In the CSX E-Unit Brief on August 3rd, I wrote that the use of the A-B-B-A Fs in CSX Executive service was a "short-lived experiment." John Craft of Steam Central has dropped me a line to very kindly set me straight.<p>As John tells it, <p>"These engines [the Clinchfield Fs] were in sporadic freight service until 1982, being stored in Erwin when they weren't needed. Their last assignment was a daily turn from Dante, VA to the N&W interchange at Boody (St. Paul), just a few miles away.<p>After 800 burned up a traction motor in February 1982, they were finally taken out of the freight pool, and 200 and 800 were repainted and assigned to executive service. (800 had already been painted in Family Lines colors in 1979; 200 had still been in Clinchfield black.) Their first appearance was a series of fantrips in the Florida<br>panhandle.<p>200 and 800 got Seaboard System paint in 1983, and the B-units joined the As in executive service in the summer of 1984. CSX blue and gray paint was applied over the winter of 86/87, and the units were renumbered 116-119.<p>In addition to a number of excursions on the Clinchfield in 1984, they also powered the "New River Train" at least twice (once in SBD colors, once in CSX) during the 80s.<p>In April 1988, the CSX motive power department assigned the units to RoadRailer service between Detroit and Atlanta, hoping for a major failure that would sideline the units. They ran until July, when they were sent back to Waycross for a few months, then returned to RoadRailer service in October 1988 for a month.<p>By Thanksgiving they were back in Executive service, and the As were assigned to the CSX "Santa Train" on the former CRR in 1988 and 1989.<p>They got the CSX yellow nose scheme in 1990, and were taken out of service in 1992 if my memory hasn't failed me."<p>In addition to John's excellent remarks, I've dug up the following on the disposition of the units.<p>F7A 116 has been operating on the Potomac Eagle excursion train along the South Branch Valley Railroad in West Virginia, but may now be stored unservicable<p>F7B 117 was last reported storted at the CSX diesel shop in Huntington, W.Va.<p>FP7A 118 is also last reported at Huntington.<p>F7B 119 was donated by CSX to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum. Since the unit didn't fit the B&O Museum's collections rationale, it traded the engine to a more appropriate home at the Tennesee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN. TVRM will be restoring the unit to its original identity as NC&StL 919.<p><br>



John Craft's Steam Central
eledbetter@rypn.org

Erik:<p>Thanks for the plug. Just two minor corrections: the B-units came on line in 1985, not 1984 (my error).<p>And the NCC&StL 919 is actually owned by Ed Bowers, though it is stored at TVRM. Ed also owns ex-Clinchfield Coal 014, once CRR 814 and built as NC&StL 814, which is also stored at TVRM.<p>There was one more Clinchfield A-unit extant, No. 805. I saw it at Paducah in 1982, and heard it later went to middle Tennessee for a private owner.<p>Finally, can anyone verify the location of the "Haysi Railroad" B-unit once used to switch the mine at Prater Creek, east of Haysi? I haven't seen it since 1983, and I doubt seriously it's still there.<p>JAC<br>

Right, right, Ed Bowers-- John, you're exactly right. I believe, though I can't confirm it from my desk here at work, that this was part of a complicated swap of equipment between Ed and the Baltimore and Ohio Museum that brought passenger GP-9 6607 to the Museum. I'll look it up this evening.<br>



eledbetter@rypn.org

OK, here's the story:<p>CSX F-7B #119 came to the Baltimore and Ohio Museum as a donation from CSX in 1994.<p>Separately, the Museum also received a donation of five switchers from Mr. Ed Striegel, a Baltimore scrap dealer: an SW-1, two SW-9s, an NW-2, and a Baldwin DS 4-4-1000.<p>In 1994 the Museum swapped the F-7B, the SW-1, and one of the SW-9s to Ed Bowers, receiving in exchange B&O E-8A #92 for the Museum's permanent collection. Ed retained the F-unit, and scrapped the two switchers.<p>In a separate transaction, the other Striegel SW-9 was swapped to Golden Spike Railroad Services for B&O GP-9 6607, which joined the permanent collection. <br>



eledbetter@rypn.org