614 in action at Port Jervis

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Vince and Chris rode behind the 614 a second time, this time it was a better day for photographs. The sky was bright with sun and the 614 put on a great show making for some memorable photographs.

Here is the 614 being turned in the great weather. The combination of the a great steam locomotive and few steam engines running in the northeast brought huge crowds to these trips. The trips were so popular that they were attempted in the Spring and fall of 1997, although not as many people attended the second wave of trips behind the 614.


This is a view of the 614's massive 72' drivers on the restored Erie turntable at Port Jervis. The 614 is classified as a J3a and was built by Lima in 1948 making it one of the last steam locomotives produced in the United States. The locomotive is so modern that it recently had a diesel control stand installed so it can be MUed.


Two New Jersey Transit locomotives and their trains layover at the Port Jervis yard in between their runs. From Port Jervis to Hoboken is is 88 rail miles of ex Erie main line trackage, smoke from the 614 as well as the old coaling towers can be seen in the background.


The 614 is a large northern with a high tractive effort making it perfect for powering long trains over the old Erie where the grades are troublesome. The locomotive can start at train and get it up to track speed as evidenced by the 614 cruising past the crowd on this runby which was one of four the locomotive would perform.


Here is a photo from the second runby at Port Jervis in bright sunlight. The 614 has a tractive effort of 68,300 lbs and can carry 25 tons of coal and 21,500 gallons of water meaning that it is no light steamer. The engine weighs in at 479,400 lbs and the tractive effort was very high for a northern, it was built for speed.


The 614 is working past the old Erie depot at Port Jervis. The depot has been fully restored and now has some shops in it, both the engine and the depot were built a while ago but continue to full fill their tasks into the 21st century.


The 614 is backing up after performing the 3rd runby, what a great looking piece of machinery. Currently the 614 is in pieces under going the new Federal Railway administration 15 year tests. If the 614 passes the tests it will be able to run for 15 years straight with only minor work.


The 614 blasts past the crowd on the final town before heading back to Hoboken. It was amazing how the 614 could back up about half a mile and then accelerate a 30 car passenger train to 40 miles an hour for the runby, there was no doubt that lots of coins were smashed this day.


Here is a view of the 614 and her train as passengers load up for the run back to Port Jervis. As seen in the head end of the consist there are a lot of private cars on the train and the 614 had no problem hauling the 30 cars and many passengers that filled them.
 

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