This isn’t exactly breaking news since it appeared in the Mt. Vernon (OH) News last week while I was away. Conneticutt based Genessee & Wyoming reached an agreement to acquire the Ohio Central Railroad System, a network of nine short line railroads. This is of concern to farmers in the area since a branch of the OCRS served the farmer’s co-op grain elevator in Mt. Vernon. Last year 550 car loads of grain were shipped on this branch. The grain elevators are the only industry served on this branch and the OCRS had considered abandoning the line before the state pumped some money into improving the track. Track north of Mt. Vernon had been abandoned a few years earlier. The deal must receive approval from the state of Ohio.
The OCRS is a privately owned regional system with 445 miles of track. It also maintains a small fleet of steam locomotives, mostly from the Canadian Pacific railroad. These steamers occassionally are used in revenue freight service as needed. The OCRS quit running passenger excursions several years ago. My guess is the new corporation will be less sentimental about maintaining a steam fleet than the current private owner is.