I enjoyed watching this informative video about Jerry and The Ohio Central. We first learned of Jerry and his railroad several years ago on a video Ohio Steam Spectacular. Now that Jerry has sold the OHCR to G&W,this makes the video all that more special. Thanks again for offering this great piece of railroad history in the making. Our next big rail adventure is to travel to Sugar Creek in Ohio and possibly go to see Jerry's new roundhouse. I again want to thank you for offering such great videos!!!

Additional remarks by Rob Tuck:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Yes.
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value:: Fair.
Recommend to others? A "Must Have"!

In this 2004 title, it starts with a side by side shot of 1293 on a freight & 6325 pulling passengers. Some of these scenes of the engines as well as an interview with the late Jerry Jacobsen was seen in future titles by Revelation video in 2017: Railroad video Quarterly issue 101 & a special memoir to Jerry Jacobsen himself. After the opening titles, there is a short cab ride on one of the locomotives, followed by a shot of a boy with his bike while looking at 6325 whistling through the bend on a freight train. Afterwards, a visit to Mid-continent railway museum was made as Saginaw Timber company 2-8-2 number 2 is taking on water, then we look at the vintage silent 8mm film of Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-6 number 1600 hauling lots of hoppers while passing by the station. Back in the present era, a head-on shot of an unknown locomotive in either the early morning sunrise or late sunset is included, then we get to see 1293 backing up for the preparations of the next runby, before we take a brief look at the firebox in the cab. Meanwhile, Buffalo Creek & Gaulley 2-8-0 number 13 is switching tracks while running light, then we get to see the consolidation on a passenger run while passing by some cows. Afterwards, Canadian National 4-6-0 number 1551 is also handling a passenger run with 5 coaches, followed by 1293 with 7 coaches, & of course 6325 as it whistles through Bowerston Junction while carrying 6 coaches. Speaking of which, Jerry talks about the open window coaches as one of the OC diesels are shunting them into place, with a brief shot from onboard the train. Returning to 6325, the engine is leading a mixed freight while wearing a deep toned whistle, then on a different day, it negotiates an S curve while leaves are falling from the trees in the month of October. While Jerry mentions the Strasburg Railroad, 1551 passes by a horse buggy as it rolls through the little Switzerland of Amish country. Meanwhile, an airplane releases the water while the farmers are still hard at work as we get to see 1551 with 6 coaches while the plane does some tricks in the sky. As Jerry talks about the Acquisitions, there are maps of the railway routes. Next, we moved to Sugar creek station as BC&G 13 waits for a local diesel powered steel train to clear the single track line. This freight is led by a Blue Geep number 7562 running longhood forward. Meanwhile a brief cab ride is included, followed by a Doubleheader with 13 & 1293. At milepost 126 (Reference to a Lehigh Valley 0-6-0 Tank Engine that is owned by Father & Son Duo John & Byron Gramling of Indiana), 6325 is parked here as a single unit diesel powered freight arrives in the background. Moments later, a brief visit to the shop was made where work on an Alco was done, followed by a short cab ride, & look back at the shops where the worker inspects Switcher 1314. Back on the mainline, 6325 whistles through the crossing while handling a one day photo special on October 11, 2003. Initially though, Noteworthy America By Rail producer Greg Scholl was also on that same trip & his angles we're shown in 6325 freight special from 2010. In the late afternoon, 6325 passes by a yellow convertible. Next, another short cab ride on one of the OC diesels are included as Jerry talks about local customer establishments, then he talks about the operations of the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad. Meanwhile, 6325 passes by the plant elevators while hauling freight, then the engine waits for a coal train with diesels 3216 & 3247 upfront & 3253 & 3254 (Reference to a CN 2-8-2 at Steamtown in Scranton PA) pushing on the rear while carrying coaches on a different day. Next we get to see 4022 leading a coal train upfront, while 2 more diesels are pushing on the rear: 3262 & 7378. While Jerry talks about the operations of the Ohio Central, 6325 arrives at the Sugar creek depot, while we get to see a brief look at the brick built township hall, as well as 1551 leading the train tender first on the return trip. Back at Sugar creek, 1551 is getting some preparations ready for the next train of the day as there are more Amish buggies in town. Meanwhile from high above a hill, BC&G 13 leads an excursion with 11 coaches, then it pulls into the Depot at Sugar creek. As Jerry talks about the early Diesels involved with the OC, there is an error on one of the title cards. The Word Diesel is Misspelled as "D-I-E-S-I-L". 5 of themed are stored with a Derrick crane in the middle. Back in shops, an Alco, & an SW is being overhauled, as well as more engines waiting for their turn to be restored. Back on the mainline, an Alco RS3 with a snowplow on both sides number 1077 runs light while we get to see an unexpected visitor from the west: Rio Grande 3062 as it is being overhauled at the diesel shops. The camera zooms out & pans to 1551 by the water tower, as well as gray painted units 703 & 704 outside the shops, while there is a really long line of diesels & other pieces of rolling stock that is waiting to be service, restored, & fully operational again. At that point when this program was made, Jerry owns 50 diesels. Here we see a shot of the sand tower near the shop, before we see 1077 making a test run in the opposite direction. Winter came to the OCS as a pair of former Pennsylvania Railroad F Units are leading an excursion in the snow, then we get to see the twins in warm summer weather, as one scene shows them crossing over the bridge. Meanwhile, a blue painted slug unit number 1005 is being shunted