The Ohio Central Railroad System is a network of ten short line railroads operating in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. It is owned by Genesee & Wyoming.

Headquartered in Coshocton, Ohio, the system operates 500 miles (800 km) of track divided among 10 subsidiary railroads. Most of the system's routes were divested from Class I railroads and connect industries to the Class I railroads.

The Ohio Central operates on track owned by other entities, including a line from Newark, Ohio to Mount Vernon, Ohio owned by CSX^[1] and the old Panhandle Route, owned by the State of Ohio.^[2]

Ohio Central's rail system comprises^[3]

As well as being a regular revenue railroad, the Ohio Central had its own steam department that operated steam locomotives for tourist trains, excursions, and special events. When owner Jerry Joe Jacobson sold OHCR in 2008, he maintained ownership of the antique equipment, including the collection of steam locomotives. He built the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio to house that equipment. The collection includes the following:

Operational:

Awaiting restoration:

Former engines:

• Baldwin Locomotive Works 26, was traded for Canadian National 1551 in 1986 to Steamtown.
• Reading 2100,^[4] sold in 1998 to Tom Payne,^[5] and it was moved to St. Thomas, Ontario.
• Mississippian Railway 76, sold in 2005 to the Steam Railroading Institute of Owosso, Michigan.

Jerry Jacobson died in 2017 at the age of 74.

On August 5, 2008, Genesee & Wyoming announced an agreement to purchase the Ohio Central System for $219 million.^[6][7] Approval was granted by the Surface Transportation Board on December 30, 2008.^[8]