The C&O 614 restoration officially began after the historic steam engine arrived at the Strasburg Rail Road on June 8, marking the start of a long-awaited return to service. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The C&O 614 restoration officially began after the historic steam engine arrived at the Strasburg Rail Road on June 8, marking the start of a long-awaited return to service.
Photo by Steve Barry

After decades in storage, Chesapeake & Ohio 614 departed Clifton Forge, Virginia, on June 7. It traveled via the Buckingham Branch and Norfolk Southern lines before Strasburg’s No. 90 brought it to its restoration site.

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In late 2024, RJD America LLC acquired the locomotive from Iron Horse Enterprises and Ross Rowland. Although the project’s funding source remains private, the team expects the engine to be operational within 24 months.

C&O 614 Restoration Supported by Private Acquisition

This C&O 614 restoration project reflects a major private preservation effort. The engine was the last 4-8-4 built in the U.S., delivered by Lima Locomotive Works in 1948, and dubbed a “Greenbrier” by the C&O.

Originally retired in 1952, the locomotive briefly returned to service in 1955 before entering storage. In 1975, it moved to the B&O Railroad Museum, and four years later, Rowland traded the damaged Reading 2101 for it.

From Museum Display to Rail Revival in Pennsylvania

In 1980, the engine starred in the Chessie Safety Express. Later, it became 614-T for a modern steam experiment funded by American Coal Enterprise, though that program never advanced commercially.

The locomotive last ran excursions in the late 1990s on New Jersey Transit. Now, its journey continues as the C&O 614 restoration moves into its hands-on phase in Strasburg, where steam fans await its revival.

Source: railfan.com

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