How it started
History
The IORY's original line, acquired in 1985, connected Mason and Monroe, Ohio. The IORY set up a tourist operation known as the Indiana & Ohio Scenic Railway which operated over this line. The tourist train still operates out of Lebanon, Ohio, under the ownership of the Cincinnati Railway Company (CRC) under the name Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad.
Another line, acquired in 1986, runs from Norwood to Brecon, Ohio.
In 1991, the former DT&I between Washington Court House, Ohio, and Springfield, Ohio, came into the system via a designated operator agreement with the West Central Ohio Port Authority. The system expanded north into Michigan in 1997 when it acquired the remainder of the former DT&I mainline between Diann, Michigan, and Springfield.
The Indiana & Ohio Railroad (reporting mark INOH) merged into the IORY in 1997. It had been formed in 1978 to operate a branch between Valley Junction, Ohio, and Brookville, Indiana.
In 1994, IORY acquired two lines from Conrail in Springfield: one between Springfield and Bellefontaine; and one between Springfield and Mechanicsburg. The Indiana & Ohio Central Railroad (reporting mark IOCR) was the designated owner of these two lines until 2004.
From Wikipedia’s article on Indiana and Ohio Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2