by former Conrail 7573. Jerry's first real steam locomotive to be purchased was an 0-4-0 saddle tank engine. Meanwhile at Steamtown in Scranton, Baldwin Shop Switcher number 26 leaves the turntable while carrying a Lackawanna Coach, then the slopeback tender engine itself moves a Lackawanna caboose while passing by an Adjacent Shopping mall. Prior to arriving in Scranton, Jerry traded number 26 with 1551. Here the 1551 idles in the rain, then we get to see some close up parts of the Class H6-G 10 wheeler itself, before it rolls & whistles for the mainline on a clear sunny day. After purchasing 1551, Jerry's next locomotive was BC&G 13 from Logansport Indiana. Here we get to see number 13 pulling passenger cars from the rear of the other train on a siding, which includes a short pace. Next the BC&G 13 whistles at a crossing in the bend with animals in the background during the panning sequence, then we get to see another shot of BC&G 13 as it heads for Baltic. Meanwhile, Jerry talks about CN 2-6-0 number 96 (The sister engine to number 91 at the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad, & number 89 at the Strasburg railroad after being on display at the original Steamtown in Vermont). Here we get to see some Black & white still images of 96 & 94 at the deadline, & a still image of number 86 on a freight. The next operating Locomotive for the OCS was 1293 which was built after WWII. Here we see the engine carrying 6 coaches, then it starts for a photo runby. Just like number 96 it was also on Display at Steamtown before it was restored in 1997. Next we get to see 1293 making another photo runby at the Bridge near milepost 127, then it whistles by the trees while hauling freight. As 6325 starts for a runby in the early morning sun with a freight while having a wheelslip, another error was spotted in the title card. The producers though that 6325 was built in January of 1920, when they should've meant February of 1942 because there were no 4-8-4s in existence in 1920 until the debut of Santa Fe 3751 in 1927. Did you know that it took almost 10 years to restore 6325 to life on the OCS? It started in November of 1992, & made its test run in July of 2001. On a bright sunny day, 6325 is negotiating a bend. Note the 2 cabooses on the rear. Next, the 1942 built 4-8-4 whistles for the crossing at maximum speed, then it passes by some cows during a passenger run with empty coaches. While Jerry talks about the General Public, both the BC&G 13, & CP 1293 are having a photo runby for the passengers on a doubleheader, then when He talks about his goal of restoring every steam locomotive in pristine condition, a brief visit to the shop was shown, then we are back outside as 1293 handles the coaches while CN 1551 & BC&G 13 are doubleheading a Freight. Meanwhile, we're at steamtown once again as there is a side by side photo shoot at the Roundhouse during the Grand opening celebration in 1995: From left to right there is: Susquehanna 142 (originally 1647 at the Connecticut river valley railroad in Essex during 1990 & 1991 only), Baldwin shop switcher 26, CN 3254, CP 2317, & Gulf Mobile & Ohio 425 that was since been operating at the Blue Mountain & Reading. Inside the roundhouse, Milwaukee Road 261 is backing out of the shops & heading for the turntable. This was 261's farthest journey away from the Twin cities. Next we get to see the turntable moving with NKP 759 in the background, & later made a short visit to the East Broad Top Narrow Gauge where the men are loading coal in the tender of number 14. Back at the side by side photo shoot in 1995, note the Yellow Derailer on the front of 425. Returning to the OCS, BC&G 13 departs sugar creek for its hourly trip to Baltic with 6 coaches on the rear, then we get to Experience a head-on chase with the consolidation as well as going inside the cab of number 13 while the Driver & Fireman are hard at work. Back on the ground, number 13 makes a healthy smoke show, especially when its whistling by some horses. Meanwhile, 6325 makes a nice head-on runby while climbing uphill, & whistling for the crossing during the 10-11-03 freight special. Somewhere between Sugarcreek & Zainesville, 6325 makes a photo runby for the photographers, followed by a second runby at the same location. In the late afternoon, 6325 negotiates an S curve while going under the trees & whistling for the crossing. From the top of a Cliff, 1293 goes through the cut carrying coaches as another locomotive appears in the background, then we are back at Sugar creek as BC&G 13 waits for 1551 with the passenger special while number 13 handles a coal train. Moments later, both 1551 & 13 are on a Doubleheaded Freight Special, then we even get to see an All passenger Tripleheader with 1551 upfront, BC&G 13 in the middle, & 1293 on the rear. Our next scene shows 1293 & 6325 whistling together while handling a doubleheaded Passenger special. Before we get to the closing credits, Jerry talks about the operations to Volunteer on the OCS, as the workmen are refurbishing rolling stock. During the message for the OCS website, the railroad itself was nicknamed the Jurassic Park of Steam Locomotives. Here is 6325 rolling through the beautiful sun light while having some traction troubles on a freight special. During the Closing credits, 6325 is wearing a Deep toned steamboat whistle which on that trip, Pentrex was there for its Extreme Steam 2 DVD from 2006, followed by a winter scene of 6325 in the Special Thanks section, & the same GTW Northern whistling through a small town as it handles a freight with 2 cabooses on the rear.

After 2008, the OCS was since been purchased by the Gennessee & Wyoming Freight Only Railroad but many of the Steam Stars seen in this program have been since on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse.

While this is a really interesting look at what the OCS used to do back in the years of steam operations, This program has No chapter menus unfortunately. So that means you'll have to watch it like a videotape.

Additional remarks by Steamboy:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Definitely!
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value: Good Value
Recommend to others? A "Must Have"!