkansas & Oklahoma.

American-Rails.com