By Justin Franz
Chesapeake & Ohio J3a Class 4-8-4 614 has been sold to a private group intending to restore the locomotive to operating condition.
RJD America LLC announced at 6:14 a.m. on November 8, that the locomotive would be moved to the Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg, Pa., in early 2025, where a comprehensive restoration would be completed. The group had been teasing for weeks that an announcement about the locomotive’s future was imminent and photos of the locomotive being painted at its current display site in Clifton Forge, Va., had been circulating online. The locomotive was previously owned by Iron Horse Enterprises, Inc. and preservationist Ross Rowland.
“Chesapeake & Ohio 614 is a treasured part of national history, and we are privileged to become its caretakers,” said Jason Johnson, general manager and communications director for RJD America LLC, in a press release. “Reviving 614 goes beyond restoring machinery; it’s about reigniting the magic of steam railroading for today’s and tomorrow’s enthusiasts.”
Johnson told Railfan & Railroad that the restoration was being privately funded and that it would be a “high priority” for the Strasburg’s mechanical staff. He declined to say how much they anticipated the restoration costing or who was funding it, but that RJD America believed it could be completed in 24 months. Johnson said that his team has already completed a mechanical assessment. The restoration will include taking the boiler off the frame and running gear to inspect the frame, bearings, spring rigging and brakes. The boiler will also get new tubes and flues, as well as some firebox work.
Johnson said the group is already talking with potential hosts for the locomotive when it is running.
“We have had several railroads reach out to us for operation,” he said. “We will also be soliciting railroads to contact us about opportunities to operate on their railroad when done. We are looking forward to many years of operation and hauling tens of thousands of happy riders!”
Locomotive 614 was one of a dozen 4-8-4s owned by the C&O. While many railroads called their 4-8-4s “Northerns,” the C&O called theirs “Greenbriers,” after the West Virginia resort on its main line. Locomotive 614 was built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1948 as the last commercially-built 4-8-4 in the U.S. It was initially retired in 1952, but was briefly put back in service three years later before being put in storage. In 1975, it was sent to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. In 1979, Rowland traded Reading Company 2101, which had been damaged in a roundhouse fire, to the museum for 614. In 1980, it was used on the Chessie Safety Express. In 1985, the locomotive became “614-T” to haul coal trains in West Virginia as part of an test by American Coal Enterprise to see if a modern steam locomotive could be developed (it wasn’t). The locomotive made its last major appearance in the late 1990s leading a series of excursions on New Jersey Transit.
Rowland said he was optimistic that he would soon see the locomotive restored and on the main line once again.
“We are extremely pleased that our iconic locomotive is now in the very capable hands of RJD America LLC, where she will receive the excellent care she deserves as America’s last commercially built mainline steam locomotive,” Rowland said. “RJD America’s commitment to fund her FRA recertification utilizing the outstanding Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services assures that she will get a thorough and timely return to service where she can again bring the magic of steam to the public wherever she runs. Our congratulations to RJD America, and we look forward to being trackside to welcome the 614 back to active service soon.”
