Ohi-Rail Corporation
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail Corporation traces its roots back to the predecessors of the New York Central System who built the railroad to tap into the vast coal resources found in southeastern Ohio. Later known as Penn Central's Secondary Track, the 34 mile line stretches south from the City of Minerva through the coal rich counties of Carroll, Harrison and Jefferson to Hopedale in southeastern Ohio. Along with the 3.8 mile Wolf Run Branch, this railroad, commonly known as the "Piney Fork Line", cut a path through this coal rich region of Ohio.
The Ohi-Rail Corporation was formed in 1982 to preserve and operate 34 miles of former Conrail trackage in northeastern Ohio. The shortline connected with Conrail at Bayard, Ohio, ran southwest through Minerva, then southeast to a connection with the Wheeling & Lake Erie at Hopedale. Traffic has included brick, machinery, solid waste, lumber, and wallboard, but in recent years new business has been found in the support of Utica and Marcellus Shale production in the region. Sand, condensate, plastics, aluminum are current commodities. The line's history includes the New York Central's Alliance branch and the Pennsylvania Railroad's Tuscarawas branch. The trackage south of Minerva is owned by the state of Ohio through its Division of Rail Transportation Development, although the line is out of service by OHIC south of Amsterdam, Ohio. Today the shortline interchanges with Norfolk Southern, the Wheeling & Lake Erie, and Genesee & Wyoming's shortline Columbus & Ohio River Railroad. Locomotives are maintained at Minerva; headquarters for the company is in Steubenville, Oh.
2006 area railroad map / RWH
1955 Official Guide ad / collection
1946 NYC branch / RWH
1988 Official Guide ad / collection
1994 Official Guide ad / collection
Motive Power
Ohi-Rail #47
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #47
to Pigeon River Railroad #47
to Indiana Box Car Corporation #47
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #47
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #54
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #54
to Penn Central #7322
to Conrail #7547 (GP10)
to Ohio Central #7547
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #54
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
RWH
Ohi-Rail #101
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #101
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #101
Ohi-Rail #102
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #102
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #102
Ohi-Rail #221
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #221
to Illinois Central Gulf #9360
to MidSouth #9004
to Tishomingo Railroad #221
to Indiana Box Car Corporation #221
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #221
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Illinois Central Gulf #9360
Vicksburg, Ms / Apr 1987 / Mose Crews
MidSouth #9004
Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / RWH
Laurel, Ms / Jul 1989 / Robert Proctor
from Southern Motive Power 1968-1982
/ collection
Ohi-Rail #5032
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #5032
to Norfolk Southern #5032
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #5032
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #5045
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Ohi-Rail #5045
to Norfolk Southern #5045
to Ohi-Rail Corporation #5045
Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Rolling Stock
Ohi-Rail #476
steel caboose / Minerva, Oh / Nov 2011 / RWH
Locations
Minerva wye overhead / Google Maps
Click to see the Minerva wye area plotted on a Google Maps page
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Lagniappe
First Gen Rockstars
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Faded Glory
Nov 2017 / RWH
Slow Down, Please
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Retirement
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Minerva Scenic
Minerva, Oh / Nov 2017 / RWH
Links / Sources
- Ohi-Rail Corporation website
- Wikipedia article for Ohi-Rail
- Railroad Picture Archives Ohi-Rail roster
- Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide - Fifth Edition (Kalmbach, 1996) 233
- Charles W. McDonald, Diesel Locomotive Rosters - Third Edition (Kalmbach, 1992) 124