When our daughter selected Ohio University for her graduate studies, I discovered that the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway was located near Athens. It's a preserved tourist railway line between Nelsonville and Logan offering frequent excursions with vintage equipment. Planning for our November visit to Athens, I noted the Hocking Valley would be running a steam locomotive powered special on Saturday, November 6. I had to ride it! The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway operates trackage that was once the Hocking Valley Railroad, connecting Columbus and Athens. The track now ends at Nelsonville. (The Columbus to Logan segment is operated for freight traffic by the regional Indiana & Ohio Railroad.) The steam excursion was to be led by HVSR 3, a Baldwin 0-6-0 built for the Ohio Power Company in 1920. It was a cold morning at the
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