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The Old Ravenna, Ky yard is but a skeleton of its original self.....They are going to make the announcement starting at 1:30  Saturday  Afternoon, and will be streamed on the Facebook Channel. Up here in Eastern ky we have heard they are going to get permission thru lease to run steam over the Old L&N/C&O lines, from as far west as Louisville East thru Lexington/Winchester to Hazard, Ky then down the old I-75 Line to Corbin, Ky....This bunch has big, big, plans, and with the CSX Attorneys being present during this announcement segment, it will be interesting for a Fact. This would also give the J611, and "765" some more trackage to run on for excursions...We all hope it turns out to be more than Pie in the Sky, for the State of Kentucky.........Brandy!   

Hot Water posted:

What I found interesting is, their home page shows a beautiful photo of an L&N "Big Emma" with a coal train on a huge bridge. Yet, their focus is about C&O 2716? 

Hot Water, that bridge is north of the Irvin-Ravenna Yards, and as you say was back in the days of the "Big Emmas", as they have already dressed the C&O #2716 to be one for an L&N Celebration at New Haven Last year. If they get worked out as planned it will work in  2 dress modes on different parts of this Railroad...When they dressed it up as a Big Emma, someone donated a headlight off of a real Big Emma, and she looked like the "Real McCoy"...

One thing for certain there will be many miles of track/switches/bridges and tressels to maintain, not even counting the railroad crossings for the public. One helluva job to take on for excursions weather permitting....But anything is possible if there are a good business plan and a good working group of people, to make it all come together, to make happen. These folks seem to be well on their way to make plan "A" come about.....

Who knows what will happen, especially working with a Major Railroad, and one as Iffy as CSX is looking like at present 

Last edited by Brandy
Brandy posted:

Hot Water, that bridge is north of the Irvin-Ravenna Yards, and as you say was back in the days of the "Big Emmas", as they have already dressed the C&O #2716 to be one for an L&N Celebration at New Haven Last year. If they get worked out as planned it will work in  2 dress modes on different parts of this Railroad...When they dressed it up as a Big Emma, someone donated a headlight off of a real Big Emma, and she looked like the "Real McCoy"...

Life kinda-sorta-but-not-quite imitates art?

Image result for louisville & nashville 2-8-4

I'd love to see a picture of 2716 in L&N dress, Google has failed me...

Rusty

Rusty Traque posted:
Brandy posted:

Hot Water, that bridge is north of the Irvin-Ravenna Yards, and as you say was back in the days of the "Big Emmas", as they have already dressed the C&O #2716 to be one for an L&N Celebration at New Haven Last year. If they get worked out as planned it will work in  2 dress modes on different parts of this Railroad...When they dressed it up as a Big Emma, someone donated a headlight off of a real Big Emma, and she looked like the "Real McCoy"...

Life kinda-sorta-but-not-quite imitates art?

Image result for louisville & nashville 2-8-4

I'd love to see a picture of 2716 in L&N dress, Google has failed me...

Rusty

1st off check out the Sand Dome vs Steam Dome, and 2nd full length to front steps boiler walk boards, 3rd L&N Big Emma didn't have number boards on top of the boilers. One number board under the center-mounted headlight, w/ engine number on the lower headlight lens, and that was on all L&N Steam Engines.

Brandy posted:

Rusty go to Facebook, and search Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation C&O # 2716, and you should be able to look at everything back when Southern, Bill Purdie, and my Step Dad took it south to Alabama to make a Southern Version of a Berkshire/Kanawha.................................Brandy!

 

 

"back in the days of the "Big Emmas", as they have already dressed the C&O #2716 to be one for an L&N Celebration at New Haven Last year."

Curiosity satisfied, thanks Brandy. 

2-8-4 pseudo L&N 1992

BTW, Google turned up a couple of photo's once I knew to look for L&N 1992...

IMHO, 2716 looks better as a "Southern" or "L&N" locomotive than it does as a proper C&O.  (I'm gonna get grief for that remark, but C&O's headlight on the air compressor shield does nothing for me...)

Rusty

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  • 2-8-4 pseudo L&N 1992
Rusty Traque posted:
Brandy posted:

Rusty go to Facebook, and search Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation C&O # 2716, and you should be able to look at everything back when Southern, Bill Purdie, and my Step Dad took it south to Alabama to make a Southern Version of a Berkshire/Kanawha.................................Brandy!

