I rode a steam excursion from Cincinnati, OH to Ashland, KY and back with my parents. I was around 10-12 at the time. I am trying to find details about this trip anywhere but the closest I can find is about a trip from Columbus to Ashland on the Chessie steam special in 81. The details I do know: We left Cincinnati Union Terminal (amtrak station) and crossed the Ohio over the C&O bridge. The train proceeded to Ashland KY with a layover about halfway along the trip down for a photo op session, fly by. We stopped, unloaded those that wanted to get off, backed the train up and made a high speed pass. When we got to Ashland, there was a layover for lunch while they turned the train on a wye in town. Then back to Cincy. It was a full day trip and I think it was behind the 614 but I am not sure. We have / had pictures but naturally they are nowhere to be found. I think I would have remembered the bright yellow Chessie Steam Special colors but I don't think it was painted up for that. I may be wrong. There have to be photo's of the trip somewhere. There were railfan's everywhere durring the tip and many pacing the train when possible. I've always had a soft spot for the 614 and I believe this is where it started.
I also road an excursion on the C&O through Peru, IN. It was the Chessie Steam Special. Not sure exactly when but had to be mid seventies or early eighties. Maybe you were on the Chessie Safety Express? To be honest with you I felt bad for 614 being painted up that way.
C&O Greenbriar 614 was a 4-8-4. It was used in 1980-1981 to pull the Chessie Safety Express - I got some pictures of it when I was living in Orlando, Florida when it came through. Maybe I can find those...
I found the photos!!! They are actually slides, only about 30 of them but I also found a couple slides of the Sharonville OH Conrail yard and engine service facility with turntable. The slides are dated November 80'. It was the Chessie. I will try to get them scanned tomorrow and uploaded to railimages. A dozen or so shots of the loco, one or two of cars and some other rail side photos. Besides the yard shot's there are a few shots of some track side shanty's in Ashland and a delapidated wood side boxcar / tool car.
There will be a delay, my scanner does not agree with slides. I need to find a way to digitize the slides. I may just set up a screen and take pictures of the projected slide. I'm not about to go buy a slide scanner for 20-30 photo's.
Here they are: http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/1403 I had to set up the projector and snap shots off of the screen so they aren't perfect but they came out better than expected.
Excellent stuff!!! I beleive this is the correct link: http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/1404 T
When my scanner started acting up with slides, I took a piece of clear (but frosted) mylar, and taped it to the window. On a bright overcast day, I taped my slides to the myar and then set my digital camera to close-up and took a shot of the slide. Doesn't work too bad. I suppose you could tape the slide to a north facing window on an overcast day and shoot it if you can't find any frosted mylar.
I never even knew there was a safety express at the time. Sorry I missed it at the time. At least I got to get the concor verzion. Maybe I will post some potos.
Does anybody know of drawings or plans for the 600 series loco's? I have been e-mailing back and forth with Aaron Bearden about the possibility of kitbashing an accurate 614 but neither of us can find a source for plans for the loco to work from. I have found driver diameter specs but haven't found a good profile shot to use to transfer measurements. We think either the ConCor GS loco's or a Bachmann Northern may be the place to start. The GS drivers may be a touch small and the Northern are right at the limits of large. The bachmann drivers measure out to 73" at the tread. Depending on the souce and time, the 600's had 72" or 74" drivers. The tender for the excursion version could be a ConCor Hudson tender and the canteen is a N&W, the same as the Bachmann J class aux. tender.
Want one I believe ebay has one right now for a starting bid of $175. They usually go for less than that.
Skip, If you can find this book from what I understand its a pretty good reference: C&O Power by Gene Huddleston, Phil Shuster, and Alvin Staufer Greenbrier Info: Driver size 72 in (182.9 cm) diameter Length 112 ft 3 in (34.2 m) Cylinder size 27.5 in (69.85 cm) dia × 30 in (76.2 cm) stroke Now I understand that the Kanawah Berkshire is a scaled down version of the Greenbrier...maybe you could start with a LL shell? Judging from your picture the Hudson tender would be way too short. Think Rowa/MRC Tender (not RIVAROSSI!!!!) would be better suited for the task. T
