Volunteer conductors (above) on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Nelsonville, OH share a few whoppers while folks board the passenger cars for a 2-hour, 22 mile round trip train ride from Nelsonville to Logan. Guests enjoy the sights while riding in one of two double deck passenger cars (lower right). The ladder-like object was used for luggage storage when the car was in regular railroad passenger service.
THE LITTLE RAILROAD THAT COULD—
I was mesmerized by the swaying motion of the train cars while the little excursion railroad
trundled along its course in the Hocking Valley which, itself, was resplendent in its fall pallet of vibrant colors.
I enjoyed the near hypnotic motion as memories of train rides from my long-ago childhood rekindled themselves. Riding the train was a very common form of cross-country travel back then.
I wondered where the clickity-clack of the rolling wheels had gone. That day there was just the hum of steel rolling on steel when I remembered modern track beds were constructed with miles of seamless track, not the antique variety with noisy joints all along the course.
Today, this fastest growing excursion railroad in Ohio is operated and maintained totally by enthusiastic volunteers.
Ladyfriend Sue Brooks was askance when she pondered the train also being driven by a volunteer—a fact I later found out was true, and, a 22 year-old one at that.
As the enchanting ride continued the announcer told us about honeycomb kilns visible to passengers on the left that were part of the valley’s industrial past. He described the virtually dormant town of Haydenville as we rolled through; its vibrancy as a community obviously long gone.
Today, rather than the noise of smoke-belching industry, the valley prides itself as the home of Ohio’s most marvelous collection of natural, and geologic artifacts like Old Man’s Cave and Conkles Hollow and the Cantwell Cliffs.
As we started our return trip I remembered it’s really difficult to turn a train around. These folks solve that problem with an engine on each end. That just requires a little careful coordination between the two.
Some seats in our double deck car also were reversible. The back simply arced over the seat bench and riders could turn around and ride going forward in both directions.
Nearing the end of our ride our little train shared a 30 minute stop at Robbins Crossing, a log village from the 1840s on the campus of the Hocking technical college.
At that stop I met our engineer for this leg (see top photo below). He commutes on weekends from Charleston, WV to enjoy his railroading hobby. I chuckled when I was preparing to shoot the middle picture below and discovered we had truly reached that end of the railroad line.
Check: http://www.hvsry.org/
THE LITTLE RAILROAD THAT COULD—
I was mesmerized by the swaying motion of the train cars while the little excursion railroad
trundled along its course in the Hocking Valley which, itself, was resplendent in its fall pallet of vibrant colors.I enjoyed the near hypnotic motion as memories of train rides from my long-ago childhood rekindled themselves. Riding the train was a very common form of cross-country travel back then.
I wondered where the clickity-clack of the rolling wheels had gone. That day there was just the hum of steel rolling on steel when I remembered modern track beds were constructed with miles of seamless track, not the antique variety with noisy joints all along the course.
Today, this fastest growing excursion railroad in Ohio is operated and maintained totally by enthusiastic volunteers.
Ladyfriend Sue Brooks was askance when she pondered the train also being driven by a volunteer—a fact I later found out was true, and, a 22 year-old one at that.
As the enchanting ride continued the announcer told us about honeycomb kilns visible to passengers on the left that were part of the valley’s industrial past. He described the virtually dormant town of Haydenville as we rolled through; its vibrancy as a community obviously long gone.
Today, rather than the noise of smoke-belching industry, the valley prides itself as the home of Ohio’s most marvelous collection of natural, and geologic artifacts like Old Man’s Cave and Conkles Hollow and the Cantwell Cliffs.
As we started our return trip I remembered it’s really difficult to turn a train around. These folks solve that problem with an engine on each end. That just requires a little careful coordination between the two.
Some seats in our double deck car also were reversible. The back simply arced over the seat bench and riders could turn around and ride going forward in both directions.
Nearing the end of our ride our little train shared a 30 minute stop at Robbins Crossing, a log village from the 1840s on the campus of the Hocking technical college.
At that stop I met our engineer for this leg (see top photo below). He commutes on weekends from Charleston, WV to enjoy his railroading hobby. I chuckled when I was preparing to shoot the middle picture below and discovered we had truly reached that end of the railroad line.
The 1840 era village of Robbins Crossing gave train passengers a restful peek at life in a pioneer village (below). Yet this year there will be Santa trains, a North Pole Express and a New Year’s Eve excursion with a brief stop before midnight where visitors will be able to enjoy a fireworks display.
Check: http://www.hvsry.org/ 
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