 

 

"back in the days of the "Big Emmas", as they have already dressed the C&O #2716 to be one for an L&N Celebration at New Haven Last year."

Curiosity satisfied, thanks Brandy. 

2-8-4 pseudo L&N 1992

BTW, Google turned up a couple of photo's once I knew to look for L&N 1992...

IMHO, 2716 looks better as a "Southern" or "L&N" locomotive than it does as a proper C&O.  (I'm gonna get grief for that remark, but C&O's headlight on the air compressor shield does nothing for me...)

Rusty

I was just the opposite on the headlight, and then there was on some of their engine models of the flying front pumps. All of that stuff to me made all of their engine bigger and more powerful than the rest. Even though it didn't mean anything to tractive effort, adhesion, horsepower, nor any rest of the blah, blah, blah. Just one guy liking a Dodge another other a beautiful Chevrolet.....Just Sayin

GenesisFan99 posted:

Sort of makes sense they are getting track through lease since the person representing CSX is the VP of Real Estate and Facilities.

I heard some negative about this group very early on, and the more I watched, and asked some questions, the more I figured they knew  a lot about what they wanted to do, and where they were going. Especially when the CSX quit running trains down the lines to Corbin, and the one where their Yard and shops will no doubt probably be in Ravenna......Past all of this, we'll have to wait until the Facebook Screening Announcement at 1:30pm est  tomorrow Saturday 5-19-18

 

Some of your posts have cleared this up for me. I heard about CSX downsizing and selling off unprofitable lines. I guess CSX still won’t allow steam on the lines they still own, but lines that they sell off could be used for steam excursions with the 2716. No Amtrak support needed either since the lines will no longer be class 1 owned so it will be an operation similar to Steamtown, TVRM, etc. Perhaps Ravenna will be 2716’s new home and a museum site and a departure point for excursions on lines that Steam Heritage acquires from CSX.

Hot Water posted:

OK, the "Big Event" must be over by now, and the speakers have made the "announcement" so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WHAT HAPPENED?

Well, we were right. It was Real Estate, hence the VP of Real Estate and Facilities representing CSX as I pointed out earlier in the thread. CSX donated 50 acres of Ravenna Yard for a Heritage Center. The hope is that it will become a working steam shop and museum.

GenesisFan99 posted:
Hot Water posted:

OK, the "Big Event" must be over by now, and the speakers have made the "announcement" so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WHAT HAPPENED?

Well, we were right. It was Real Estate, hence the VP of Real Estate and Facilities representing CSX as I pointed out earlier in the thread. CSX donated 50 acres of Ravenna Yard for a Heritage Center. The hope is that it will become a working steam shop and museum.

Maybe I missed it in the press release, just posted on TrainOrders.com, but it didn't sound like CSX "donated" the 50 acres. .

Hot Water posted:
GenesisFan99 posted:
Hot Water posted:

OK, the "Big Event" must be over by now, and the speakers have made the "announcement" so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WHAT HAPPENED?

Well, we were right. It was Real Estate, hence the VP of Real Estate and Facilities representing CSX as I pointed out earlier in the thread. CSX donated 50 acres of Ravenna Yard for a Heritage Center. The hope is that it will become a working steam shop and museum.

Maybe I missed it in the press release, just posted on TrainOrders.com, but it didn't sound like CSX "donated" the 50 acres. .

Perhaps donated isn't the correct word, but CSX rarely does such things. Allowing them to raise money to purchase the land is almost a donation by CSX standards.

GenesisFan99 posted:
Hot Water posted:
GenesisFan99 posted:
Hot Water posted:

OK, the "Big Event" must be over by now, and the speakers have made the "announcement" so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WHAT HAPPENED?

Well, we were right. It was Real Estate, hence the VP of Real Estate and Facilities representing CSX as I pointed out earlier in the thread. CSX donated 50 acres of Ravenna Yard for a Heritage Center. The hope is that it will become a working steam shop and museum.

Maybe I missed it in the press release, just posted on TrainOrders.com, but it didn't sound like CSX "donated" the 50 acres. .

Perhaps donated isn't the correct word, but CSX rarely does such things. Allowing them to raise money to purchase the land is almost a donation by CSX standards.

It is "prime real-estate ", and the not-for-profit group is hopeful of raising $500,000 by years end, for the purchase of same. Thus CSX isn't "giving anything away"!

Hot Water posted:
GenesisFan99 posted:
Hot Water posted:
GenesisFan99 posted:
Hot Water posted:

OK, the "Big Event" must be over by now, and the speakers have made the "announcement" so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WHAT HAPPENED?

