Chesapeake and Ohio 2716

The Chesapeake & Ohio 2716 is a 2-8-4 steam locomotive that was built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.^[1] While most railroads referred to these locomotives as “Berkshires,” the C&O referred to them as “Kanawhas” after the Kanawha River which flows through West Virginia. 2716 was one of ninety built for the C&O by Alco & the Lima Locomotive Works between 1943 and 1947.^[2] These locomotives were used for heavy freight trains, as well as fast passenger trains.^[1] In 1956, however, after only twelve years of service, the C&O retired 2716, in light of dieselization. With the exception of thirteen, including 2716, the C&O scrapped their Kanawhas in 1961.

In 1959, the locomotive was sold to the Kentucky Railway Museum, where it was put on display.^[3] Twenty years later, in 1979, the Clinchfield Railroad leased the locomotive for their steam program, but before necessary repairs could be completed, the railroad ended its steam program.^[3] In 1981, the Southern Railway was looking for a larger and more powerful steam locomotive to pull passenger trains for their popular steam excursion program and leased the locomotive from the Kentucky Railway Museum.^[4] The Southern Railway took the locomotive to their Birmingham, Alabama shops, where modifications were made. Chesapeake and Ohio 2716 was re-lettered as Southern 2716, and the locomotive was configured to look like a Southern locomotive, despite the Southern never having owned and operated Berkshires,^[5] including moving the head light to the center of the smoke box, and the locomotive’s bell and whistle were changed.^[5]

After operating on a test run on October 10 and 11, 1981, 2716 pulled its first Southern Railway excursions on October 17 and 18, running round-trip from Chattanooga, TN to Rockwood, TN. In November, the 2716 pulled excursions in Georgia and Alabama.^[6] Beginning in April 1982, the locomotive resumed its excursion duties, pulling trains through Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. In July, however, it was discovered that the firebox was cracking, and 2716 was taken out of excursion service, and the Nickel Plate 765, another Berkshire, based in Indiana, was drummed into service as 2716’s replacement,^[3] and following the merger between the Southern Railway and the Norfolk and Western Railway to form the Norfolk Southern, Norfolk and Western 611 would serve as main motive power. 2716 was taken back to the Norfolk Southern’s shops in Birmingham. Following the 1994 cancellation of the Norfolk Southern’s steam program, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, the operators of Nickel Plate 765, had it moved to their facilities in northeast Indiana. The FWRHS restored the locomotive to its original C&O appearance.^[3] In 1996, 2716 operated on brief push-pull excursions in Indiana. In March 2001, the locomotive was returned to the Kentucky Railway Museum and was placed under a shelter there, where it remains.^[2]

2716 in media

C&O 2716, as Southern 2716, can be seen in a 1984 National Geographic program entitled Love Those Trains on a Norfolk Southern steam excursion between Huntsville, Alabama and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

References