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Chesapeake and Ohio Greenbrier

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Chesapeake & Ohio Greenbrier
C&O 614 during a photoshoot at the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, VA.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderLima Locomotive Works
Serial number7627-7631, 7842-7843, 9302-9306
Build date1935-1948
Total produced12
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-8-4
 • UIC2′D2′ h2
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.J-3: 36 in (914 mm)
J-3a: 38 in (965 mm)
Driver dia.72 in (1,829 mm)
Trailing dia.J-3: 36 in (914 mm)
J-3a: 42 in (1,067 mm)
44 in (1,118 mm) on last axle
Tender wheels36 in (914 mm)
Minimum curve20°
Height15 ft 8+78 in (4.80 m)
Axle loadJ-3 (Batch 1): 69,700 lb (31,600 kilograms; 31.6 metric tons)
J-3 (Batch 2): 73,200 lb (33,200 kilograms; 33.2 metric tons)
J-3a: 71,700 lb (32,500 kilograms; 32.5 metric tons)
Adhesive weightJ-3 (Batch 1): 278,300 lb (126,200 kilograms; 126.2 metric tons)
J-3 (Batch 2): 292,800 lb (132,800 kilograms; 132.8 metric tons)
J-3a: 285,200 lb (129,400 kilograms; 129.4 metric tons)
Loco weight482,200 lb (218,700 kilograms; 218.7 metric tons)
Tender weight386,130 lb (175,150 kilograms; 175.15 metric tons)
Total weight868,330 lb (393,870 kilograms; 393.87 metric tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Tender cap.J-3: 22,000 US gal (83,000 L; 18,000 imp gal) water; 50,000 lb (23,000 kilograms; 23 metric tons) coal
J-3a: 21,500 US gal (81,000 L; 17,900 imp gal) water; 50,000 lb (23,000 kilograms; 23 metric tons) coal
Firebox:
 • Grate area100.3 sq ft (9.32 m2)
Boiler100 in (2,540 mm)
Boiler pressure255 lbf/in2 (1.76 MPa)
J-3: (Originally: 250 lbf/in2 (1.72 MPa))
Heating surface:
 • FireboxJ-3a: 482 sq ft (44.8 m2)
Superheater:
 • TypeType E (J-3a)
 • Heating areaJ-3a: 2,058 sq ft (191.2 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size27.5 in × 30 in (698 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gearJ-3: Walschaert
J-3a/batch 2: Baker
Performance figures
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Tractive effort64,280 lbf (285.93 kN) @ 80% cutoff
Factor of adh.4.44 @ 80% cutoff
Career
OperatorsChesapeake and Ohio Railway
ClassJ-3
J-3a
Numbers600-606, 610-614
RetiredJ-3:1952 J-3a: 1956
PreservedOne preserved (No. 614)
DispositionC&O 614 on static display awaiting restoration, based in Clifton Forge, Virginia, remainder scrapped.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Greenbrier was a class of 12 4-8-4 "Greenbrier" type steam locomotives built by the Lima Locomotive Works between 1935 and 1948 and operated by the C&O. Like a handful of railroads, the C&O didn't name their 4-8-4s "Northerns", and instead went with the name "Greenbrier" after the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a major resort on the C&O mainline.

They were built with the primary purpose of hauling long, heavy, high-speed express passenger trains for the C&O Railway such as the George Washington and the Fast Flying Virginian. All retired by the mid 1950s, only 614 survives and is on display, awaiting to be moved to undergo restoration to operating condition.

History

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Built in three batches, all 12 of the Greenbriers were built for mountain passenger service, hauling trains such as the "George Washington" or the "Sportsman".[1] They also saw service pulling freight and occasionally in pusher service for eastbound coal trains when necessary. The overall design was largely the same between the three batches, although there were changes between each batch.

First batch

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The first batch consisted of five "Greenbriers" (600-604) built in 1935 and named Virginia statesmen Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, James Madison and Edmund Randolph. These first five were classified as J-3.[1] They were delivered with spoked driving wheels and worked at a boiler pressure of 250 PSI, which was later raised to 255 PSI. The 1935 J-3s were the only "Greenbriers" built with Walschaerts valve gear, which was later changed to Baker, and were equipped with feedwater heaters and thermic siphons, arch tubes, and a combustion chamber in the firebox.

Second batch

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Only two locomotives were part of a second batch in 1942, numbered 605-606. These were also classified as J-3 but referred to by some accounts as "J-3b." Like their predecessors, they were given the names of Virginia statesmen: Thomas Nelson, Jr and James Monroe. They also used the same trailing truck boosters, feedwater heaters, and arrangement of thermic siphons, arch tubes, and combustion chamber as the 1935 J-3s. Nonetheless, there were several changes from the original design. The 1942 J-3 pair were built new with Baker valve gear and saw the steam and sand domes change positions. They also worked at a slightly higher boiler pressure of 255 PSI from delivery, had three more superheater flues in the boiler, and used roller bearings on the lead and trailing trucks. The 1942 pair were heavier than the 1935 locomotives as well, presumably due to the use of heavier metals in construction than the lightweight alloys often used before the start of World War II.

