Chesapeake and Ohio Greenbrier

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Chesapeake & Ohio Greenbrier
Getting Ready for the Big Trip (5874137485).jpg
It was a late spring evening when the family gathered in Clifton Forge to wait for the train to Cincinnati. Everyone was pretty excited as a train trip on the C&O was always a great experience.
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.74 in (1,880 mm)
Trailing dia.J-3: 36 in (914 mm)
J-3a: 42 in (1,067 mm)
44 in (1,118 mm) on last axle
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:
 • Firegrate area
100.3 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:
 • Firebox
J-3a: 482 sq ft (44.8 m2)
Superheater:
 • 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 speedOver 100 mph (160 km/h)
Tractive effort66,453 lbf (295.60 kN)
Factor of adh.4.29
Career
OperatorsChesapeake and Ohio Railway
ClassJ-3
J-3a
Numbers600-606, 610-614
Retired1952-1955
PreservedOne preserved (No. 614)
DispositionC&O 614 on static display, 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.

History[]

Built in three batches, all 12 of the Greenbriers were built for fast passenger service, hauling trains such as the "George Washington" or the "Sportsman".[1] They also saw service pulling freight and even in pusher service for eastbound coal trains.

First batch[]

The first batch consisted of five "Greenbriers" (600-604) and were built in 1935 and were named Virginia statesmen; Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, James Madison and Edmund Randolph and classified as J-3.[1] They were delivered with spoked driving wheels and 250 lbf/in2 boiler pressure. They were the only "Greenbriers" built with Walschaert valve gear.

Second batch[]

Only two were part of the second batch, built in 1942, numbered 605-606 and were also classified as J-3. They were also given Virginia statesmen names; Thomas Nelson, Jr and James Monroe. This batch was built with Baker valve gear and aside from the reverse domes, there were no major physical differences from the first batch. They also had a bit more boiler pressure, at 255 lbf/in2 and were the heaviest of the "Greenbriers".

Third batch[]

The final batch of "Greenbriers" were numbered 610-614 and were built in 1948 and classified as J-3a. They weren't named after any Virginia statesmen like the earlier batches, but they were among the most modern and efficient steam locomotives ever built, with Boxpok driving wheels, Timken roller bearings on every axle, including every tender axle, as well as on the main and side rods, crank pins, pistons, piston rods, and crossheads. No. 613 was also fitted with experimental smoke deflectors.[1] Despite having a smaller heating surface than the earlier class J-3s, the class J-3as have firebox circulators, a larger combustion chamber and larger-diameter flues to accommodate the superheater tubes, improving their steaming capacity.[2] They were also fitted with a streamlined pilot and were the last 4-8-4s built by Lima and were the last commercially built 4-8-4s.

Driving wheel size conflict[]

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[]

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 testint. 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.

Roster[]

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 Apriil 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.

References[]

  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". p. C6 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  4. ^ "History of C&O 614". CO614.com.
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