Mostly about my backyard chickens. (Boring, I know), but there are a lot of us out here. Mine are only kept as pampered pets. I could eat a neighbor's chicken, but not MINE. There may be a comment on current events only if I get riled up enough. And there will always be a cartoon or a joke to cheer us. I promise to try my very best to respond to comments. Now I have to figure out how this blogger thingy works....
As I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat
I thought I saw my future bride walking up the street
I shouted to the driver, "Hey conductor, you must slow down
I think I see her, please, let me off this bus"
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey is that you?
Seems like every time I see you darling
You got something else to do
I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back
And started walkin' toward a coffee colored Cadillac
I was pushin' through the crowd tryin' to get to where she's at
And I was campaign shouting like a southern diplomat
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey where are you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you
You're up to something new
Downtown searching for her looking all around
Saw her getting in a yellow cab, heading up town
I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab
Flipped a twenty dollar bill told him, ‽Catch that yellow cabâ€
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey is that you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you
You're up to something new
She moves around like a wave of summer breeze
Go, driver, go, go, catch her for me please
Moving through the traffic like a mounted Cavalier
Leanin' out the taxi window tryin' to make her hear
Nadine, honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey is that you?
Seems like every time I see you darling
You're up to something new
C&O 614 has the opportunity to show her stuff during the Fall
spectaculars in 1996-98, running on track speed on the former Erie
mainline between Hoboken NJ and Port Jervis NY, typically 22-24 cars
with NO diesel assist!.
Chesapeake & Ohio 614 is a 4-8-4steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, in June 1948 for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(C&O) as a member of the J3a class. As one of the last commercially
built steam locomotives in the United States, the locomotive was built
with the primary purpose of hauling long, heavy, high speed express passenger trains for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway such as the George Washington and the Fast Flying Virginian. Retired from active service in the late 1950s, the 614 was preserved and placed on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1979, the locomotive was restored to operating condition and was
used for extensive mainline excursion service from the 1970s until the
late 1990s. Today the locomotive is on temporary display at the C&O
Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia awaiting a potential return to steam.
Background
Most railroads called their 4-8-4s "Northerns," which is short for the railroad first using the 4-8-4 type, Northern Pacific Railroad.
The workers of the C&O could not see naming these locomotives
"Northerns" as the railroad was based in the southeast. The famous Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a major resort on the C&O main line, was the inspiration for the name "Greenbrier" applied to these 4-8-4s.
C&O 614 on display in Clifton Forge, VA.
The C&O had a total of 12 4-8-4s, with the first five numbered
600-604 built in 1935, with the designation J-3. In 1942, two more were
ordered from Lima numbered 605-606. In 1948, the design changed slightly
and the 610-614 were produced, with the J-3-A designation. In 1952, 614
was retired from service and sent to a storage track in a Kentucky
roundhouse where she sat for more than two decades. During the time she
sat, 614 was renumbered to 611 when there was a power shortage on the
C&O as to alleviate any confusion with a leased 4-8-4 that was also
numbered 614.
Excursion service
In 1976, 614 was sent to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and was cosmetically restored.
During 1979, the 614 was sold to Ross E. Rowland Jr. She was restored
over the next 18 months with a cost of $1.5 million. During the
restoration, 614 was given an auxiliary tender, doubling her water
capacity to 50,000 gallons. This allowed the 614 to run for longer times
without having to refuel as much. The Chessie Safety Express was 614's
first major run, bringing her a bit of spotlight in the process. After
the successful system tour, 614 was kept in Hagerstown, Maryland
until 1985. American Coal Enterprise was developing a modern steam
locomotive to be used as an alternative to rising oil costs by burning
coal, known as the ACE 3000 Project. The 614 was modified for better
performance under the guidance of David Wardale, and fitted with testing
equipment to measure the performance of the engine. For several weeks
in January and February 1985, 614 (now 614T, symbolizing it as testing)
hauled coal trains between Huntington and Hinton, West Virginia.
The 614's fuel consumption costs were actually lower than most diesel
locomotives operating at that time. Throughout 1996 to 1998, 614 pulled
many successful excursions between Hoboken, NJ and Port Jervis, NY
C&O 614 engine cab.
In 1992, Rowland's vision of the 21st Century Limited was
taking shape. To give the public an idea of the train, one side of 614
was decorated in a futuristic way with a blue streamlined shrouding and
centered headlight. In 1995, 614 was moved to the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad in Pennsylvania for a complete overhaul. It was then used for a series of popular excursions between Hoboken, New Jersey and Port Jervis, New York in conjunction with New Jersey Transit (NJT) between 1996 and 1998.
Current status
614 was required to pull 26 cars
at 79 mph on some sections, and maintain speed up several hills. During
this time, 614 was equipped with cab signals, 26L brakes, speed control
and an MU stand. The 614 was moved to storage on the Reading and Northern Railroad in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania.
In 2000. Rowland put 614 up for auction at the NJT maintenance
facility, but no buyers were interested. The locomotive is still
maintained by Iron Horse Enterprises, the most recent servicing of the
locomotive being in 2006.
In 2010, discussions began between Rowland and Jim Justice, owner of
the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. The resort
owner had been interested in running steam-powered excursion trains
from Greenbrier to Washington DC. To be known as the "Greenbrier
Express", Justice planned to use steam and diesel power in the project,
but would have needed cooperation from CSX Transportation, the Buckingham Branch Railroad and Amtrak. In January 2011, 614 was moved to the Virginia Museum of Transportation for its Thoroughbreds of Steam
exhibit. In May 2011, 614 was again moved to the C&O Railway
Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia. From there it went to
Clifton Forge, Virginia where it was repainted in preparation for
display for the Greenbrier Presidential Express.
Unfortunately, the Greenbrier Express project was cancelled in May 2012
due to lack of funding and capacity problems on the CSX portion of the
route, where a lack of passing sidings makes it difficult for Eastbound
trains to gain headway against the flow of Westbound empty coal trains.
The diesels and passenger cars were auctioned off, and 614 continues to
sit on display at Clifton Forge. The website for 614 states that once an
opportunity to run the engine is finalized, Iron Horse Enterprises will
invest the necessary funds to overhaul the locomotive for operation.
She even has her own web site: (and be sure to watch the video)!
http://www.co614.com/
:o)
UPDATE: -
Terry has a great video of this beauty posted on his blog: http://jterryt.blogspot.com/ And while you are there, take a wander around his blog - lots and lots of good stuff there!!! :o)
Heard a terrible noise outside my window on Wednesday morning! Grabbed the trusty old camera and ran outside on the deck (Not a good idea - we had sleet overnight and the deck was cover in ice and I was barefoot)
This is what caused all the racket:
They landed in the trees right off the deck!
When the took off, they headed for trees further up the road.
It was fun to watch them and was well worth getting cold feet!
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