SFX Whistle Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa, a Mexican restaurant serving the Phoenix area since 1990.

Raildreams, a designer and builder of custom model railroads since 1994.

Hi, I'm Spencer Christian.

On this episode of Tracks Ahead, ride a historic Japanese steam train that has been lovingly restored.

We'll visit a man who has realized his childhood dream, and meet a dentist who has taken his passion for trains into the back yard.

Through the hills of Ohio runs a railroad, ten railroads actually, under the umbrella of an organization called the Ohio Central Railroad System.

Holding the umbrella is an entrepreneur who fell in love with trains as a young boy.

He loved the Lionel that circled around the Christmas tree, as much as he loved the big black steam engines that thundered down the tras near his home.

Years later, that love would become his life.

Annc: The Ohio Central Railroad System is a network of ten commonly managed and opered short-line railroads cruising along hundreds of miles of track throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Some of the lines had been abandoned, or were soon to be, when they were brought to life once again beginning back in the 1980's.

And success, looks good on the Ohio Central.

There is steam.

and there is diesel.

There is old.

and there is new.

She hauls everything from coal and metals, to lumber and corn syrup.

It is a well managed and modern freight railroad that has become an important part of the economic backbone of this part of the country.

In an industry that once struggled, it is a business model that has found its niche and now thrives.

William: The railroad has found that it is not unusual to provide service to customers who are more than willing to pay for it.

What we've been able to do is focus on the level of service, dedicated service, and employ a group of people who are extremely energized and understand the value of the service they provide.

In the nature of our railroads, they're all regionally located.

We would like the areas to think of them as their own home town railroad.

That gives us an identity factor that we use to market.

We empower all of our employees - our supervisors, our managers, our hourly folks - to make the decisions that are needed to be made every day, so they can best run their railroad.

They do not need to come back to corporate for other than support.

The biggest challenge is to try to take an industry that has a reputation that may not be the most favorable, and let the customer know, the prospective customer know, that you have changed.

Many times we do that by challenging, by explaining that if we're given an opportunity we can quickly prove or disprove if we have changed to become better in service field.

Customers were willing to take that chance, and we were able to demonstrate that we were in fact a much different industry as a short line.

Annc: Command Central for the Ohio Southern is here in Coshocton, Ohio where ten railroads carrying tens of thousands of carloads of freight each year are meticulously managed, scheduled, and maintained.

Used here is a cutting edge, modern high-tech computerized control system called "Train Sentinal," manufactured by Quantum.

It drastically cuts down on the amount of time needed to perform various tasks, and nearly eliminates any possibility of human error.

It is 21st Century railroading.

Dennis: Previous to purchasing the Quantum System we did everything by hand.

Everything was hand written on blocked papers.

And we dispatched the entire railroad system - we were dispatching 280 miles of system - without the aid of a computer.

Basically it was all done the old fashioned way.

So we purchased the Quantum system earlier this year, and that allows us to put everything on computer and it takes most of the human error out of it.

A train will call in a request, a segment of track, each one of these little things is a segment, and tell us how many segments or what direction he wants to go.

And we will issue these tracks via a computer to him.

The system knows where the train is right now by them telling us where they are.

Eventually, which is new and not been used by the rail industry before, it will know by GPS satellite where the train is and actually control the train.

What's never been done before is that they track trains like many other things like ships and everything ee, by satellite.

We are going to track these trains by satellite, both the front and the rear portion of the train, and then we are going to connect these computers to the air brake system of the locomotive so we can actually control the train from here.

Annc: But running a railroad operation like this is not all high-tech.

Increasing the size of a tunnel to accommodate new, larger coal cars requires a good deal of earth moving.

There is an astronomical amount of manual labor involved, seen here at the Morgan Run shops where different things are renewed, refurbished, built from scratch and even created.

And it's not all modern either.

The beautiful old bridges in Zanesville still lift and swing the same way they did decades ago when the town was growing up, just like the railroad industry was.

