Chessie Safety Express
#614A
Water Tender

The 614 locomotive ran with an auxiliary water tender to increase its range. The tender is shown here in its first season, lettered for "Chessie's Safety Express".

When the train ran in Florida in the 'off season' (winter 1981), it was lettered for the "Family Lines' Safety Express".

Finally, for its second full season on the Chessie System in the summer of 1981, the tender was lettered simply "Safety Express".

Image: Mary Jayne & John Z. Rowe at Harpers Ferry.

This tender was added to extend the steam locomotive's range. This tender allowed the main tender to be modified to increase its coal capacity to 48 tons, while bringing total water capacity to 43,000 gallons.

At right: The CSE's auxiliary water tender in the first season, 1980.

Image: Mary Jayne & John Z. Rowe

At right: The CSE's auxiliary water tender in the second season, 1981 -- now lettered "Safety Express".

Image: John Lewis, April 25, 1981

At right: The CSE's auxiliary water tender on the last scheduled tour, November 1,1981 at Hawks Nest, WV.

Image: William F. Howes. Jr

Acording to Matthew Kehn's research, the tender became SLCA 614B for the ACE 3000 Project tests in January 1985. (Another similar tender was brought in and numbered 614A for the test project. Both tenders were used at the same time, giving the 614T locomotive up to three total tenders on any given test day). In Oct 1985, 614B was used with NKP 765 on the New River Trains excursions. To Norfolk Southern Steam Program and debuted with N&W 1218 in 1987 (also used with N&W 611). To Virginia Museum of Transportation as VMTX 250001 and still tied to 611

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