Age of Steam Roundhouse Updates

p51 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 24, 2017 11:36 am

John,
Thank you very much for your post. I'm nowhere near Ohio and I can't imagine when (or even if) I'll ever be in the area, but if I know I'll be around there, I'll be sure to do what I can to correctly get tot see this amazing collection.

frisco1630 · **Joined:** Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:42 pm **Posts:** 35

Thank you for your post, John.

I do have a few questions, and if you are not at liberty to divulge answers, I understand: what is the nature of the agreement with the neighboring railroad? I.E. how many times are you able to run on their tracks per year? Though you don't run passenger trips now, will there ever be any chance of that in the future? Does the relationship with the railroad guarantee (loosely speaking) a consistently strong opportunity to run?

In the back of my head, I'm thinking of restoration plans that were abandoned because of a lack of opportunity to run, as well as of restored steamers that only can run 1-2 times a year (e.g. Soo 1003) because of the nature of the host railroad. As we have discussed at length elsewhere, restoring locomotives makes little sense if they don't have opportunity to stretch their legs.

steaminfo · **Posted:** Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:05 pm

misterwandle wrote:

The Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio, has sent to the website known as steamlocomotive.com a list of updated and corrected information about the 18 steam locomotives (and one compressed-air loco) in the collection of Jerry Jacobson. When posted on that website, this brief bit of information should put to rest the rumors and incorrect speculation as seen on this forum about the current status of Jerry's steam locomotives. All of his steam locomotives are housed safely and dry inside the AoSRH buildings.

For the past seven years, the construction progress of the AoSRH facilities and historic railroad rolling stock in Jerry Jacobson's collection has been documented in words and photos on our website, [url]www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com[/url] . Please refer to the AoSRH website to see our mission statement, past history, current status and future plans for the Age of Steam Roundhouse. Answers to most of your questions can be found on our website.

While visiting the AoSRH website, be sure to see the information that has been posted about our Saturday-only, pre-arranged group tours. AoSRH employees and volunteers have been conducting such warm-weather, May-October tours for the past five years, and are preparing for another six-month season of entertaining and educating groups of curious people. We are not set up to handle individuals or unannounced walk-ins -- for safety all tour-takers must be in a pre-scheduled group. AoSRH staff members are bending-over backward to accommodate those people who want to come to Sugarcreek to see this magnificent structure and the railroad collection inside. Use the link on our website to contact us about arranging a group tour.

Keep in mind that since Jerry Jacobson no longer owns the neighboring railroad line, the Age of Steam Roundhouse will not be operating any sort of public excursion trains on those tracks. However, we'd be happy to host your group for a Saturday tour.

John B. Corns
Age of Steam Roundhouse

I wonder if you would be willing to provide that info to steamlocomotive.info as well?

misterwandle · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:08 am **Posts:** 58

The Age of Steam Roundhouse is once again offering Saturday group tours of the roundhouse and back shop during 2017.

Our 19th steam locomotive, Yreka Western 2-8-2 #19, is en route on a flatcar and will soon arrive. AoSRH also has 27 diesels, two-dozen passenger cars and a variety of freight cars and work equipment.

Please visit our website at [url]www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com[/url] to view the announcement and to schedule your tour.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in the Age of Steam Roundhouse. We hope to see you in Sugarcreek this summer!

John B. Corns
Age of Steam Roundhouse
Sugarcreek, Ohio

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2017 9:47 am

Restoring some of the big steam to serviceable condition would be nice, in particular the 6325 and 763. One or more tank locos to run around the property would also be sweet.
I find it hard to believe JJJ would allow his RR operating rights to evaporate while establishing his kingdom.

I do hope he has his eyes set on a certain 2-10-4, near Pittsburgh.

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1083

from what I have read here and other places, JJ tried several times to get that 2-10-4, but no dice.
And he sold the railroad to finance the AOS.

Tom Davidson · **Joined:** Sun Dec 29, 2013 6:07 pm **Posts:** 203

Yes, my understanding is that the 2-10-4 has always been high on his radar, but the owner wasn't interested, in spite of having no other viable options. As time goes by, the cost and difficulty of retrieving the locomotive rises. It becomes a question of whether the effort can be justified now, even if the owner has a change of heart.

I guess there is always some hope. I'd love to be proved wrong.

Tom

co614 · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:12 pm

As has many times been discussed here at length the 643's chance of being liberated from her now landlocked location came and went a number of years ago thanks to a totally unrealistic owner.

The odds are now at least 100:1 that her eventual fate will be to be cut up where she sits.

Sad but true. Ross Rowland

The big · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:29 pm

co614 wrote:

As has many times been discussed here at length the 643's chance of being liberated from her now landlocked location came and went a number of years ago thanks to a totally unrealistic owner.

The odds are now at least 100:1 that her eventual fate will be to be cut up where she sits.

Sad but true. Ross Rowland

So long I've read the same message from you

Since it's time to try to prove your say by some Fact (not only the landlocked location)

We can move a big boy we can move a texas

If you not try to change your negatif attitude move out the subject

Sad but true

misterwandle · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:08 am **Posts:** 58

Quote:

"I find it hard to believe JJJ would allow his RR operating rights to evaporate while establishing his kingdom."

