For those of you who weren’t around back in 1981, 2716 never made it to Braswell Mountain on the ferry move to Atlanta following the TVRM trips the previous weekend. An issue with the valve gear (failed pin) sidelined 2716 in Dalton, GA. The FP-7’s, which were in the train for a ferry move to Atlanta, pulled the passenger cars onto Atlanta. Following repairs, 2716 moved to Atlanta as a light engine later that week and successfully pulled two weekends of trips to Toccoa, GA.
Quite a beautiful steam locomotive. I hope Chesapeake & Ohio 2716 would return to operation soon. It’s currently being planned to go and operate at the Naugatuck Railroad in Thomaston, Connecticut once the restoration is complete.
I dont prefer centered headlights at all BUT Bill Purdie made 2716 look absolutely beautiful. I think this was the best "Fake" Steam Enthusiast scheme ever devised for any locomotive that was a mock up to be something it wasnt originally. All it really was is the Southern Cresent in black with all the other Southern ginger bread fancy stuff added.
It's amazing how in the early 80's we had 2 C&O steam locomotives in operation. Those 2 of course being, # 614 and the 2716. All that's left now is for 614 to be moved from the C&O Railway Heritage center in Clifton Forge to Ravenna, so she can be reunited with her former Road Partner.
Yeah. For sure. My great granddad worked for the C&O as a station master during the Great Depression. He was lucky enough to get an occupation as there weren’t any jobs available that are killed off. I now preserve his history as I’m a part of the C&O Historical Society in Clifton Forge.
@@TehBellcarl Would it really? The only facility Clifton Forge has to offer for a steam locomotive restoration and subsequent operation is the old C&O backshops, which I know for a fact have been gutted and then here in the modern day have had things removed by a salvage company, Black Dog Salvage to be exact, after said salvage company was invited by the town to do said salvage work. Ravenna however had a facility that was more in tact and more easily brought up to snuff. The only thing the site in Ravenna lacks is the ability to lift the boiler off of the frames within the building the 2716's currently in.
The problem is there’s only so many bays in the Ravenna shop. It will be basically full with 2008, 587, and 2716 stored safely. The other problem is that Ross would never let go of his baby unless it was for an outrageous price. So there it sits, patiently awaiting Ross’ death so it can move on to better hands. If KSHCO ever got a contract to pull freight and their steam fleet wouldn’t cut it, 614 has obviously more than proved itself capable. Wouldn’t that be a dream to see haha, but that’s just the foamer in me.
We probably chased this trip as far as Sale Creek or Dayton, TN......have a picture of her somewhere, 19 heavyweights at 55 mph and that lovely PS4 whistl.
You've got to admit, these tapes are really something. I don't think we'll ever see 2716 in Southern Garb again though, because as cool as that would be, the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center is currently working with CSX to restore the engine to operating condition, and painting it in Southern garb, which their rival NS currently owns, would be a huge slap in the face to them. See what I mean?
2716 was returned to her C&O livery after the folks who run NKP 765 got ahold of her and restored her for a few brief excursions in 1996 before the new FRA regulations were handed down. It wouldn't make much sense to dress her up as a Southern locomotive again.
We have 2716’s sister, 2755, in Logan, WV at Chief Logan State Park. Would love to see her running one day but unfortunately idiots in the early 80’s and late 70’s vandalized her badly. They stole gauges, broke glass, among other things. Fortunately they put a fence around her but not till the damage was already done. I have a question though. Why is it when I see videos of steam engine excursions today, they have a diesel coupled with it but in the older films like this I the 70s and 80s they don’t? Was there a law passed that they have to have a diesel along with the steam? I was just wondering. It would been nice to see 4014 Big Boy on his excursion without that big Union Pacific Diesel tagging along.
