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I opened the box of long-forgotten photo prints wondering what I would find. At the very front of the box was a yellow envelope: “Ohio Central 1998”. These needed to be scanned immediately! I remember the day so well….

It was a cold, rainy October day. It was a long, early morning drive. It was all worth it for three railfans from Southwest Ohio.

The Ohio Central was a gem for railfans in 1998. This Central Ohio short line was notable for its attractive color scheme and its eclectic roster of first and second generation diesel-electric locomotives. In addition, the Ohio Central had steam locomotives! Lots of them! The line operated a number of seasonal excursions behind its stable of steamers: Pacifics, Ten-Wheelers, Consolidations, and even Northerns!

Best of all, the line operated daily-except-Sunday steam excursions on a six-mile route between Sugar Creek and Baltic in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country. That was our destination for the day.

First, we stopped by the road’s Morgan Run shops, near West Lafayette, Ohio (which is actually east of Lafayette, Ohio, but that is another story!). Our trio of intrepid railfans first introduced ourselves to the shop crews and asked permission to photograph the premises. Determining that we were sensible railfans and were not trying to steal appliances off the steam locomotives, we were granted permission to shoot whatever we wished, provided we remained in the parking lot. Fair enough!

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Several steamers were parked outside, including ex-Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 #1293, an 0-4-0T, ex-Buffalo Creek And Gauley 2-8-0 #13, and the tender of ex-Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 #6325, which was being restored inside. There were also some ex-Conrail GP-9’s, a pair of ALCO switchers, and a few other diesels as well. This alone was worth the trip, but we were not finished.

We were then off to Sugar Creek.

We were unfamiliar with the town, and Google Maps had not yet been invented, so it took us some time to locate the passenger depot. After grabbing a quick McDonald’s breakfast and inadvertently annoying some of the locals – another story – we headed back to the depot to catch the first train of the day. By the time we arrived, 4-6-0 #1551 had already been coaled, watered and fired, and was ready to tie onto its cars. Meanwhile, SW1200RS #1327, complete with “antlers” on the exhaust, showed up to push the passenger consist into position.

Soon enough, #1551 put on a show as it passed the passenger train on an outside track, reversed, and tied onto the train. We snapped a few photos, then popped into the depot, bought our tickets, and climbed aboard.

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We rode the train, enjoying the sights and sounds while we scouted for photo locations. After the ride, we spent the rest of the afternoon chasing and photographing the remaining daily excursions – I do not recall exactly how many runs there were during the day, perhaps four. Afterward, we made a quick detour to the Wheeling And Lake Erie shops in Brewster, Ohio before our return home.

Alas, those photos will have to wait for another edition as they have not yet been retrieved from the magic box and digitized. Stay tuned!

Now, go watch some trains!

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