Kentucky Steam Receives Donation for Restoration of C&O 2716

November 20, 2018 - Henderson, KY -

Big Rivers Electric Corporation, a member-owned, nonprofit electric generation and transmission cooperative, announced Tuesday that they will be donating a company-owned flatcar to the non-profit Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. (KSHC). The flatcar will provide key parts in the ongoing restoration of historic steam locomotive Chesapeake and Ohio 2716.

The flatcar, designed for heavy industrial use, has the same type of trucks as the vintage locomotive which turns 75-years-old this December. The truck of a rail car is the assembly that holds the wheels of a rail vehicle, and these unique “Buckeye” style trucks are an ideal match to the ones under 2716’s coal and water tender.

Once acquired, the flatcar’s trucks, which are equipped with modern roller bearings, will be swapped out with the older antiquated trucks that currently are underneath the locomotive’s tender. This swap will save months of labor and over $100,000 worth of machining work and wheelset purchases that would be required for the engine’s current trucks.

The upgrade is necessary because the older “plain bearing” Buckeye trucks are no longer allowed to be used for transport on most Class 1 rail systems. Kentucky Steam will rely on the CSX Transportation rail network for moving the locomotive from its current location at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky to Ravenna, Kentucky. Both locations utilize CSX for rail service.

“We have built up an excellent relationship with CSX and we are fully aware of what they require to safely and prudently move equipment over their network,” said Chris Campbell, KSHC President.

“This generous donation from Big Rivers will allow us to save valuable time and resources in the preparation of 2716 to move to Ravenna. We can’t thank Big Rivers enough for the gesture to help our mission to preserve and operate this important piece of Kentucky’s rail heritage.”

Big Rivers Electric Corporation, a Henderson, Kentucky-based electric co-op, is excited to partner with Kentucky Steam in this restoration effort.

“We are proud to be among other community partners to work with the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation,” said Bob Berry, Big Rivers’ President and CEO. “Our donation of the flatcar is a great way for us to give back to the state-wide organization.”

Kentucky Steam, a 501(c)(3) public charity, has recently made waves in the rail preservation world, completing a two-month-long move of three rail cars from central Indiana to their headquarters in Ravenna, Kentucky. This fall, Hulcher Services and CSX Transportation spearheaded a massive endeavor to help KSHC move two vintage passenger cars and a water tender via crane, truck and ultimately rail from the Indianapolis area to Eastern Kentucky. These cars will eventually be the support system for Chesapeake and Ohio 2716 and the crews that operate it.

There is currently no timetable for the move of 2716 from the Kentucky Railway Museum, but KSHC does intend to move the flatcar and trucks to New Haven, KY sometime this December. Once moved, KSHC mechanical team will begin the process of swapping out the trucks and making minor adaptations to the locomotive’s brake system in preparation for a 2019-move to Ravenna.

A major fundraising campaign for 2716’s move and restoration will kick off in early 2019, coinciding with an open house and sneak peek at the engine’s future restoration site in Ravenna, Kentucky. For more, visit Kentucky Steam on the web at www.kentuckysteam.org as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kentuckysteam

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. Takes Possession of Historic Estill County Rail Property

October 14th, 2018 - Ravenna, KY -

The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (KSHC), a Kentucky-based 501(c)(3) non-profit announced Sunday that it has finalized a transaction with CSX Transportation and has taken possession of a large portion of a decommissioned rail yard in Ravenna, Kentucky.

This landmark transaction, originally announced in May 2018 in a public press conference entitled The Ravenna Revival, is the first step in KSHC’s larger plan to help revitalize the region with a rail-based economic development project called the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center. KSHC will utilize the land and the buildings on site to base its operations, restoring regionally-relevant historic rail equipment. The project will include a partnership with Estill County Schools, offering a technical skills training component to the endeavor, which will enable vocational students to practice modern trades as historic rail equipment is restored on site.

This initial railroad property purchase is the first milestone on the road to revitalizing Ravenna and the surrounding region, a process that will require continued support, diligent fundraising, federal grants, and more land transactions. It paves the way for KSHC to fully realize its long-term vision for a multi-use campus, which will give the community a dining hub, meeting and event space and potentially rail excursions that will attract visitors to the area.

"We can't thank CSX enough for being supportive of the mission to revitalize the area, and for their willingness to work with us on this historic transaction," said Chris Campbell, KSHC President.

CSX and KSHC spent over a year working on the details of this deal, which is a win-win for both organizations and for the future of Eastern Kentucky.

"CSX is proud to work with Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that advances both KSHC’s long-term vision and CSX’s business goals,” said Shantel Davis, vice president of real estate and facilities for CSX. “While CSX focuses on reliably serving customers through dense corridors on our core network, we’re pleased KSHC is working to bring new life to an area impacted by market changes and shifting customer needs.”

