Ohio has over 5,000 miles of track, with most freight traffic handled today by CSX and the Norfolk Southern Railway. The Lima Locomotive Works produced thousands of high quality steam locomotives during the great age of steam locomotives. Home of the the Nickel Plate RR, an extensive collection of locomotives and rolling stock are located at the Mad River Museum, in Bellevue. The "Museum Center" is in the original Cincinnati Union Terminal, a 1933 art deco classic, and is now home to several museums. The 1876 Union Station in Berea, outside Cleveland, is now a restaurant and great place for train watching.
Opened in 1976, the museum has a wide variety of railroad equipment along with locomotives, coaches and freight cars. There is well as an extensive collection from the Nickel Plate RR and it's successors of unique pieces of equipment as well. The founder of the Florida East Coast RR, Henry Flagler, once lived on the property where the museum is located today. As a major hub for the Norfolk & Southern, this museum's location provides for many opportunities train watching and the photographing of trains.
The restored 1873 Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, sits on the main east-west line used during WWII, and played a key role in the disbursement of troops headed overseas. Along with a displays of locomotives and rolling stock, the museum also houses a model train display. Train rides include all day excursions, murder mysteries, fall follage trips, Christmas tours and as well a Polar Express train ride. Directions
The A C & J Scenic Line, Inc., has been operating passenger excursions since 1991, reintroducing area residents and tourists to the pleasures of railroad passenger service. A C & J Scenic Line offers charter services and has special events through out the year, in addition to the regularly scheduled weekend passenger trains. Travel in 1920's passenger cars over the 12 mile, one hour train ride over former NYC trackage. Various events include a Civil War Train, a Wild West weekend, a kids pumpkin weekend and a Santa Train train ride. Directions
Ride in an open air gondola for a one hour nostalgic train ride through the southeastern Ohio countryside board the Lebanon Mason Monore Railroad. Several themed train rides include the North Pole Express train ride a Murder Mystery Dinner Train ride, and a Day Out With Thomas train ride.Directions.
Restored and renovated depot housing a museum area dedicated to the persons and railroads who built Marion and America. Model railroad display and a tourist information center.
The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway runs weekend diesel-powered train rides in vintage 1927 commuter coaches between Nelsonville and Logan. Route is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Special event train rides on the Hoching Valley Scenic Railway include the Easter Bunny Train, a 4th of July Fireworks Shuttle, Ohio's Friendliest Train Robbery, a Pizza Train, a Labor Day Caboose Special, an October Foliage Train and a Santa Train ride. Two train departures on Saturdays and Sundays thru October. Depot location
Experience the nostalgia of one of the oldest, longest and most scenic excursions railways in the country as you comfortably ride in vintage climate-controlled coaches built in the 40's and 50's. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's coaches originally saw passenger service on the Seaboard and Santa Fe Railroads. Steam power is a 1948 Canandian built 4-6-2, No. 1293. Excursions include a monthly wine train ride as well as special events, including Thomas the Tank Engine and a Polar Express train ride. Directions
Scenic train rides hosted by the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway and the Ohio Central Railroad. The Orrville Railroad Heritage Society sponsors trips starting in April over the Wheeling & Lake Erie between Orrville and Pittsburgh, Pa. The scenic leaves Orville at 8 a.m. and travels the scenic W&LE route that includes 13 tunnels and several high bridges. Check schedule for various weekend train rides thru early December, including a Ride with Santa train. Directions
The Lorain & West Virgina Railway offers several scenic train rides that include such themes as a Mother's Day Tea Express, a Presidential Train with Abraham Lincoln, a Magical Train Ride with Foop the Clown, the Wreck on the Wabash with Laurie Dickens, and an very popular Haunted Halloween Train ride. The 90+ minute round trip rides take passengers back to a more casual time when passenger trains where a primary form of transportation, governing our lives and influencing our priorities. Sit back and enjoy the ride past an original 185+ year-old log cabin (built in 1817 and found down stream from Fort Megs). Then past a 100 year-old horse barn as you continue your journey over the last remaining ten miles of track from one of America's most prestigious railroads, the Nickel Plate Railroad . (The Cloverleaf division of the Nickel-Plate provided rail service from Toledo, Ohio to St. Louis, Missouri between the mid 1800's and the early 1900's.) After your trip feel free to visit your locomotive engineer for a tour of the locomotive and converse with the train crew for a taste of what it was like to work on a railroad 100 years ago. Bring your camera. E-8 locomotive engine cab rides are also available.
Founded in 1948, The Ohio Railway Museum is one of the oldest railway museums in America. The museum began with the acquisition of Ohio Public Service Interurban Car #21, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The collection, numbering over thirty pieces, includes streetcars dating from the 1890's, the interurbans dating from 1906, passenger cars, electric and steam locomotives, including Norfolk and Western Railway #578.
RR, an extensive collection of locomotives and rolling stock are located at the 
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