@@wvbygraceofgod5508 As mentioned above, diesels are used on excursions for dynamic braking, and as backup locomotives, but there are other reasons. Passenger diesels equipped with HEP generators provide the necessary electricity for the coaches. If the diesel helper is a freight diesel like in Union Pacific’s case, a dedicated generator car is used to provide electricity instead. Sometimes the diesel is called upon to do most of the work to save fuel and water. Running out of fuel would really suck, especially in the middle of nowhere, but running out of water is potentially fatal. 4014 had a real scare in Louisiana recently. They almost ran out of water due to a faulty injector that leaked a ton of water, but luckily they had diesel 4015 with them to push the train to safety where water was available. 4015 has another important use in that 4014’s PTC system piggybacks off of 4015’s PTC system. Last couple important reasons I can think of are diesel helpers legitimately being used as helpers in some cases, and helping to maintain track speed. Sometimes grades are so intense that helpers are required, the train is too heavy for the steam locomotive alone, or both. Running on the mainline is a privilege. With that in mind, there are cases where a steam locomotive may be capable of doing something on its own, but not at an acceptable speed, thus requiring a diesel helper.
@@TrainFan119 Afraid so. All the Big Emmas got scrapped, but the tender of one was kept in Kentucky. 2716 even dressed up like a Big Emma in their honor. Who knows? Maybe they'll do it again once they engine is running again.
@@kevinsharpe9716 Actually there were a good number of Big Emma tenders saved. It's just that the majority of them got their coal bunkers removed and converted into auxiliary water tenders. There are only two Big Emma tenders still around in their original form and they're at the Kentucky Railroad Museum and Southeastern Railway Museum respectively.
ORIGINALLY built for C&O as a 4-8-2 Kanawah class (their name for Berkshire) and was stored for years. CSX decided to attempt a restoration but already had Ross Rowland's fully restored C&) 4-8-4 614 so part way through CSX dumped on the program but the engine was in pieces and they didnt quite know what to do with it so SR made them an offer to put it back together IF they also had allowance to run it for a term. And that was how it started. And it was hauled to Birmingham and closed into a private shop and the whole world was waiting for the debut of the KANAWAH but when she actually rolled out from behind highly guarded closed doors, SHE WAS A REDESIGNED SR BERKSHIRE and SR went so far as to seek out and obtain a STEAMBOAT WHISTLE FROM A MOPAC 4-8-4 which is that amazing haunting whistle. So on the surface all was well but over in Jacksonville the it hit the fan and they could not get their hands back on this thing fast enough and basically disassembled it like before just to make it back to C&O which left it in non operatable condition. Now it has been moved to the Kentucky Steam Museum and this move was facilitated by NS and TVRM of all people and this may be important because when you go watch videos on the project they actually are producing COMMENTS ARE DISABLED which has many of us wondering whether this may at some point reappear as SR again if only in a hot swappable arrangement to properly honor BOTH STYLES which would be grand. It is also of not that SR not only re-designed it, but fully MODERNIZED IT complete with ditch lights on all the running gear which is insanely cool, but Bill Purdie was a madman steam genius. By the way, when SR returned her to CSX, they retained the steamboat whistle for an undisclosed future project so that is lurking somewhere and God be willing WE WILL HEAR THAT BLOW AGAIN, and who knows on what it may be installed on but NS has been shopping for reworkable 4-8-4's and I hear their is a MOPAC one and those to railroads matched up very well in style and specs on their steam. Well that is the story.
@@kgtmustang No. Just, *NO.* That history's absolutely false. Chessie System and subsequently CSX never had a THING to do with the 2716 *until* the 21st century. It was the Clinchfield that brought it to Marion, NC for a restoration that never happened, THEN the Southern picked up the lease, then sidelined it after the 611 and then 1218 came around. FWRHS then leased it once again for their own purposes in the late 90's for a weekend of operation, then eventually sent it back to the Kentucky Railroad Museum, its preservation era owners, where it sat until KSHCO came around and then moved it to Ravenna, KY for its third restoration. And the long bell 3 chime it wore during its time on the Southern was either an Illinois Central whistle or a Southern Ps-4 long bell 3 chime. No Mopac involved.
