Established in 1948 and incorporated August 22, 1950, it is one of the oldest organization involved with the preservation of railroad equipment and railroad history in North America that includes an operating railroad line. The museum was started on the grounds of the former Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway with the name of "The Central Ohio Railfans Association" and officially changed its name to The Ohio Railway Museum February 17, 1993.
Mission
The Ohio Railway Museum is an educational organization dedicated to the preservation and operation of historic railway equipment. A special focus is its collection of historic Ohio Railway equipment and artifacts. The Museum educates the public through operations of historic equipment; special events; publications; and community involvement.
Car #21 was the first piece acquired by the Museum in 1947. It was moved to the Museum grounds in 1948. The car is a fine example of wooden interurban car construction as of the 1900-1910 period. It was built by the Niles Car and Manufacturing Company of Niles, Ohio in 1905. It is considered a combination passenger-baggage type interurban. The car is long and weighs 60,500 pounds. It is equipped with four General Electric number 263A motors, one General Electric type K-34D2 controller and one Westinghouse 3817 air compressor. Car #21 and its sister #20 both had a baggage compartment at the front, a smoker section seating 12, and a main passenger section seating 34. The car is single-ended and is operated from the baggage compartment. Also inside the baggage compartment is an early telephone that could be used for communications with the dispatcher by hooking the leads over a phone line strung along the track. The interior of the car is finished in quartered oak, originally with leather seats in the smoking compartment and plush seats in the passenger section. The car is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Norfolk & Western #578 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" E2a steam locomotive built in March 1910 by the American Locomotive Company's Richmond Works. The full length including the tender is. The weight fully loaded is 285 tons. The 6 sets of wheels from front to back are two sets of wheels for the pilot truck, 3 sets of wheels for the drivers, and one set of wheels for the trailing truck. The tender has 2 Buckeye steel built 6 wheel trucks each wheel at 33 inches. The full height of the locomotive is The fuel capacity is 26 tons of coal and 18,000 U.S. gallons of water. This locomotive was donated to the Ohio Railway Museum on Thursday, February 12, 1959 from the Norfolk and Western Railway Company. Norfolk & Western #578 is the last surviving one of 26 E2a locomotives built for the Norfolk and Western Railway Company. Numbers 553-558 were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works while numbers 559-563 were built by the Norfolk & Western shops at Roanoke and numbers 564-579 were built by Alco's Richmond Works. The 4-6-2 designation indicates that there are four wheels in the pilot truck, six driving wheels, and two wheels in the trailing truck. The term "Pacific" was given to this wheel arrangement because it was first used on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. The E2a locomotives were first used for mainline passenger service and later for branch line service when replaced by larger equipment. The E2a's could pull up to 8 heavy Pullman passenger cars at 70 miles per hour. Through the years, these locomotives were equipped with various types of tenders. The current tender on #578 is the largest used with any E2a and is originally from a larger 4-8-2 "Mountain" type locomotive. It is equipped with a stoker and can be operated with an auxiliary tender for greater range. #578 was assigned to the Scioto division operating into Columbus from 1917 to 1944, and was transferred to the Norton branch from Bluefield, West Virginia to Norton, Virginia, and was retired from service in December 1958.
Marble Cliff Quarries #1
This 0-4-0 saddle tank steam locomotive was built in 1924 by the Vulcan Iron Works. It is long and weighs and has 4 drivers, each measuring in length. It was donated to the museum in 1954 in operating condition after service with the Marble Cliff Quarries Company. It was used by the museum to pull N&W #578 onto the museum property. In 2006, the engine was cosmetically restored and Loaned to The Depot Rail Museum,. in 2018 #1 was moved back to the museum property and is now on display again today.
472 is a 4-wheel DuPont Type C single-truck streetcar built in 1900 by the Brownell Car Company. It is long and seats 24 passengers with a crew of 2. It was donated to the museum in 1956.
Columbus Railway Power and Light #703
703 is a Columbus streetcar built in 1925 by the G. C. Kuhlman Car Company. It weighs and is long. It seats 48 passengers and 2 crew members. It currently has Canadian Car & Foundry 3550 type trucks with 26 inch diameter wheels. It was donated to the museum in 1962.Street Car 703 is currently under restoration to working order.
Illinois Terminal Railroad #450
450 is a Presidents' Conference Committee car. Built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company, it is long and weighs. It was donated to the museum in 1964. It currently runs trips taking visitors up and down the line on the museum's operating days.
