Ohio Railway Museum eyes Vision for the Future (updated)

WORTHINGTON, Ohio — The 2025 National Train Day on May 10 became the perfect opportunity for the Ohio Railway Museum (ORM) to unveil its plans for the future. 

In a presentation by ORM President William (Bill) DeVelin, the new development plan titled “Vision for the Future” showcased an initiative to revitalize both the current and recently acquired property at the museum’s campus. This comes after securing a lease of the Silcott property from Norfolk Southern Corp. The roughly 2 acres of land — between the NS Sandusky District and ORM trolley line — sits east of the current museum site.

As described in a recent press release, the plan calls for 2,900 feet of additional yard/display tracks, as well as extending the trolley line to Indianola Park; new facilities for operating and display purposes, including two car/trolley barns, a restoration building and functioning interlocking tower; restoration of the Silcott’s former Pennsylvania Railroad freight depot for use as the ORM’s primary museum building; beautification to the property with a headlined garden railway exhibit; and updated restrooms and concessions to enhance the visitor’s experience. “The plan that Bill basically pinned, helped design, pushed forward, and led us through is exactly what is going to build that foundation for the ORM’s future,” said Marketing Director Brandon Grant.

DeVelin, Grant, marketing team member Liz Quigley, and others hope the plan will be a positive turnaround from the museum’s past struggles.

“I’ve talked to people that have been around a lot longer and heard some things that kind of make you shudder that should not have happened,” said DeVelin, who joined ORM a few years ago. “It is a challenge to overcome.”

“There’s a quote online of one of the write-ups about the museum that basically says, ‘Up until the 1970s, it was an awesome museum. Anything past the 70s, it’s not worth it,’” added Grant. “That is the epitome of our reputation.

“I feel that the momentum has started. We have a vision, a mission, and something to achieve. Liz and I have our work cut out to market this mission to make it viable and sell to everybody. We’re going to do that one small victory, achievement, and donation at a time.”

A recent achievement by the museum’s maintenance of way was cleaning the Silcott property. The recent acquisition of a Bobcat tractor has been instrumental, in addition to a growing volunteer base of young preservationists, according to Grant. One is Quigley who recently joined after visiting the museum during National Train Day.

“Following that announcement of the big vision and plan, it opened my eyes to what was happening.” she said. “The museum plays an important role in capturing the history of rail in Ohio, but also it serves a role in helping people envision its future as well. That’s something that my generation is certainly looking for, excited about, and want to be a part of because the vision is ambitious. But it’s achievable. And I think that’s something that really calls to the community.”

Community engagement in Columbus and beyond will be critical in sustaining the project’s momentum, the museum notes. A May 23 post on ORM’s social media pages announced a partnership with the Ohio Rail Experience to raffle a total of 10 tickets in two sets of fives for an excursion scheduled June 10. Proceeds will go towards the “Vision for the Future” initiative.

Grant says the project has a five-to-seven-year timeline as funding becomes available. The total cost is still being fleshed out with various vendors and suppliers, though donations, both monetary and of material, will play a big role in determining the price tag. 

Visit the Ohio Railway Museum website for more information.

— Updated May 27, at 8:30 a.m. CT with added link to the press release.