@@justahillbilly7777 I am not arguing that as I agree with the basics of it, HOWEVER CSX at that time had this really weird relationship with ROSS ROWLAND and Rowland had a fixation on BIG STEAM and 2716 was on his list to get involved with Chessie for steam specials. CSX really does not want steam anywhere in its rails so how the Chessie Steam Specials actually came about is somewhat of an anomaly. The way those 2 READING T1s came into the fray is even stranger and the one burning in a fire even more so. The museum that was storing 2716 thought it was a done deal for Rowland otherwise they may have passed on it altogether. So in some regard it was a comedy of mistakes and misunderstandings that saved this engine at all. I have met Ross Rowland and in his mind he is a god. He takes himself way to seriously and also his toy projects many of which are whimsical to the point of being absurd. You are not allowed to inform him of this being a mere mortal. Now in those days he was tightly aligned with CSX management especially via the C&O/B&O side of things. In fact for the 1st decade of CSX it was basically a B&O outfit. NOTHING INVOLVING DEEP SOUTH RAILROADING IS EVER REGARDED ACROSS THE BOARD which is why we have NO Big Emmas, NO Central of GA BIG APPLES, and NO ACL R1s. It was an act of GOD that we have 1 NCSTL STRIPE. SR had lots of big steam but none survived and even only 1 example of the legendary SR PS4 Pacific exists - incarcerated for life in the Smithsonian. All that aside, it is a known fact that in the aftermath of Bill Purdie reworking this thing into an SR Berkshire, the upper offices down in Jacksonville went CRAZY and began defamation legal filings. These were serious and it crossed SO MANY LINES that it left a really bad mark on all things CSX for years and even today. That said, whatever transpired in full reality was all behind closed doors from that point forward but needless to say 2716 will never again ride NS rails. AND THAT PISSES ME OFF. Because CSX did NOT want any part of this locomotive so why all the fuss in the aftermath? Even now the engine is stored in QUESTION while behind closed door arguments go on and on between the 2 factions as to exactly what version this engine will be ALLOWED TO BE RESTORED INTO. = OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. The museum OWNS IT so they can elect to restore that OR Alter that in any way they see fir for their own needs. Clinchfeild TERMINATED ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM ON THIS ENGINE THE DAY THEY SOLD IT FOR SCRAP. The current title is to the museum. That makes CSX of no party and NS a partial party of invested interest whether that be good or bad who knows. SR ceased to exist for all practical purposes when The Claytors passed away and now NS is NW. The executive train always was NW from the start. All of this is 1 more horror story regarding a big steam locomotive and its sad. REALLY FREAKING SAD> Its bad enough 4501 will never again wear green because of the numbskulls up at TVRM. It was one of the 3 most famous excursion engines on earth wearing GREEN. Now it is just a nobody locomotive just like all the MULTITUDE OF WORKADAY MIKADOS ALWAYS WERE = faceless nobody work a day locomotives. Only this one got to dress up and step out every once in a while but God forbid that should be allowed. After all all engines have their LIFE STATIONS. Piss on that, we are not in the UK. YOU DO REALIZE = PRESERVATIONISTS ARE STEAM PRESERVATIONS WORST ENEMY? -just sayin
For those of you who weren’t around back in 1981, 2716 never made it to Braswell Mountain on the ferry move to Atlanta following the TVRM trips the previous weekend. An issue with the valve gear (failed pin) sidelined 2716 in Dalton, GA. The FP-7’s, which were in the train for a ferry move to Atlanta, pulled the passenger cars onto Atlanta. Following repairs, 2716 moved to Atlanta as a light engine later that week and successfully pulled two weekends of trips to Toccoa, GA.
Quite a beautiful steam locomotive. I hope Chesapeake & Ohio 2716 would return to operation soon. It’s currently being planned to go and operate at the Naugatuck Railroad in Thomaston, Connecticut once the restoration is complete.
Beautiful and that whistle gives me goosebumps, thanks for posting this video!
I personally perfer 2716 in her southern livery and with a smoke box centered headlight than on the pilot
Yes, 2716 did look fantastic in Southern livery!
Looking forward to seeing her fully restored.