KSHC now turns its sights on revitalizing the shop and accompanying yard office into an epicenter for tourism and economic development. The three-bay car shop, built by CSX in 1991, will become a hub for the restoration of historic Chesapeake and Ohio steam locomotive #2716, which celebrates its 75th birthday this December. The engine currently resides in New Haven, Kentucky at the Kentucky Railway Museum.

Fundraising now will begin in earnest for the Kentucky group, who hopes to raise enough money in the next several months to lay track back to the shop and to update the building’s electrical system. A formal kick-off party and grand opening gala are planned for later this year and tickets will be made available to the general public. More information will be released in the coming weeks.

To learn more, or to make a donation to the project, please visit www.kentuckysteam.org

Hulcher Services, CSX Team Up With Kentucky Steam to Move Historic Rail Cars

photo by Nick Hovey

September 28th, 2018 - Noblesville, IN

In an unprecedented effort of collaboration, Hulcher Services, a nationwide railroad mechanical contractor, has teamed up with CSX and the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (KSHC) to help transport three historic rail cars from the Noblesville, Indiana area. The cars will become integral components of the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center "Kentucky Steam" operations, to be based in Ravenna, Kentucky.

The three cars were acquired earlier this year by Kentucky Steam from the Indiana Transportation Museum, which vacated its location at Forest Park in Noblesville, Indiana. The cars acquired are ex- Pennsylvania Railroad Railway Post Office car 6565 and Baggage Car 9036 - both located at the former ITM site - and auxiliary water tender 220166 which was located off site.

“We are committed to working with railroad groups interested in the abandoned equipment on a case-by-case basis,” said Noblesville Deputy Mayor Steve Cooke. “We’ve agreed to work with Kentucky Steam transfer of these units because of their reputation, and because the move supports the City’s efforts to clean up Forest Park and to someday transform this area of the park into an amenity our community can be proud of.”

In late summer, Hulcher Services and CSX Transportation struck an agreement to donate time and resources to Kentucky Steam to relocate the three rail cars. Several weeks of preparation preceded the move, as KSHC members worked diligently to be sure the pieces were ready for being transported. Because the rails in the area are not connected to the national rail system, each piece needed to be trucked off property and then placed on CSX rail to enable transport to Ravenna. This week, Hulcher positioned equipment and supplied crews to coordinate and execute the complex move.

“Hulcher Services and CSX have had a long-standing partnership for more than 50 years,” said Hulcher Services National Account Manager, Shayne Martin. "When we were recently contacted by CSX and Kentucky Steam for help with the movement of these historic rail cars, we didn’t hesitate to participate and offer our expertise in loading and unloading them for movement to their new home.”

Hulcher provided crews and four Caterpillar Sidebooms to load the cars onto a trucking assembly provided by Schlatter’s Trucking, an Indianapolis area-based commercial trucking company. The cars were then trucked several miles to the CSX rail line and are in the process of being re-assembled on site.

"CSX is assisting Kentucky Steam to help save these historic rail cars from an uncertain future," said Eric Hendrickson, CSX's director of network planning. "We share a common interest in revitalization projects that can spur economic growth, and CSX is proud to support Kentucky Steam's vision for eastern Kentucky."

Restoration director Andy Wartman and Chief Mechanical Officer Jason Sobczynski have spearheaded ground logistics for Kentucky Steam, helping coordinate communication between Hulcher, CSX, Schlatter’s and the City of Noblesville.

“We have been dealing with a group of total professionals all across the board,” said Wartman, on site in Noblesville on Thursday. “It has been incredible to see what can be done when everyone collaborates for a common goal.”

All three cars will be re-assembled and inspected before they are shipped south on CSX to Ravenna, Kentucky. Kentucky Steam intends to use Pennsylvania Combine 6565 as a tool and crew car for future operations. It has already been retrofitted by Indiana Transportation Museum for similar use behind Nickel Plate 587 when it was in operation several decades ago.

The auxiliary water car will also be integrated into KSHC service, providing an increased operational capacity for Chesapeake and Ohio locomotive 2716, the group’s flagship project. The car was originally the tender for Louisville and Nashville steam locomotive 1958. After use as a maintenance-of-way car by the L&N, it was purchased and retrofitted in 1982 as a water and tool car for the Norfolk Southern Steam Program. It first saw action as the auxiliary water car for Norfolk and Western 611 during the fall of 1982. It was retired from service on Norfolk Southern in 1988 and was donated to the Indiana Transportation Museum for use with 587.

KSHC has yet to identify specifics for eventual use with the former Pennsylvania Railroad baggage car 9035.

Kentucky Steam is spearheading a campaign to raise and additional $7,500 to complete the move. A formal 10-day donation drive will begin Friday, September 28th. All donations are tax deductible, and can be made at www.kentuckysteam.org/contribute

More information will be released when the cars are readied for their move to Kentucky. Those wishing to follow the progress of the move can find up-to-date info on twitter and Instagram by searching #kysteam or following @kentuckysteam on both platforms. Other updates will be made available at www.kentuckysteam.org and the Kentucky Steam facebook page.