It's things like this that are constant reminders of our history.

The railroad also maintains an impressive collection of vintage steam and diesel locomotives.

Some are museum quality pieces which give passers by a chance to see railroad history up close.

Tim: We started the steam program the same year that the Ohio Central started.

That was 1988.

We finished the restoration of the one locomotive, the 1551, and put it in service in November of that year for some test runs.

And then in the spring of 1989 we started our little one hour trips on a day basis between May and October to Sugar Creek, Ohio.

And from then on it just kinda kept blossoming.

That was our first engine on the property and the owner enjoys steam and that was the main reason why he purchased the Ohio Central.

His vision was that we'd move freight and we had a wonderful place through the Amish country that we could run steam locomotives and pull passenger trains on these little one hour trips.

That was the deciding factor, and it continued to grow with more cars and more locomotives.

Annc: Owner Jerry Joe Jacobson built this company piece by piece.

His love of trains began long before his name was ever on the masthead.

From the trains that rolled on the tracks outside his Indiana home, to the model trains that rolled around his Christmas tree as a young boy, Jacobson has always felt the pull.

And, back in 1957,when at the age of 14, he was given a ride on a B&O steam loco pulling a freight train through Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Jerry fell in love.

It was that moment that gave birth to the dream that became the Ohio Central.

Jerry Joe: And that's a shame because young kids now don't get the thrill of the sight of a steam locomotive.

You know, they just have to see one in an amusement park or in a museum some where and that's all that's left.

So we're still running ours around town here in Coshocton on the Ohio Central.

We enjoy it very much and I'm sure it surprised a lot of people to see an old steam engine sll running.

It's a fun thing to come to, it's a great thing for grand children, especially little boys.

This is the Barbie Doll for little boys.

A big steam locomotive, the real thing.

The sights, the smell, the sounds, that's the great stuff.

The heat off the boiler, the sound of the whistle, everything else, it's all one big package of enjoyment and thrills.

William: The future for The Ohio Central is bright as the people who have made this company what it is today.

And that is virtually everybody.

We have an ethanol plant under construction.

It is due to come on line in October.

We are now employing technology that short lines would not have thought of using such as positive train control, satellite technology.

We have expanded our railroad from one system to ten and today new operate just under 600 miles.

And we have approximately 95 locomotives to service those customers.

Annc: It's probably safe to say that one reason Jerry Joe Jacobson and the Ohio Central have been so successful is because they are able to provide customers with exactly what they want and what they need.

Another reason has got to be that Jerry Joe Jacobson and his employees obviously love railroading, and everything about it, both old and new.

Jerry Joe Jacobsen continues to find some of his locomotives in odd places, includg the online auction site, e-bay.

Sometimes a dream starts when we are young, and if we're fortunate, we can realize that dream sometime in our lives.

That's what happened to John Schoonenberg.

Annc: Suppose that it's 1950, and the Milwaukee Road and the Chicago Northwestern Raioads have merged.

Now suppose that they run their colorful passenger trains through the rolling hills and farmland of southwestern Wisconsin.

Sound like a fantasy?

Perhaps.

But it's fact on the N gauge Chicago, Milwaukee, and Northwestern Railroad of John Schoonenberg.

The result of over 25 years of planning and construction, it started back in 1947 in tiny New Glarus, Wisconsin.

John: When I was four and a half years old, my grandparents, who lived in New Glarus, Wisconsin, gave me an American Flyer Train set.

My uncle purchased it at the New Glarus hardware store.

When I opened that train, I was elated.

It was the most wonderful gift I had ever received.

My father and I set it up and ran it around the Christmas tree.

And then we ran it several times a year.

He was quite protective of the train set.

He knew it was quite a valuable toy, and so we didn't run it to often.

Annc: About the time John was 14, he and a friend discovered a book that would prove to be instrumental in his love of model railroading.