I dont prefer centered headlights at all BUT Bill Purdie made 2716 look absolutely beautiful. I think this was the best "Fake" Steam Enthusiast scheme ever devised for any locomotive that was a mock up to be something it wasnt originally. All it really was is the Southern Cresent in black with all the other Southern ginger bread fancy stuff added.
It's amazing how in the early 80's we had 2 C&O steam locomotives in operation. Those 2 of course being, # 614 and the 2716. All that's left now is for 614 to be moved from the C&O Railway Heritage center in Clifton Forge to Ravenna, so she can be reunited with her former Road Partner.
It’d be better for 2716 to go to Clifton Forge to be around all the other c&o equipment they have
Yeah. For sure. My great granddad worked for the C&O as a station master during the Great Depression. He was lucky enough to get an occupation as there weren’t any jobs available that are killed off.
I now preserve his history as I’m a part of the C&O Historical Society in Clifton Forge.
@@TehBellcarl Would it really? The only facility Clifton Forge has to offer for a steam locomotive restoration and subsequent operation is the old C&O backshops, which I know for a fact have been gutted and then here in the modern day have had things removed by a salvage company, Black Dog Salvage to be exact, after said salvage company was invited by the town to do said salvage work. Ravenna however had a facility that was more in tact and more easily brought up to snuff. The only thing the site in Ravenna lacks is the ability to lift the boiler off of the frames within the building the 2716's currently in.
The problem is there’s only so many bays in the Ravenna shop. It will be basically full with 2008, 587, and 2716 stored safely. The other problem is that Ross would never let go of his baby unless it was for an outrageous price. So there it sits, patiently awaiting Ross’ death so it can move on to better hands.
If KSHCO ever got a contract to pull freight and their steam fleet wouldn’t cut it, 614 has obviously more than proved itself capable. Wouldn’t that be a dream to see haha, but that’s just the foamer in me.
@@blackbirdgaming8147 the RJ Corman 2008 is actually getting its own indoor display area.
My great grandfather operated 2716 as an engineer in the 1940s and 1950s, up around maysville KY on the Ohio river.
We probably chased this trip as far as Sale Creek or Dayton, TN......have a picture of her somewhere, 19 heavyweights at 55 mph and that lovely PS4 whistl.
I like tapes like these with the less than great audio quality. Shows they’re authentic, not poorly dubbed like tapes of this age often are.
You've got to admit, these tapes are really something. I don't think we'll ever see 2716 in Southern Garb again though, because as cool as that would be, the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center is currently working with CSX to restore the engine to operating condition, and painting it in Southern garb, which their rival NS currently owns, would be a huge slap in the face to them. See what I mean?
????? Kentucky Rail is restoring the locomotive to run excursions, so what are you referring to?
@@magnumfrank9819 I think I saw a new video of this locomotive being restored , and they put the CSX logo on it
2716 was returned to her C&O livery after the folks who run NKP 765 got ahold of her and restored her for a few brief excursions in 1996 before the new FRA regulations were handed down. It wouldn't make much sense to dress her up as a Southern locomotive again.
We can always make her Chessie System 2716
That laugh at the end is bloody fantastic.
Did anyone else notice the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Eden Isle observation car at the end of the train?
We have 2716’s sister, 2755, in Logan, WV at Chief Logan State Park. Would love to see her running one day but unfortunately idiots in the early 80’s and late 70’s vandalized her badly. They stole gauges, broke glass, among other things. Fortunately they put a fence around her but not till the damage was already done. I have a question though. Why is it when I see videos of steam engine excursions today, they have a diesel coupled with it but in the older films like this I the 70s and 80s they don’t? Was there a law passed that they have to have a diesel along with the steam? I was just wondering. It would been nice to see 4014 Big Boy on his excursion without that big Union Pacific Diesel tagging along.
I've seen it plenty of times at the park only thing they ever done for it was paint it up. I'd like to see it in better hands
Diesels tag along for dynamic braking, and if something goes wrong with the steamer they can haul it back.