He didn't. The AoSRH is permitted to operate on the neighboring railroad, and has done so several times with both steam and diesel power. However, we cannot run passenger trains due to the railroad's new owner not wanting that potential liability. Neither did Jerry, as he stopped operating the Ohio Central RR's summertime steam tourist trains about 15 years ago because he, too, did not want that potential liability.

Being the sole owner of the OCRR and rolling stock, all financial responsibility not covered by insurance was on Jerry's shoulders. In the event of a bad wreck caused by a runaway gasoline truck at a grade crossing, even though not at fault, Jerry might have had to sell his assets to settle law suits, which might have negatively affected operation of his railroads and his employees' jobs. He decided that the risk was too great, and shut down the summer tourist trains.

When Jerry reached the age of 65 he decided to retire and rid himself of the stress of owning and operating 10 different railroads. He sold them in 2008. Plans to construct the Age of Steam Roundhouse had been under way long before then.

John B. Corns
Age of Steam Roundhouse
Sugarcreek, Ohio

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:23 am

Richard Glueck wrote:

Restoring some of the big steam to serviceable condition would be nice, in particular the 6325 and 763. One or more tank locos to run around the property would also be sweet.

John, is it in the plans to allow organizations/railroads to lease some of these steam locomotives once they become operable - if everything is agreeable to both JJJ and the AOS operating groups?

junior · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:37 am

The big wrote:

co614 wrote:

As has many times been discussed here at length the 643's chance of being liberated from her now landlocked location came and went a number of years ago thanks to a totally unrealistic owner.

The odds are now at least 100:1 that her eventual fate will be to be cut up where she sits.

Sad but true. Ross Rowland

So long I've read the same message from you

Since it's time to try to prove your say by some Fact (not only the landlocked location)

We can move a big boy we can move a texas

If you not try to change your negatif attitude move out the subject

Sad but true

Actually the proof is there. The loco has been sought out by several individuals and the owner refuses to let it go at what would be considerable, reasonable, financial circumstances, which you can search those facts in many on line forums and discussions about the loco. Just because the owner "restored" it, does not mean it is worth what he is seeking financially for it. It is not a "turn key" locomotive, for lack of a better term, which he mistakenly believes it is...

Land locked or not, you won't move something anywhere without holding title to it. Yes, they moved a big boy.....They also had ownership....

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:25 am

I'm not convinced the intrinsic value of a huge steam locomotive won't be the salvation of 643. It's all too easy to throw up one's hands and give up hope. In the meanwhile, we will wait for the circumstances and outlook to change, and hopefully, go forward from there.

Randy Gustafson · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:27 am

On most of these projects the question that never gets answered is what you're going to do if you actually manage to succeed? The 'plan' for a lot of steam remains to 'get her running', clap yourself on the back, and walk away. Developing a plan to fund, operate, own, and sustainably manage it is a LOT tougher, and it points focus back at some tough questions for groups or individuals.

If you 'size the locomotive to the effort', that means that some of these bigger girls really have no place to run and no way to get there, and no plan to survive the second 1472 even if they do succeed on the first. Having spent some time studying a prior effort on our own state-resident problem children, for 643, that remains a real issue. In terms of all operational constraints and cost issues, it's bigger in some respects than your typical articulated steam.

It does need preserved, but I'd caution in this era any mammoth expenditure of funding and volunteer effort toward restoration and operation until you know where you'll go to run, how you're going to pay for it, and what happens to it 15 years after.

I think that Mr. Jacobsen has done about all he can to preserve and protect the collection, but it's not as intent to be an operating railroad museum or an excursion railroad. It's a rather personal, extraordinary, and well-funded mission unlike much else out there. It's not a model, or a solution, for every remaining threatened locomotive.

The big · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:51 pm

junior wrote:

The big wrote:

co614 wrote:

As has many times been discussed here at length the 643's chance of being liberated from her now landlocked location came and went a number of years ago thanks to a totally unrealistic owner.

The odds are now at least 100:1 that her eventual fate will be to be cut up where she sits.

Sad but true. Ross Rowland

So long I've read the same message from you

Since it's time to try to prove your say by some Fact (not only the landlocked location)

We can move a big boy we can move a texas

If you not try to change your negatif attitude move out the subject

Sad but true

Actually the proof is there. The loco has been sought out by several individuals and the owner refuses to let it go at what would be considerable, reasonable, financial circumstances, which you can search those facts in many on line forums and discussions about the loco. Just because the owner "restored" it, does not mean it is worth what he is seeking financially for it. It is not a "turn key" locomotive, for lack of a better term, which he mistakenly believes it is...

Land locked or not, you won't move something anywhere without holding title to it. Yes, they moved a big boy.....They also had ownership....

I am sorry if my answer hit you but i am exasperated of the message conveyed by co614 for the 643.
It was not the owner. he having the mission try each time to close the subject by the same reason the landlocked

For the money (i think) the Age of steam is the best for, just look the move of the Yreka Western Locomotive No. 19, yes it was not the best fact but stay a possibility

I follow Richard Glueck
JUST POSITIVE THOUGHT lolll