For you 614 fans: Yellow Ribbon Express
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Yes, he has been "fund raising" for it since about 2007, I think.
Let's see if they can pull it off!
Being a veteran, I would support a cause that supports veterans. Also, that I served under the 42nd in Iraq in 2004-2005. To learn more of the history would be interesting to me!
To see 614 under steam would be awesome!
Well if he's having meetings with the railroads maybe the project will gain some traction.
Some positive signs conversations to be sure, but I'll beleive it when I see it. It's a very ambitious project for sure, but maybe he can pull it off.
I am a big fan of 614. I rode behind it in the mid-90's out of Hoboken. I don't remember exactly what happened, but it was damaged on the return trip from Port Jervis and we had to wait for quite a while to have a GP unit come and bring us back.
Cautiously optimistic.
Didn't they have stoker problems?
I remember hearing him talk about this last fall. He had a list of several steam locomotives that he wanted for different parts of the trip, including 614, Cotton Belt 819, UP 844, SPS 700, along with 765 and 4449 as spares. I may be missing an engine or two.
A quote from the press release...
"Ross Rowland with the Chesapeake & Ohio 614 coal train he hopes to take on tour as the Yellow Ribbon Express to commemorate World War I’s centennial."
The "...Chesapeake & Ohio 614coal train..."? Good grief.
Journalism is dead...
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
A quote from the press release...
"Ross Rowland with the Chesapeake & Ohio 614 coal train he hopes to take on tour as the Yellow Ribbon Express to commemorate World War I’s centennial."
The "...Chesapeake & Ohio 614coal train..."? Good grief.
Journalism is dead...
Rich,
It could be pulling 110 hoppers of coal.
At least they didn't say "engine driver" 
Larry
Having been directly involved with 4449 on the American Freedom Train, in my opinion such a similar operation 40 years later, especially with steam power, just isn't going to happen in todays railroad environment. Back in the mid 1970s, prior to all the mega-mergers, there were many, many display locations on branch lines, and/or industrial trackage, throughout the U.S.. Most of that "off the main line" trackage is now gone.
Rowland has come up with a number of dead-in-the-water schemes, but there have been some successes, over the years. In 1969, he was responsible for the 100th anniversary (of the driving of the golden spike) blue train that toured the country. And, of course, his modern steam experiments with the #614 in the 1980's, pulling strings of coal through West Virginia, certainly attracted attention.
On the other hand, his idea for steam trips to the Greenbriar Resort ended up rather moribund. So maybe, if you throw enough against the wall some of it will stick! Ross has an amazing gift of gab and he could likely talk a number of people into taking a chance on a venture like this. I wonder, though, would the U.P. allow a "foreign" engine to operate on their tracks? Be kind of, "in competition" with their own steam efforts, which they're having some difficulty with at the moment.
Paul Fischer
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
A quote from the press release...
"Ross Rowland with the Chesapeake & Ohio 614 coal train he hopes to take on tour as the Yellow Ribbon Express to commemorate World War I’s centennial."
The "...Chesapeake & Ohio 614coal train..."? Good grief.
Journalism is dead...
That is a "coal car" behind the engine..........isn't it?
Originally Posted by fisch330:
Rowland has come up with a number of dead-in-the-water schemes, but there have been some successes, over the years. In 1969, he was responsible for the 100th anniversary (of the driving of the golden spike) blue train that toured the country.
The 1969 Gold Spike Centennial Special train (that blue train) didn't "tour the country", it only operated from New York behind NKP 759 to Kansas City. Since the UP would not allow the NKP 759 on their railroad, they handled the Special the rest of the way to Salt Lake City, and then handled it back to Kansas City.
And, of course, his modern steam experiments with the #614 in the 1980's, pulling strings of coal through West Virginia, certainly attracted attention.
On the other hand, his idea for steam trips to the Greenbriar Resort ended up rather moribund. So maybe, if you throw enough against the wall some of it will stick! Ross has an amazing gift of gab and he could likely talk a number of people into taking a chance on a venture like this. I wonder, though, would the U.P. allow a "foreign" engine to operate on their tracks?
The UP has indeed allowed "foreign" steam locomotives to operate on their tracks, however the odds are slim to nil that they would allow a coal burner on their system.
Be kind of, "in competition" with their own steam efforts, which they're having some difficulty with at the moment.
Paul Fischer