Thanks for the info. I was wondering what the reason was.Didn’t think of that.
@@wvbygraceofgod5508 As mentioned above, diesels are used on excursions for dynamic braking, and as backup locomotives, but there are other reasons. Passenger diesels equipped with HEP generators provide the necessary electricity for the coaches. If the diesel helper is a freight diesel like in Union Pacific’s case, a dedicated generator car is used to provide electricity instead.
Sometimes the diesel is called upon to do most of the work to save fuel and water. Running out of fuel would really suck, especially in the middle of nowhere, but running out of water is potentially fatal. 4014 had a real scare in Louisiana recently. They almost ran out of water due to a faulty injector that leaked a ton of water, but luckily they had diesel 4015 with them to push the train to safety where water was available.
4015 has another important use in that 4014’s PTC system piggybacks off of 4015’s PTC system.
Last couple important reasons I can think of are diesel helpers legitimately being used as helpers in some cases, and helping to maintain track speed. Sometimes grades are so intense that helpers are required, the train is too heavy for the steam locomotive alone, or both. Running on the mainline is a privilege. With that in mind, there are cases where a steam locomotive may be capable of doing something on its own, but not at an acceptable speed, thus requiring a diesel helper.
It’s southern #2716
Nice video. Can someone tell me when is the last time that BERK ran and what's it's status today
what video did these scenes come from?
Well Sure I Decided to GO for L&N 1992!
Does anyone know where the second tender came from
I believe that was one of the 'Big Emma' tenders (L&N 2-8-4).
If so did the steam engine it’s self get scrapped
@@TrainFan119 Afraid so. All the Big Emmas got scrapped, but the tender of one was kept in Kentucky. 2716 even dressed up like a Big Emma in their honor. Who knows? Maybe they'll do it again once they engine is running again.
It’s a water tender, I guess it was going on a long journey
@@kevinsharpe9716 Actually there were a good number of Big Emma tenders saved. It's just that the majority of them got their coal bunkers removed and converted into auxiliary water tenders. There are only two Big Emma tenders still around in their original form and they're at the Kentucky Railroad Museum and Southeastern Railway Museum respectively.
How about those locomotives meet the last Baldwin like what Virginia Railroad Museum did with the big three.
Or did it transfer to southern?
ORIGINALLY built for C&O as a 4-8-2 Kanawah class (their name for Berkshire) and was stored for years. CSX decided to attempt a restoration but already had Ross Rowland's fully restored C&) 4-8-4 614 so part way through CSX dumped on the program but the engine was in pieces and they didnt quite know what to do with it so SR made them an offer to put it back together IF they also had allowance to run it for a term.
And that was how it started.
And it was hauled to Birmingham and closed into a private shop and the whole world was waiting for the debut of the KANAWAH but when she actually rolled out from behind highly guarded closed doors, SHE WAS A REDESIGNED SR BERKSHIRE and SR went so far as to seek out and obtain a STEAMBOAT WHISTLE FROM A MOPAC 4-8-4 which is that amazing haunting whistle.
So on the surface all was well but over in Jacksonville the it hit the fan and they could not get their hands back on this thing fast enough and basically disassembled it like before just to make it back to C&O which left it in non operatable condition.
Now it has been moved to the Kentucky Steam Museum and this move was facilitated by NS and TVRM of all people and this may be important because when you go watch videos on the project they actually are producing COMMENTS ARE DISABLED which has many of us wondering whether this may at some point reappear as SR again if only in a hot swappable arrangement to properly honor BOTH STYLES which would be grand.
It is also of not that SR not only re-designed it, but fully MODERNIZED IT complete with ditch lights on all the running gear which is insanely cool, but Bill Purdie was a madman steam genius.
By the way, when SR returned her to CSX, they retained the steamboat whistle for an undisclosed future project so that is lurking somewhere and God be willing WE WILL HEAR THAT BLOW AGAIN, and who knows on what it may be installed on but NS has been shopping for reworkable 4-8-4's and I hear their is a MOPAC one and those to railroads matched up very well in style and specs on their steam.
