Ross Rowland
Encyclopedia
Ross E. Rowland, Jr. is a significant figure in the United States
railroad preservation
, recreation and enthusiast communities who is closely identified with running public and demonstration excursions on existing railroads utilizing steam locomotives.
His most famous accomplishment was The American Freedom Train
, a steam-powered exhibit train which toured much of the continental US over 1975 and 1976 in conjunction with the celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial.
Rowland has been connected with and operated some of the most famous U.S. excursion steam locomotives such as the Nickel Plate 759 2-8-4
, currently at Steamtown National Historic Site
, Scranton, Pennsylvania
; the Reading 2101
4-8-4
, currently at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and the Chesapeake & Ohio 614
4-8-4, currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation
.
During the 1980s, during a spike in oil prices, Rowland was instrumental in forming American Coal Enterprises, an organization dedicated to the design and production of modern, coal fired, reciprocating, direct drive steam locomotives designed to reduce or eliminate operational concerns associated with steam locomotives such as dynamic augment and to operate with enough efficiency to be economically viable to railroads. Rowland managed to obtain permission from CSX Transportation
to operate a renumbered 614T in freight service in 1985 to obtain data in order to finalize the ACE 3000 design.
A preliminary design for the ACE 3000 was developed, but active development stopped prior to any effort to build a demonstrator or prototype when oil prices fell in the mid 1980s and it appeared that the disparity between coal and oil would not be sustained at a level significant enough to expect that a coal fired locomotive would be economically feasible.
Rowland last operated public excursions in the 1990s on New Jersey Transit
between Hoboken
and Port Jervis. He has currently announced preliminary plans to operate another steam powered exhibit train and is a vocal and persistent critic of the efficiency and effectiveness of Steamtown National Historic Site.
During the summers of 2000 and 2001, Ross Rowland managed on Vancouver Island the Pacific Wilderness Railway tourist train.
In early 2011 Ross announced the planned restoration and operation of the Greenbrier Express, a luxury train set to operate from Washington, D.C. to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulpher Springs, WV. The train is being rebuilt in Pottstown, PA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
, recreation and enthusiast communities who is closely identified with running public and demonstration excursions on existing railroads utilizing steam locomotives.
His most famous accomplishment was The American Freedom Train
American Freedom Train
The United States has seen two national 'Freedom Trains'. The 1947–1949 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in...
, a steam-powered exhibit train which toured much of the continental US over 1975 and 1976 in conjunction with the celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial.
Rowland has been connected with and operated some of the most famous U.S. excursion steam locomotives such as the Nickel Plate 759 2-8-4
2-8-4
In the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has one unpowered leading axle followed by four powered driving axles and two unpowered trailing axles. This locomotive type is most often referred to as a Berkshire, though the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway used the name Kanawha for...
, currently at Steamtown National Historic Site
Steamtown National Historic Site
Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad . The museum is built around a working replica turntable and a roundhouse that is...
, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
; the Reading 2101
Reading 2101
Reading 2101 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive originally operated by the Reading Company. In 1975, the locomotive was the first to pull the American Freedom Train, which began touring the continental United States on April 1.-History 1923 to 1974:...
4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
, currently at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and the Chesapeake & Ohio 614
Chesapeake & Ohio 614
Chesapeake & Ohio 614 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, in June 1948 for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway .-Background:...
4-8-4, currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation
Virginia Museum of Transportation
The Virginia Museum of Transportation is a museum devoted to the topic of transportation located in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.A..- History :...
.
During the 1980s, during a spike in oil prices, Rowland was instrumental in forming American Coal Enterprises, an organization dedicated to the design and production of modern, coal fired, reciprocating, direct drive steam locomotives designed to reduce or eliminate operational concerns associated with steam locomotives such as dynamic augment and to operate with enough efficiency to be economically viable to railroads. Rowland managed to obtain permission from CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
to operate a renumbered 614T in freight service in 1985 to obtain data in order to finalize the ACE 3000 design.
A preliminary design for the ACE 3000 was developed, but active development stopped prior to any effort to build a demonstrator or prototype when oil prices fell in the mid 1980s and it appeared that the disparity between coal and oil would not be sustained at a level significant enough to expect that a coal fired locomotive would be economically feasible.
Rowland last operated public excursions in the 1990s on New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
between Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
and Port Jervis. He has currently announced preliminary plans to operate another steam powered exhibit train and is a vocal and persistent critic of the efficiency and effectiveness of Steamtown National Historic Site.
During the summers of 2000 and 2001, Ross Rowland managed on Vancouver Island the Pacific Wilderness Railway tourist train.
In early 2011 Ross announced the planned restoration and operation of the Greenbrier Express, a luxury train set to operate from Washington, D.C. to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulpher Springs, WV. The train is being rebuilt in Pottstown, PA.
External links
- The Ultimate Steam Page - Information on Ross Rowland's ACE 3000 and other modern steam projects
- The Story of America's Freedom Trains - Information on the 1975 - 1976 American Freedom Train
- ThemeTrains.com - Information on the High Iron Company's Golden Spike Centennial Limited
- - Yellow Ribbon Express