I watched a special yesterday covering the test runs they did with the 614 back in the 80's when they wanted to develope a new steam locomotive. I was wondering, what were the results of those tests? Obviously, we don't have any new steam locomotives but I was curious as to how effecient the 614 was compared to diesels? Anybody have any details?

The Strasburg Rail Road
asholley@hotmail.com

Hi Aaron. The following link details the ACE 3000 project pretty extensively, including the testing with C&O 614T. Seth

http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ult.html



Wilmington & Western RR
sethajackson@hotmail.com

Another description of the ACE 3000 project may be found in David Wardale's book, "The Red Devil and other Tales of the Age of Steam." These operations were not designed to test the efficiency of the 614 so much as to collect data for use in designing a new class of steam locomotives (and to call attention to the project). Wardale's narrative mainly describes the vacillation of the project's managers between competing proposals, including conventional designs, the unbelievably-complex 4-cylinder engines in the shape of F-45's that got all the publicity, low-wheeled 2-10-0's of the type favored by Dante Porta, and powerful Garretts favored by Wardale but rejected by the promoters because they looked funny.

The rest of this book describes re-engineering 4-8-2's and 4-8-4's of the South African Railways, and Chinese 2-10-2's. Fascinating stuff, even if ultimately futile.

Aarne Frobom
The Steam Railroading Institute
P. O. Box 665
Owosso, MI 48867-0665

> Hi Aaron. The following link details the ACE
> 3000 project pretty extensively, including
> the testing with C&O 614T. Seth

> http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ult.html
Thanks for the information. Curiousity got the better of me.

The Strasburg Rail Road
asholley@hotmail.com