END OF AN ERA
May 22, 2003

The Ohio Central Railroad regretfully announces the end of regular passenger train service effective Saturday May 24, 2003. Daily Steam powered passenger trains based out of Sugarcreek, OH will make the final run at 3:30pm on Saturday May 24th.

“Rails to the Circus” train will run from Columbus to Coshocton, OH powered by Vintage Diesel on May 24th. On May 31st, 4-8-4 #6325 will pull possibly her last excursion from Dennison to Newark, OH and vintage diesel will be the return power. The very emotional and difficult decision was based mainly on skyrocketing liability insurance costs and a sluggish tourism economy. This was a very hard choice to make and one that we had hoped would never have to make.

At this time, we will be running the “Ohio Bicentennial” train ride on June 21st with vintage diesel. All Fall excursions are currently on hold pending further discussions with the insurance agent. All other excursions are canceled for the year including Pittsburgh excursions, Murder Mysteries, Riverboat Cruises, and all other trips planned for this Summer.

No decisions have been made as of yet what will happen with the steam locomotives, passenger equipment and tooling. The decision to shut down daily passenger operations is final.

We would like to thank everyone that came out and supported us over the past 15 years, without you, none of this would have been possible.

Regretfully,
The Ohio Central Steam Department

Ticket information for remaining excursions:

May 31 Strawberry Festival Flyer Steam and Diesel. Enjoy a daylong outing to the Newark, Ohio Strawberry Festival. Departs Dennison Ohio Depot at 8:30 a.m. and returns at 6:00 p.m. Contact: Mahoning Valley Railroad Historical Association at P.O. Box 3055, Youngstown, Ohio 44511 or 1-800-571-1199 for tickets.

June 21 Ohio Bicentennial Train, Vintage Diesel, Whistle stop across the state from Newark, Ohio to Dennison, Ohio and back. Meet famous Ohio personalities such as Cy Young, Woody Hayes, Clark Gable, Governor William Dennison, U.S. Grant during your trip. Enjoy a layover at "The Big Buckeye Birthday Bash." Train stops at Newark, Frazeysburg, Coshocton, West Lafayette, Newcomerstown, Port Washington, Gnadenhutten, Uhrichsville, and Dennison. Call the Dennison depot for further information 877-278-8020.

By coincidence I finally found and bought a copy of Morgan and Hasting's "The Mohawk That Refused to Abdicate" this week in Oregon, and spent all day today reading it on a plane back to the east coast.

It sounds more and more like it's time for a second steam safari, for another generation--this time to see our favorite heritage and tourist lines before time, money, depreciation and insurance catch up with them.

What sad news. Thanks to Mr. J and the OCRY steam crew for everything they've done for us. Here's hoping for another better turn of the fortune in the months and years to come.

eledbetter@rypn.org

The obvious question: Is this course of action being contemplated anywhere else?

How to vote; find a candidate that has substantial support from trial lawyers and vote against them.

superheater@rrmail.com

> The obvious question: Is this course of
> action being contemplated anywhere else?

> How to vote; find a candidate that has
> substantial support from trial lawyers and
> vote against them.

With the trouble I heard the Cumbres and Toltec was having back in April at Steamcentral.com, they may be next, but perhaps unfortunately not the last, shoe to fall in the steam tourist business. Now maybe the most important time to go out ride (and maybe in addition photograph) steam tourist trains, but if not riding them to photograph them instead, following Steve Barry's suggestion to donate the equivalent of a full-price ticket to the sponsoring group(s), or maybe at least donating some money to the group(s) putting it on.
I'm only 21, but I'd like to have steam tourist operations for me to personally ride on or go to with my NRHS chapter. Also, I'd prefer not to live through another cycle like the late 1950's with operational steam locomotives turning into static displays-better than scrapping them, but not as great as flirting "with smoke and flame" as Penn State Altoona qutoed Nathaniel Hawthorne in their 2003 RR Heritage Conference registration materials.
Although I never had a chance to ride the OC, thanks for your efforts to keep steam alive for the last 15 years! I do hope that if the operational steam locomotives do leave OC property, they can go to homes where they can still stretch their legs!

JBeutel611@aol.com

Damn. First the 1522, now this.

Damn.

I sincerely regret the fact that I have not had to chance to see the OC steam operation...Navy assignment in San Diego tends to mess up the best of railfanning opportunities...

Hats off to the OC steam team ... let us hope this is only a temporary halt in operations...

Regards,
Burlington John


Burlington Route Historical Society
burlingtonjohn@trainorders.com

> Damn. First the 1522, now this.

> Damn.

> I sincerely regret the fact that I have not
> had to chance to see the OC steam
> operation...
> Hats off to the OC steam team ... let us
> hope this is only a temporary halt in
> operations...

> Regards,
> Burlington John

I'll second that John! I never got out there either. Hope I win the 44 million in the Big game tomorrow. Then its time to donate!

Chris

ablemanscurve@hotmail.com

It is a sad day for steam railroading indeed. Lets hope that this is not the first of many announcements.

Tom Gears

> I'll second that John! I never got out there
> either. Hope I win the 44 million in the Big
> game tomorrow. Then its time to donate!