Well, we were right. It was Real Estate, hence the VP of Real Estate and Facilities representing CSX as I pointed out earlier in the thread. CSX donated 50 acres of Ravenna Yard for a Heritage Center. The hope is that it will become a working steam shop and museum.

Maybe I missed it in the press release, just posted on TrainOrders.com, but it didn't sound like CSX "donated" the 50 acres. .

Perhaps donated isn't the correct word, but CSX rarely does such things. Allowing them to raise money to purchase the land is almost a donation by CSX standards.

It is "prime real-estate ", and the not-for-profit group is hopeful of raising $500,000 by years end, for the purchase of same. Thus CSX isn't "giving anything away"!

I talked with one of Chris Campbell's friends, and just like the lady from CSX said it is a sale to this group if they can raise the money by the end of this year. I asked about the possible lease of the line south to and past Hazard. He said you don't even want to hear about that price if you think the yard sale is exuberant.

He told me that RJ Corman Group was already looking at it for Shortline business anyway, as they already have purchased the Lexington property, and have a lease on the L&N Line to Louisville, which I already knew about that....

I think everybody was hoping that the engine would be done by fall, and CSX would let them use it on the New River Train, as there was a lot of Po'd Folks and don't have a dog in the fight. Other than the fact they want to see a steam engine run once again in our part of the world.....LOL

 

Last edited by Brandy

With support from their local Congress Critter plus the Senate Majority leader, certainly there is a chance they will have some Federal dollars to work with.  Throw in the possibility of this giving a space for large steam to stretch legs, something that has been talked about in the community for some time, and the fund raising might just go pretty well.   In the end, they have the space for car storage, turn tables, room for events, room for on the property runs (ala Spencer), they could turn the shop into a visitor center (ala Portland) ...  

Bob

bbunge posted:

With support from their local Congress Critter plus the Senate Majority leader, certainly there is a chance they will have some Federal dollars to work with.  Throw in the possibility of this giving a space for large steam to stretch legs, something that has been talked about in the community for some time, and the fund raising might just go pretty well.   In the end, they have the space for car storage, turn tables, room for events, room for on the property runs (ala Spencer), they could turn the shop into a visitor center (ala Portland) ...  

Bob

Bob, this is what everybody is overlooking. Money from the outside. I don't know if anyone has ever written a Grant, but I assure you it's not an easy process. You have to attend special training, and then that doesn't become a certainty....I think these guys to be a young version of the Ft Wayne Railroad Group, and I have faith in these guys they will get it done sooner rather than later. Outsiders need to lay off the Negative Crap, Ask Not What The Program Can Do For You, But Ask What You Can Do For The Program.....

A Place for Steam to Stretch Her Legs you say...?....If one has never ridden a Train from Winchester, Ky to Hazard, Ky, and back,  I assure you that it's a Tunnel/Tressel filled train ride that would make anybody happy....As with anything it has to be done in a business consecutive manner, and having 2 of the major hurdles behind them, and that being the CSX and the Government, these rest will be small pickins...Gunny John said it best..."The Easiest Job Is The One You Think Someone Else Can Do".....All of you Naysayers keep this in Mind......!... Be Part of the Resolve, Don't Add to the Misery................Brandy!

 

Last edited by Brandy

Thanks everyone for the interest in our project. In terms of the future beyond the purchase of Ravenna Yard, I would encourage everyone to watch the press conference (available on our Facebook Page) and listen to what was said from KSHCO, government officials and CSX.  I am bias, but this is a huge announcement not only for 2716, but the entire eastern Kentucky region and rail preservation nationwide. CSX has been a great partner in this endeavor and we look forward to watching this grow. 

Chad Harpole

Vice President

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation

Last edited by Railroadiana Collectors Association
Southern6482 posted:

Brandy, we are very aware of the blueprints. We will have a booth at the upcoming festival in Clifton Forge selling our swag and discussing the announcement. Feel free to look us up.

Chad, another thing while you guys are in Clifton Forge look into what is going on at the Big engine facility across the yard, and near the River. I was told they maybe be looking to get rid of some equipment, aka Turn Table, transfer table, and there was at one time a few drop tables for front and rear truck service as well as drive wheels.......Be a good thing to check into. Maybe something you could get for the asking, and not need now, but one never knows what the next 5-10 years will/could bring.....Just Sayin !

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