John: When I was about 14 years old, I met a friend on the schoobus going to high school.

His name was Jay Cory, and he and I were both interested in model railroading.

He recommended a book written by Frank Ellison.

It was a book that was published in 1954.

It was just 154 pages, but it explained everything you needed to know to build and operate a model railroad.

I decided that I would use the tools and the methods that Frank Ellison illustrated in his book.

So I built the mountains and scenery out of wire screen and plaster.

I scratch built some buildings.

I remember building a a meat packing plant, and oil depot, refrigeration ice plant and a power plant.

Annc: But as a young student, John didn't have the time or the place to do much more than continue to scratch build structures.

And a chance passing of a hobby shop in the late 1960's introduced him to N gauge.

John: I was an intern in dentistry in Buffalo, New York.

I was walking down the street one day and I passed a hobby shop.

And there was an N scale set in the window.

It was a very beautiful Pennsylvania E8 with four Rivarossi heavyweight passenger cars.

I lived in apartments for many years early on, and there wasn't a lot of room in those apartments, so I decided on N scale.

Annc: John had a dream to someday continue that layout he had as a child.

And in 1976, that opportunity finally presented itself.

And he modeled what he remembered.

John: Well, most of my life I've lived in this area.

I lived most of my years in Milwaukee, I've lived in Fond du Lac, some time in New Glarus, Wisconsin.

So I remember this area from my childhood days.

Annc: John started building his scenery using plaster soaked paper towels, and progressed through Styrofoam and plaster cloth.

But the scenery isn't the only thing that is hand built on this layout.

His buildings are also specially constructed.

John: I take kits, building kits, maybe two or three of the same kit or varyingits, and I kitbash those into buildings that fit the space that I have and that I require to have buildings in.

Annc: Structures aren't the only things that are kitbashed.

John does rolling stock as well.

John: This is my workshop where I build all of the rolling stock for my railroad, especially the passenger cars.

Here I am going to be fabricating a Milwaukee Road 10 6 sleeper.

I purchased the car sides from a manufacturer in Canada.

And then I use an American Limited core kit, which supplies the roof and the underbody details and ends.

And from that I build up the passenger car and put on the proper trucks.

Annc: Using a digital command control system is a far cry from that first layout.

And it allows John the opportunity to escape from the ordinary into a very rewarding world.

John: Well, when I'm working on the layout, all of my concerns, all my worries and everything leaves.

And I'm totally at peace when I'm working on my layout.

In involves carpentry, it involves artistic work, it involves scratch building, it involves electrical building, electronics.

It's all very, very enjoyable.

Annc: The Chicago, Milwaukee and Northwestern Railroad really started over half a century ago.

And it lives on as a tribute to the ambitions and craftsmanship of John Schoonenberg, who started with a train under a tree, in a small town in Wisconsin.

John continues to add scenery and continually looks for new areas to model.

In a moment, we'll travel into beautiful Ontario, Canada where we'll visit one of the most interesting dentists we've ever met.

He loves trains so much, he models them.

We're not talking about something that runs around the Christmas tree.

We're talking about trains so big that you can climb on board as they pull you into another world.

But first, mention rail travel in Japan, and most people will think of the sleek bullet trains.

However, steam railroading still thrives in Japan.

Let's visit a line that was brought back into service by public demand.

Annc: To most westerners, travel in Japan means rail travel.

Courtesy of Japan Airlines and the National Tourist Organization, Tracks Ahead visited Yamaguchi, where we stepped into the past.

Music Annc: Traveling in Japan by rail wouldn't be complete without riding one of Japan's well-preserved steam engines.

By the early 1950s, there were almost 5000 steam locomotives running throughout the country.

But in the next two decades, diesel and electric trains were rapidly replacing them.

Fortunately, as steam locomotives began to disappear, there was a growing interest in preserving Japan's railway heritage.

Okuyama: The Yamaguchi SL train operation was terminated in 1973.

