Eastern Railroad Discussion > C&O 614

Visited Port Clinton, PA. yesterday Reading & Northern's HQ. Ross Rowlands C&O 4-8-4 614 still there unserviceable.

Ed K.

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Does anyone know why the loco was separated or detached from the tender?

Phil

Somehow my reply about 614's tender was deleted or not posted. The 614 has its original tender but it was modified when the loco was restored to excursion service in the early 1980s. The coal bunker was enlarged to 40 tons and that reduced water capicity to less than 20,000 gallons. This was done in order to eliminate a fuel stop during an excursion. As a result of the modification, the tender looks more like an NYC Hudson tender.

Phil

Whats the deal with it? Wasn't it out and about a few years ago?

614 OOS awaiting major running gear and boiler work.

Engine and tender probably won't fit on the turntable together.

Joshua

Pj Wrote:
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> Whats the deal with it? Wasn't it out and about a
> few years ago?

Several years ago.

I rode behind it from Hoboken to Port Jervis in 1997. Locomotive and tender barely fit on the turntable.

http://www.transitspot.com/gallery/Miscellaneous-transit-trains/97_06_08_2

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C&O 614 in Port Jervis, NY; June 8, 1997

http://www.transitspot.com/gallery/Miscellaneous-transit-trains/97_06_08_3

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IIRC, the Port Jervis Erie table was restored to operation specifically to turn the 614 during the excursions from Hoboken. The big Lima sure looked and sounded good charging out of town on the long consists. Hope we get to see her in action again, wherever it might be.

Yes, but mounting unpaid bills to NJT made it impossible to run any longer. NJT seized the locomotive and attempted to auction it off. My Dad went to the auction, only a few showed and the bids were later rejected, by whom (NJT or Mr. Rowland) I don't know. Poor weather was blamed on the bad showing, but I doubt bad weather would have prevented any serious bidders from the event.

NJT wanted it out of their Meadowlands Maintenance Facility so it was shipped to the R&N where it is now stored. Not sure if the debt was ever settled, but I suspect it was not as its owner has not run any trips to generate cash since.

I have never heard until this thread that it was short on time for flues or running gear. The big question though is, where would it run? No Class 1s would let it run and NJT sure won't either. Most other track couldn't handle it.

cv the civil E

cjvrr Wrote:
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> Yes, but mounting unpaid bills to NJT made it
> impossible to run any longer. NJT seized the
> locomotive and attempted to auction it off. My
> Dad went to the auction, only a few showed and the
> bids were later rejected, by whom (NJT or Mr.
> Rowland) I don't know. Poor weather was blamed
> on the bad showing, but I doubt bad weather would
> have prevented any serious bidders from the event.
>
> cv the civil E

There was a violent thunderstorm that took out phone service (cell phones were not yet ubiquitous); the auction was supposed to include telephone bids. Some parties had informed NJT or Ross of their intention to make serious telephone bids.

At least that was the public explanation for rejecting the very low highest bid.