Well that is the story.
Thx for the advice!
@@kgtmustang No. Just, *NO.* That history's absolutely false.
Chessie System and subsequently CSX never had a THING to do with the 2716 *until* the 21st century. It was the Clinchfield that brought it to Marion, NC for a restoration that never happened, THEN the Southern picked up the lease, then sidelined it after the 611 and then 1218 came around. FWRHS then leased it once again for their own purposes in the late 90's for a weekend of operation, then eventually sent it back to the Kentucky Railroad Museum, its preservation era owners, where it sat until KSHCO came around and then moved it to Ravenna, KY for its third restoration. And the long bell 3 chime it wore during its time on the Southern was either an Illinois Central whistle or a Southern Ps-4 long bell 3 chime. No Mopac involved.
@@justahillbilly7777 I am not arguing that as I agree with the basics of it, HOWEVER CSX at that time had this really weird relationship with ROSS ROWLAND and Rowland had a fixation on BIG STEAM and 2716 was on his list to get involved with Chessie for steam specials.
CSX really does not want steam anywhere in its rails so how the Chessie Steam Specials actually came about is somewhat of an anomaly.
The way those 2 READING T1s came into the fray is even stranger and the one burning in a fire even more so.
The museum that was storing 2716 thought it was a done deal for Rowland otherwise they may have passed on it altogether. So in some regard it was a comedy of mistakes and misunderstandings that saved this engine at all.
I have met Ross Rowland and in his mind he is a god. He takes himself way to seriously and also his toy projects many of which are whimsical to the point of being absurd. You are not allowed to inform him of this being a mere mortal.
Now in those days he was tightly aligned with CSX management especially via the C&O/B&O side of things. In fact for the 1st decade of CSX it was basically a B&O outfit. NOTHING INVOLVING DEEP SOUTH RAILROADING IS EVER REGARDED ACROSS THE BOARD which is why we have NO Big Emmas, NO Central of GA BIG APPLES, and NO ACL R1s. It was an act of GOD that we have 1 NCSTL STRIPE.
SR had lots of big steam but none survived and even only 1 example of the legendary SR PS4 Pacific exists - incarcerated for life in the Smithsonian.
All that aside, it is a known fact that in the aftermath of Bill Purdie reworking this thing into an SR Berkshire, the upper offices down in Jacksonville went CRAZY and began defamation legal filings. These were serious and it crossed SO MANY LINES that it left a really bad mark on all things CSX for years and even today.
That said, whatever transpired in full reality was all behind closed doors from that point forward but needless to say 2716 will never again ride NS rails.
AND THAT PISSES ME OFF. Because CSX did NOT want any part of this locomotive so why all the fuss in the aftermath? Even now the engine is stored in QUESTION while behind closed door arguments go on and on between the 2 factions as to exactly what version this engine will be ALLOWED TO BE RESTORED INTO.
= OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.
The museum OWNS IT so they can elect to restore that OR Alter that in any way they see fir for their own needs. Clinchfeild TERMINATED ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM ON THIS ENGINE THE DAY THEY SOLD IT FOR SCRAP. The current title is to the museum.
That makes CSX of no party and NS a partial party of invested interest whether that be good or bad who knows. SR ceased to exist for all practical purposes when The Claytors passed away and now NS is NW.
The executive train always was NW from the start.
All of this is 1 more horror story regarding a big steam locomotive and its sad. REALLY FREAKING SAD>
Its bad enough 4501 will never again wear green because of the numbskulls up at TVRM. It was one of the 3 most famous excursion engines on earth wearing GREEN. Now it is just a nobody locomotive just like all the MULTITUDE OF WORKADAY MIKADOS ALWAYS WERE = faceless nobody work a day locomotives.
Only this one got to dress up and step out every once in a while but God forbid that should be allowed. After all all engines have their LIFE STATIONS. Piss on that, we are not in the UK.
YOU DO REALIZE = PRESERVATIONISTS ARE STEAM PRESERVATIONS WORST ENEMY? -just sayin