All SL's in Japan were terminated in 1975.

The SL Yamaguchi Go restarted in 1979, 6 years after termination.

This occurred because of strong requests from rail fans.

Annc: The 15 steam operations still running in Japan today are considered to be works of historical and cultural importance.

That's why private rail companies, such as JR West, have dedicated funding and resources to housing, maintaining and operating these trains.

The Yamaguchi Go steam operation maintains two engines, the C56 and the C57.

Because of it's relatively light weight, the C56 is called "The Pony.

The C57 once hauled the Emperor's Train, and she earned a more endearing nickname.

Because her elegant lines and proportions made her a favorite, everyone who saw her - workers and passengers alike, referred to her as "The Lady. "

Mr. Toshihido Mikawa worked on some of these trains while they were still running throughout the country.

Mikawa: When i was employed, the C57 and the SL's were in the glory of the era.

Then they were terminated and I am not sure when the service was restarted.

I was assigned to Ogouri, where I first encountered SL's.

I started operation in the office and after recommendations by senior staff I started running SL's.

I like SL's more and more, and now I love SL's very much.

I enjoy looking at the passengers' smiling faces and am proud of the operation.

Whistle Annc: We join many excited rail fans from all over Japan - and the world - in waiting to board the beautifully maintained C57 steam engine at the station in Ogori.

The Yamaguchi Go steam line operates a 37-mile stretch from Ogori to Tsuwano on weekends and many national holidays.

Obviously, the children here look upon this ride as a special treat.

Our starting point, Ogouri, is at the western end of Honshu island, and it takes almost 6 hours to reach it by bullet train from Tokyo.

Once you get to the station, you should make a point to visit all of the five passenger cars.

Each one is decorated in the style of different era.

Here in the Retro-Meiji car, soft lighting and dark brown interior colors recreate the era of the late 1800s.

In the Retro-Taisho car, the dropped ceiling, transom windows and an amber floor are the hallmarks of this romantic period.

The Retro-Showa car shows Japan's thrust into modernization in the middle of the 20th Century.

In the European car, soft light filters through stained glass windows and every aspect of the lush interior is designed to make you feel like you're on the Orient Express.

Finally, there's the Observation Parlor Car, where you can get some of the best views on the train and pretend you've gone back in time.

It takes about 2 hours to reach Tsuwano, so there's plenty of time to relax and enjoy the Japanese countryside.

Music During your 3-hour layover in Tsuwano, you'll still feel like you're in another era.

Bicycles are an easy way to enjoy Tsuwano's narrow streets and alleys; you can find rental shops outside the train station.

Once a castle town, this medieval village still has many well-preserved samurai houses.

Its ruling families were proud patrons of the arts and now travelers can enjoy their efforts.

In the hills overlooking Tsuwano, you'll find a shrine dedicated to harvest and merchants.

The Taiko-dani Inari shrine is one of the five major Inari shrines in Japan.

It's brilliant red Torii, or gates, line the path from the temple to the river.

Make sure you visit the historic Tono-machi neighborhood where you'll see thsands of gold carp - or koi - swimming in the moat.

These fish have been bred here since feudal times.

There's a saying here that the koi outnumber the residents of Tsuwano by 7 to 1!

The ride back to Ogori on Engine 57 leaves us with memories of dancing koi, brilliant red temples.

and a steam engine - The Lady - whose elegant form reminds us that she once served an Emperor.

Music Annc: Millions of people around the world, who've read the popular comic strip For Better or For Worse , are familiar with the character John, a dentist who's also a model railroading fanatic.

Artist Lynn Johnston created the character John, based in part on her husband Rod, a dentist who is also a model railroading fanatic.

Meet Rod Johnston, a very real and very three dimensional character.

Rod: Well, first of all when you show up, people expect you to be two dimensional.

They expect that when you turn sideways, you'll disappear.

That's the first thing.

