C&O No. 614 restoration to begin after arrival at Strasburg

STRASBURG, Pa. — Not even the dreary weather put a damper on the arrival of Chesapeake & Ohio No. 614 at the Strasburg Rail Road on Sunday (June 8, 2025). 

The Class J3a 4-8-4 arrived in style during the afternoon, as 2-10-0 No. 90 escorted the locomotive along the tourist railroad’s main line from its interchange with Norfolk Southern Corp. at Leaman Place. This came after a ferry move departing the day before from the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Va., 382 miles away.

RJD America LLC, a group of railroaders and businessmen who purchased No. 614 from the American Freedom Train Foundation, Inc. in 2024, hoped to have the locomotive at Strasburg by early 2025 [see “New group buys C&O 4-8-4 …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 14, 2024]. Winter weather and the Howard Street Tunnel clearance project delayed the move, according to General Manager and Communications Director Jason Johnson. But once the window for a June 7-8 ferrying opened up, it was all business as the Buckingham Branch, CSX Transportation, and NS accompanied the 4-8-4 in about 24 hours.

“With support from C&O Historical Society, CSX Transportation, Buckingham Branch Railroad, and Norfolk Southern Corporation, 614 made her historic journey to Pennsylvania under the protection and precision of railroad professionals who treated the task not just as a move but as a mission,” says an RJD press release. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to every individual involved in this extraordinary operation, especially Zach Hall, whose tireless efforts played a crucial role in ensuring the success of this complex move.”

After arriving at the shop complex, members of RJD America LLC and the Strasburg Rail Road posed with the two locomotives ahead of the start of the process of returning the 4-8-4 to service. Initial steps in the process, according to the co614.com website, includes:

• Component disassembly and detailed mechanical inspections;
• Initial assessment of boiler, running gear, and frame;
• Project planning, documentation, and parts inventory.
  

“The torch now passes to the world-class mechanical team that will undertake her restoration,” the group says. “Under their care, the real work begins — painstaking disassembly, inspections, and eventually, the rebirth of a legend.”