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Meet No. 105: The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway's Newest Engine

By Hocking Hills Escape · Published

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Red, dark-colored and yellow locomotive No. 105 leads passenger cars past autumn trees.
Locomotive No. 105 with passenger cars and autumn trees. Engine assignments can change. Photo: Isaac Miller / Hocking Valley Scenic Railway · used with permission; resized.

Heard there is a new train in the Hocking Hills? It is not a new railroad. It is a new engine on an old favorite. The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway says its newest locomotive, No. 105, carried its first passengers in October 2026, after about two and a half years of restoration.

Where the train runs

The railway runs vintage trains on the former Chesapeake and Ohio line between Nelsonville and a point just east of Logan, about 12 miles of track. Every trip boards at the depot at 33 West Canal Street in Nelsonville, so plan to start your day there rather than in Logan. The current operation dates from 1972.

A vintage passenger train travels along a wooded valley.
A Hocking Valley Scenic Railway train in the valley, led by a different engine from No. 105. Photo: John P. Mueller (jpmueller99), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · resized.

Meet No. 105

  • Built in the 1950s for the Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line in Virginia.
  • Bought by the railway in 2023 from ADM, where it ran as No. 1231.
  • Arrived in Nelsonville in March 2024.
  • Restored over about two and a half years.
  • Carried passengers for the first time in October 2026, according to the railway.

No. 105 is a switcher: a diesel engine built for short, steady work rather than long-distance speed. The railway lists it as an SW1200. The railway can change engines without advance notice. The railway told us No. 105 pulled several October passenger trains, but it isn’t expected on the 2026 Santa Trains, though that isn’t final. Check with the railway if seeing a particular engine matters to your visit.

The rest of the fleet

No. 105 joins a roster that doubles as a history lesson.

  • No. 5833, a diesel built in October 1952. The railway says that, with help from the C&O Railway Historical Society, it looks much as it did when it was new.
  • No. 3, a steam locomotive built by Baldwin in March 1920. Its restoration began in 2001 and was completed in 2015.
  • Dining car No. 8528, built by Budd in 1950 for Southern Pacific's Sunset Limited and later run by Amtrak. It seats 48 at twelve tables of four.
  • Power car No. 90921, built in 1929 at the Hocking Valley Railway shops in Logan. It still looks like a yellow caboose, but its generator now powers most of the passenger cars.
A blue and yellow diesel locomotive, No. 5833, at the Nelsonville station.
Engine No. 5833, built in 1952, at Nelsonville. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · resized.

Trains coming up

These dates and standard adult prices come from the railway's website, checked November 4, 2026. Times and availability change, so confirm before you go.

  • Fall Steam Train Specials: November 7 and 8, $30 for adults.
  • Fall Elegant Dinner Train: November 7, departing at 6 p.m., $95 for adults age 21 and older; gratuity is extra.
  • Santa Trains: begin the last weekend of November, $26 for adults. The railway recommends reserving early.
  • New Year's Eve Train and Fireworks: December 31, departing at 10:30 p.m., $38 for adult Pizza & Pop tickets; other ticket categories have different prices. Reservations are required.

Book through the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway website or call 855-32-DEPOT. The depot's own number is 740-753-9531.

The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway depot building in Nelsonville.
Trips board at the railway's depot in Nelsonville. Photo: Don O'Brien, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · resized.

Make a weekend of it

A morning on the train pairs well with an afternoon walk at Ash Cave, Old Man's Cave or Cedar Falls. Check the state park's current notices before you set out.

For warmer-weather outings, .

For the nights in between, compare .

If you book or shop through an affiliate link, this guide may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Sources

Railway fleet history, railway history, and current trains and tickets. Engine availability also reflects a November 3 reply from the railway.