Retired from active service in the mid 1950s, No. 614 was preserved and placed on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Between 1979 and 1980, restoration work on the locomotive to operating condition took place and it was used for extensive mainline excursion service from the early 1980s until the late 1990s. Since 2011, No. 614 has been on display at the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia. In November of 2024, the locomotive was sold to RJD America, who will be restoring it to operating condition.[3]
History
Revenue service
A view of the backhead inside the cab of C&O No. 614
The C&O had a total of 12 4-8-4s, with the first five numbered 600-604 built in 1935, with the designation J-3. In 1942, two more were ordered from Lima numbered 605–606. In 1948, the design changed slightly and the 610-614 were produced, with the J-3-A designation. No. 614 was originally retired in 1952, but three years later, it, as well as No. 610 were brought back into revenue service to pull heavy freight trains in favor of the upcoming freight traffic on most American railroads. While being brought back into service, however, No. 614 was renumbered to 611, since there was a power shortage on the C&O as to alleviate any confusion with some leased 4-8-4s from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, one of which was also numbered 614. The original C&O 611 remained out of service.
After just one year of revenue freight service, No. 614 was retired again and it was placed in storage with a group of other C&O steam locomotives in the form of a ‘scrap line’ in front of the C&O diesel shops in Russell, Kentucky where it remained for almost two decades.
During 1979, Ross Rowland traded Reading T1No. 2101, which was previously damaged in a roundhouse fire, to the museum in exchange for the 614. She was restored over the next 18 months with a cost of $1.5 million. During the restoration, 614 was given an auxiliary tender, doubling her water capacity to 50,000 gallons. This allowed the 614 to run for longer times without having to refuel as much. The Chessie Safety Express was 614's first major run, bringing her a bit of spotlight in the process. After the successful system tour, 614 was kept in Hagerstown, Maryland until 1985. American Coal Enterprises was developing a modern steam locomotive to be used as an alternative to rising oil costs by burning coal, known as the ACE 3000 Project.[4] The 614 was modified for better performance under the guidance of David Wardale, and fitted with testing equipment to measure the performance of the engine.[citation needed] For several weeks in January and February 1985, 614 (now 614-T, symbolizing it as testing) hauled coal trains between Huntington and Hinton, West Virginia.[4] The 614's fuel consumption costs were actually lower than most diesel locomotives operating at that time.[citation needed]
In 1992, Rowland's vision of the 21st Century Limited was taking shape. To give the public an idea of the train, one side of 614 was decorated in a futuristic way with a blue streamlined shrouding and centered headlight. The 614 also came back to its former home at the B&O Railroad Museum for temporary display. In 1995, 614 was moved to the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad in New Hope, Pennsylvania for a complete overhaul. It was then used for a series of popular excursions between Hoboken, New Jersey and Port Jervis, New York in conjunction with New Jersey Transit (NJT) and co-sponsored by the Volunteer Railroaders Association between 1996 and 1998.[5]
21st century disposition
The 614 was required to pull 26 cars at 79 MPH on some sections, and maintain speed up several hills. During this time, the 614 was equipped with cab signals, 26L brakes, speed control and an MU stand. In 2000, Rowland put the 614 up for auction at the NJT maintenance facility, but no buyers were interested.[6] In 2002, the 614 was moved to storage on the Reading and Northern Railroad in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania. The locomotive was maintained by Iron Horse Enterprises, the most recent servicing of the locomotive being in 2006.
In 2010, discussions began between Rowland and Jim Justice, owner of the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, and current governor of West Virginia. The resort owner had been interested in running steam-powered excursion trains from Greenbrier to Washington DC. To be known as the "Greenbrier Express", Justice planned to use steam and diesel power in the project, but would have needed cooperation from CSX Transportation, the Buckingham Branch Railroad and Amtrak. In January 2011, the 614 was moved to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia for its Thoroughbreds of Steam exhibit.[7] In May 2011, the 614 was again moved to the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia.[7] From there, it was repainted in preparation for display for the Greenbrier Presidential Express.
However, the Greenbrier Express project was cancelled in May 2012 due to lack of funding and capacity problems on the CSX portion of the route, where a lack of passing sidings makes it difficult for Eastbound trains to gain headway against the flow of Westbound empty coal trains. The diesels and passenger cars were auctioned off and the 614 continues to sit on display at Clifton Forge. On November 8, 2024, It was announced that C&O 614 was sold to RJD America of Denville, New Jersey, who will be restoring it to operating condition.[3][8] The locomotive will be moved to the Strasburg Railroad in early 2025, who has been contracted to complete the restoration.[3][8]
Boyd, Jim; Dixon, Tom (January 1981). "The last Greenbrier". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 3, no. 8. Carstens Publications. pp. 37–43.
Boyd, Jim (January 1981). "614 steams for safety". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 3, no. 8. Carstens Publications. pp. 45–50.
Boyd, Jim (May 1985). "ACE puts steam to the test". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 5, no. 10. Carstens Publications. pp. 34–43.
Jenkins, J. Daniel (2023). The Chesapeake & Ohio No. 614 Legacy: The Rise and Fall of an American Railroad Legend. Holihoon Media LLC. ISBN979-8396270275.
Nuckles, Douglas; Dixon, Thomas (1994). Chesapeake & Ohio Greenbrier Type 4-8-4 Locomotives. Clifton Forge, Virginia: The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society. ISBN0-939487-18-7.
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