> Chris

Just curious, didnt the Ohio Central close down its Sugar Creek Operation for a while, and then return to its old schedule? Could we maybe see a repeat of this?

jeff@CompuComIS.net

> END OF AN ERA
> May 22, 2003

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I pose the following question, containing a few unknowns to be answered as well, but hopefully someone will kindly cover them and probably know me out of the ring.
With the lions at the door, why can this industry not band togeather and self-insure itself? What has been our track record on accidents, injuries, claims, etc? Are we too afraid of a $1 billion lawsuit to do this? Others have taken it on. TRAIN should have a committee devoted to solving this issue. Do we not have legal/finacial leaders amoung us that could pave the way for something like this? If all of the current premiums were pooled to protect us, wouldn't this work?

Like I said, its either a ludicrous idea I'll get bounced for, or maybe a stimulus for some new solution.

Mike.


emd_e8s@yahoo.com

Not trying to bring anymore storm clouds in, but isn't this technically the second (Frisco 1522 being the first)? Or third, C&O 614?

Gerald W. Kopiasz

> It is a sad day for steam railroading
> indeed. Lets hope that this is not the first
> of many announcements.

> Tom Gears


hrrhs@aol.com

I am sad to hear this. They just spent a lot of money updating several of their locomotives to bring them up to code.

But I have to ask, didn't they make this FINAL decision once before only to re-start steam operations. As sad as it is, I feel like I've been to this funeral before

plc95@yahoo.com

Yes, the Sugar Creek operation was shut down a few years ago, but if I remember correctly, that decision was based mainly on the fact that major trackwork was taking place on the Sugar Creek line and "main-line" excursions operated as usual. The current insurance problem is far less predictable. I'm sure that premiums will eventually go down, but the question is when. Next year? Ten years? Who Knows? I hope Ohio Central tries to wait the insurance crisis out, but keeping the equipment in mothballs over time costs money. Let's hope for the best, but expect the worst.

I think I mis-spoke in my previous post when I said that "main-line" excursions were not cancelled a few years ago. I just came across an old copy of Ohio Central's 1998 press release regarding the cancellation of their passenger program and it states that both the Sugar Creek operation and extra excursions were to be cancelled due to trackwork and growing freight business. Either way, this is a moot point because the current insurance situation cannot be compared to the 1998 decision and ultimate outcome. When insurance premiums double or even triple from one year to the next, that is a blow that is extremely difficult to survive.

> Ladies and Gentlemen,
> I pose the following question, containing a
> few unknowns to be answered as well, but
> hopefully someone will kindly cover them and
> probably know me out of the ring.
> With the lions at the door, why can this
> industry not band togeather and self-insure
> itself?

The insurance industry went into this topic in depth at the last TRAIN convention in Durango.

It is perfectly possible to self insure our selves, but there are still two major problems. First, ultimately, the members of the self insured pool will still need a re-insurance policy with "the insurer of last resort" (read Lloyds), or we will still not be allowed to do business with the major players (do you think a Class 1 wants to have the pink slip to 100 tourist railroads?) and secondly there is the problem of Human Nature and the Markets. The self insurance pool up front would need a strong and long term financial commitment from all involved for two reasons: some claims may not arrise until several years after the occurance, and once the financial markets decide they want our premium money and lower the rates again (not due to our good claim record, but because they want to play with our money on Wall Street), the weaker members will abandon the pool for the cheaper rate. Once that floodgate opens, there will be no "excess" to cover potential future claims (that occured in the past), and at some point one major player will bail out and the self insurance scheme will collapse.

It is a stated fact from the insurance folks that our industy's premiums of five years ago covered less than 100% of our industy's claims, but because they were making killings on the Street, they did not mind that. The leading players in the insurrance industry actually complememted our businesses for having an oustanding safety record.

Steve

SZuidervee@aol.com

I hate to say it but our system of so-called justice is out of control. Premiums will never come down because there are just too many layers of people with their hands in the "pot" within the insurance industry. You have brokers, agents, underwriters, primary insurance sellers, re-insurance marketers, etc., etc. If one gets fat and decides to ease up, you can be sure that one of the others will grab the surplus before you get a reduction.

Voting out politicians tied to the trial lawyers is paramount. It does not make a difference if they are "plantiffs" or defendants" lawyers they feed at the same trough. "Subrogation" makes them all participants in the racket! The system needs reform. there are just too many filthy lawyers, and too many lazy judges. Juries see themselves as redistributors of wealth, and as long as contingent fee arrangements exist the circus will continue.

Self-insurance is a terrific idea. When I was in the engineering business and saw my premiums (with no paid claims) go up 20X in one year, I hopped on a plane and flew to Barbadoes and had Marsh Mac formed a "captive" insurance company. It was one of the best things I ever did. If there was a claim, I hired the lawyers who worked for ME and NOT the insurance company, and when the matter was finished I sued every lawyer that was in the litigation for malicious prosecution. within two years I was view as the kiss of death and the frivolous law suits stopped.

The trouble is that the tail is now wagging the dog. We need some new ideas. Consider higher deductables, retaining your own lawyers instead of the insurance company hacks, and fighting back.

Otherwise you will have to be content with watching not only steam, but most excursions on a VCR or DVD.

v-scarpitti@att.net