Another View of Chessie 614

Roger’s Chessie System 614 image reminded me of a favorite image I took of her. It is July 11, 1981, in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, and Chessie 614 is heading west toward the former Western Maryland bridge.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

 

Railroading as it Once Was: When Chessie Ran Steam Trains to Promote Railroad Safety

Chesapeake & Ohio No. 614 departs Connellsville, Pennsylvania, in September 1980 with a Chessie Safety Express. Even with a bright yellow train this was still a show. Note the original station behind the 11th car.

Photograph by Roger Durfee

Deshler Derf Dash Proved Satisfying

On my way to Derf fest in Deshler — so called because of the Derf chicken that is served — we came to an advanced state of whoa in Attica.

A Norfolk Southern coal train was blocking the U.S. Route 224 crossing. The head end power was just south of town so we detoured to check it out.

Two Dash 9s were hammerhead style (long hood forward). I thought this was strange, particularly where he was stopped he could have moved further south you would think.

Then it hit me that this wasn’t the head end but the rear of the coal train.

The power that I was looking at was the helper set. This is common in places like Pennsylvania and Virginia but not central Ohio.

We proceeded north to Attica Jct. (Siam) to find the head end. This was a monster coal train stretching over two miles long.

He was holding for a couple southbound NS trains and finally proceeded north when they cleared.

He then stopped north of the diamonds with CSX and blocked the Ohio Route 4 crossing. If the goal was to block every crossing in Ohio he was succeeding.

Also at Siam was an eastbound CSX ethanol train with two ICE SD40-2s waiting on a crew. Several CSX trains passed him but he still didn’t move so we continued our trip.

At Deshler we found a very crowded rail park and got many more good pictures. After camping out I got some reflection shots in the morning.

On the way back home I got a surprise in Fostoria. CSX has updated a former Chessie safety caboose, which is used as the shoving platform on a local freight.

Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon