I also seem to recall that there was a corresponding reduction in water consumption, as the exhaust steam became condensed and went back into the boiler in the case of an open system, or was returned to the tender with a closed system (such as the Elesco).

Stumbled onto something else; photos at Russell around 1968, including photos of 611 (614) and K4 (2-8-4) 2705, which is now in the B&O museum in Baltimore (click on photos to enlarge):

http://wvrails.net/?m=201208

An immense collection of 614 preservation era photos; Ross will no doubt recognize some of the people in them:

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/c ... teresting/

Railroad Picture Archives link, again a large selection:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPi ... x?id=21017

We seriously considered adding a feedwater system back onto the 614 when she went through the complete rebuild in 1979-80. We decided against it basically on the " if it ain't broke don't fix it" rule. Subsequent experience has made us glad we did.

There's no doubt that a properly engineered feedwater system would improve the overall efficiency of the engine and be better for the boiler and if the engine were going into "real" service where a fuel efficiency differential of 5-10% made a difference then it would make sense.

The truth is that with this machine hauling 20-25 passenger cars at track speed she hardly breaks a sweat so it doesn't make sense to go away from the ultra reliable overly capable Hancock 4000's.

Ross Rowland

Yeah, I saw the B&O museum for the first time and 614 sitting there about then as well. That's exactly where 614 was sitting and the same markings she had then. It was clearly after the ACE tests as the tender markings were for the sponsors in the project.

The never "ran excursions" with 614 at the B&O Museum.

In 1993 or thereabouts, Rowland & Co. came down to "temporarily" decorate 614 for publicity photos for their planned "21st Century Limited" operation, and fired her up to back her across the street for photo poses. Jim Boyd and I staged some late-night open-flash photos of the occasion. That was, as far as I know, the only time 614 was under steam in Baltimore since the 1980-81 Chessie excursion era.

If you could walk into that photo, and walk around to the fireman's side of the 614, she probably would have the plywood "skirting" and other decoration for the 21st Century Limited project.

I saw 614 in Baltimore in the summer of 1995 and she was decorated as such, buth with her 614 guise on the other side.

I found out a little more about the Hancock Turbo Feedwater Heaters as used on the 614. Apparently they were also used on the New Haven 4-6-4's and Pennsy's T-1's, and gave problems on both those classes of locomotives. You have to wonder why the C&O would have gone with this system when they'd apparently had good results on previous locomotives with Worthington products.

It's amazing what you can turn up on the internet these days. Apparently the N&W tried one of the Hancocks, or at least prepared the drawings to install one on a Y-6 in 1938:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=23801

It looks like quite the plumber's nightmare!

Where are the shots of 614 like this? I can't recall ever seeing any...

My memory has failed, me, but I thought she retained her 614t lettering on one side. Maybe I remember it "ghosting" through the paint job.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/223170/

Still, she also had a plywood running board skirt on one side.

Most cool, but what about shots with the plywood skirting? I've never been able to find photos of that...
Are there any good shots of the markings on the tender? I like that blue stripe, it's a great look!

There are some photos of 614 in her blue skirting in this Trainorders thread. Not sure if you can see them if you're not a member. A Google search didn't turn up much.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 11,2328867

Copyright (C) Mike Del Vecchio

She looks good with the center-mounted headlight.

I must confess to prefering the center mounted headlight but I've yielded to the vast majority of my crew who prefer the historically correct position.

You can't win 'em all!!

Ross Rowland