Third batch

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The final batch of "Greenbriers" were numbered 610-614 and were built in 1948 and classified as J-3a. These locomotives were unnamed and saw many changes to the original design. Boxpok driving wheels, which offered better counterbalancing, were used in place of spoked wheels, and cast steel frame beds were used instead of bar frames for structural integrity. Timken roller bearings were used on the axles and running gear to reduce maintenance, and a different model of feedwater heater was fitted. No. 613 was also equipped with experimental smoke deflectors.[1] Despite having a smaller heating surface than the earlier J-3s, the J-3as had firebox circulators, a larger combustion chamber, and larger-diameter flues in the boiler to improving steaming capacity.[2] They were also fitted with a cast steel, streamlined pilot. These locomotives were the last 4-8-4s built by Lima and were the last commercially built 4-8-4s in the United States.

Driving wheel size conflict

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Lima Engineering Department records show every "Greenbrier" had 72 inch driving wheels. C&O diagrams of 1948, however, showed every "Greenbrier" with 74 inch driving wheels. This conflict was never resolved.

Preservation

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Only one "Greenbrier" has survived into preservation, No. 614. 614 ran in a number of excursions, starting with the Chessie Safety Express in the early 1980s and ending pulling excursions in conjunction with New Jersey Transit (NJT) and co-sponsored by the Volunteer Railroaders Association between 1996 and 1998.[3] No. 614 was also used as a test locomotive for the ACE 3000 project, hauling coal trains between Huntington and Hinton, West Virginia in 1985 and "T" was added next to her number to indicate testing. During 614's excursion career, her tender was modified, reducing its water capacity from 21,500 gallons to 18,200 gallons, but increased its coal capacity from 23 metric tons to 45 metric tons. To compensate the reduced water capacity, an auxiliary tender was given to 614, increasing her overall water capacity to 50,000 gallons, these changes increased distance traveled with fewer coal and water stops.[4] Today, 614 is on display at the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia in the Greenbrier Presidential Express scheme, a luxury passenger train which never came to be.

On November 8, 2024, it was announced that C&O 614 was sold by Ross Rowland to RJD America, LLC of Denville, New Jersey, who will be restoring it to operating condition.[5][6] The locomotive will be moved to the Strasburg Railroad in early 2025, who has been contracted to complete the restoration.[5][6]

Roster

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Number Lima serial number Date built Disposition Notes
600 7627 1935 Sold for scrap April 1953. Named Thomas Jefferson.
601 7628 1935 Sold for scrap April 1953. Named Patrick Henry.
602 7629 1935 Sold for scrap July 1953. Named Benjamin Harrison.
603 7630 1935 Sold for scrap April 1953. Named James Madison.
604 7631 1935 Sold for scrap July 1953. Named Edmund Randolph.
605 7842 1942 Sold for scrap. Named Thomas Nelson, Jr.
606 7843 1942 Sold for scrap. Named James Monroe.
610 9302 1948 Sold for scrap.
611 9303 1948 Sold for scrap.
612 9304 1948 Sold for scrap.
613 9305 1948 Sold for scrap October 7, 1955. Fitted with smoke deflectors.
614 9306 June 1948 Preserved, on display. Ran excursions throughout the 1980's and 90's and is the last commercially built 4-8-4, awaiting restoration.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Chesapeake & Ohio 4-8-4 "Northern" Locomotives in the USA". steamlocomotive.com.
  2. ^ "Chesapeake & Ohio 4-8-4 "Northern" Locomotives in the USA".
  3. ^ Barker, Olivia (October 10, 1998). "Trained in Elegance". The Journal News. White Plains, NY. p. C1. (continued): "Trained in Elegance". The Journal News. 10 October 1998. p. C6 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "History of C&O 614". CO614.com.
  5. ^ a b Franz, Justin (November 8, 2024). "Chesapeake & Ohio 614 Sold, Restoration Effort Launched". Railfan & Railroad. White River Productions. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Cupper, Dan (November 8, 2024). "New group buys C&O 4-8-4 No. 614, eyes full restoration". Trains. Firecrown Media. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.

Further reading

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  • Nuckles, Douglas; Dixon, Thomas (1994). Chesapeake & Ohio Greenbrier Type 4-8-4 Locomotives. Clifton Forge, Virginia: The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society. ISBN 0-939487-18-7.
  • Boyd, Jim; Dixon, Tom (January 1981). "The last Greenbrier". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 3, no. 8. Carstens Publications. pp. 37–43.