The second thing is that because the comic strip is so well read and because John is such a loveable character that my impression is made before I speak.

And so I have this great impression, and all I have to do is open my mouth and ruin it.

So it's kind of neat to have that, where people smile the minute they se you and say, "Oh, I know you. "

In fact, John is quite different then I am, but its still fun to be a comic strip character.

Annc: Rod Johnston models large scale trains, which are model trains large enough to be ridden by an adult.

He models one-inch model railroads, or trains that are one-twelfth the size of the real thing.

It's about ten-inches wide, and stands thirteen or fourteen inches tall.

Rod: When I grew up in Lynn Lake which was a little mining town of 1200 people.

There was no one around.

We were out in the middle of a swamp 800 miles north of Winnipeg.

And the only way to Lynn Lake was by train.

So what they would do, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night the whole town would come down to watch the train come in.

It was a mining town.

And at the end of the long train with boxcars and gondolas which were empty, they were hauling the ore out with that.

At the end were two old heavyweight passenger cars and an orange caboose.

And we'd watch to see who got off the train to see what new people were coming to town.

And so the next day at school we'd all talk about who got off the train.

And I remember standing on that platform, and the whoosh of the air and the sound of the whistle just - you couldn't see the train as it came around the corner.

And then bark stuff and then came across the platform.

It was always exciting to see that.

And so now on my layout, I can lay my head down and watch when the train goes by in one inch scale.

It sends shivers down my spine still.

Annc: Rod fell in love with one-inch the first time he saw it more than fifteen years ago.

His old garden railroad didn't stand a chance.

It went up for sale.

He now has over a quarter-mile track laid in his North Bay, Ontario back yard.

The track winds its way through the four acre forest.

Rod: The layout started just loosely, to be a track through the woods just like it was in Lynn Lake.

And my goal was to build the layout with the train.

So I had gondolas, metal gondolas that I'd purchased from Iron Pony in those days and two GP9s.

And I have a little area here where I dump the gravel.

And I'd ride my little train down, load up the cars with gravel, and then push it to the end, shovel out the gravel.

And once I had ten feet of roadbed, I'd lay another ten feet of track down.

And my goal was not to cut any trees down, and so the track tends to wind around all the trees.

It goes a quarter of a mile with a loop at the far end.

I intended to go further, but I ended up accintally buying a collection which had some steam engines in it.

And you can't run these steam engines backwards, they're very awkward things.

So I put a loop in at the far end, and that's where the track is ended at the moment.

Annc: In 2000, when he found out the Iron Pony Company, the place where he bought his equipment, was going to go out of business, Rod decided to buy the company.

What had been a time consuming avocation, would grow into a second job.

He renamed the company Riding Railkits, and they now supply others who have the same kind of passion Rod has, everything needed to build your own backyard layout.

Rod: Nowadays, I would say my average customer is 45 to 50 years old and has a couple of young kids.

And really what we've en advertising for and gearing to is for people to put these trains in their back yards.

And because it's one inch scale, it's the same size as doll house size.

So you can get all kinds of accessories for this scale.

And its quite wonderful for people to set up themes in their back yards and have their kids out riding on the trains.

Annc: Though it's a large toy, you really don't need a giant estate to have a home track.

A typical suburban lot will do.

And a starter set will probably set you back a few thousand dollars.

But the feeling you get will be priceless.

Model railroads that you can ride, and that bring the hobby a little closer to real life.

You feel the track.

You feel the locomotive.

You feel the excitement.

But more importantly, you feel the satisfaction this big toy can bring, every time you see someone on board smile.

Rod continues to work on his line, and is building another complete setup at a new home in the woods.

That's it for this episode.

Thanks for being with us.

And please join us next time for more, Tracks Ahead.

Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa, a Mexican restaurant serving the Phoenix area since 1990.

Walthers, manufacturer and supplier of model railroading products; serving the hobby since 1932.

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