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4/16/2024
 
 
 
 
 
Owner: Chesapeake & Ohio
Model:BLW John HenryBuilt As:CO 500 (John Henry)
Serial Number:73079Order No:
Frame Number:Built:6/1947
Notes:M-1, steam turbine, blt 1947, retired 1949
Other locos with this serial:  CO 500(John Henry)
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CO 4-8-0-4-8-4 #500 - "John Henry"
Title:  CO 4-8-0-4-8-4 #500 - "John Henry"
Description:  Born from a desire to remain a coal using company, C&O collaborated with Baldwin to create three steam turbines for service on a proposed "Chessie Streamline" between Washington DC and Cincinnati. The locomotive was powered by a single Westinghouse turbine which drove four 1000 kilowatt DC generators who turned eight traction motors. This was the longest single-unit locomotive in the world at the time. Sadly, it was not the sucess it was supposed to be. The Chessie Streamliner was cancelled before it ran service and the 3 steam turbines were retired and scrapped in 1950. No exact date or location was given for the photo.
Photo Date:  11/1/1947  Upload Date: 5/28/2021 6:30:51 PM
Location:  Unknown, OH
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories: 
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  380   Comments: 0
C&O 500, steam-turbine-electric
Title:  C&O 500, steam-turbine-electric
Description:  This photo was a gift to me, given many years ago. Original photographer and other data unknown. The notes on the back say that the photo was taken in "March 1948" (I guessed at a date--this was several years before I was born! My parents were still in high school at this time!) at Clifton Forge, VA "on the mainline". I don't know if C&O gave these three engines (500-502, Baldwin 1947) any names but "Jawn Henry" was a completely different steam turbine built for Norfolk and Western.
Photo Date:  3/3/1948  Upload Date: 2/5/2019 10:55:25 PM
Location:  Clifton Forge, VA
Author:  Jonathan Spurlock
Categories:  Roster,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  445   Comments: 0
CO Steam Turbine #500 - Chesapeake & Ohio
Title:  CO Steam Turbine #500 - Chesapeake & Ohio
Description:  Amateur photo of the C&O experimental steam turbine locomotive built in 1947 by Baldwin with Westinghouse electrical traction motors. Nicknamed "John Henry", the unique locomotive and its 2 sisters had multiple problems causing constant breakdowns and delays. They ended up on the dead line in 1949 and quietly scrapped in 1950. This innovative steam locomotive just could not beat the diesel superiority. C.W. Jernstrom labeled photo
Photo Date:  6/1/1948  Upload Date: 11/19/2015 7:11:55 AM
Location:  Clifton Forge, VA
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  Roster,Yard,Steam
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  727   Comments: 1
CO Steam Turbine #500 - Chesapeake & Ohio
Title:  CO Steam Turbine #500 - Chesapeake & Ohio
Description:  Interesting amateur photo showing two crew members getting ready to load coal in the hopper located at the front of C&O #500, the "John Henry". Coal dust drifting backward from this position in the loco fowled the forward traction motors and caused many breakdowns. Other problems plagued the 106 feet long, 856,000 lb, five trucked (2-C1-2-C1-B arrangement) steam turbine locomotive. It and its 2 sisters were retired in 1949 and scrapped in 1950. The innovative steam experiment had failed again and diesels were here to stay. C.W. Jernstrom labeled photo
Photo Date:  6/1/1948  Upload Date: 11/19/2015 7:13:36 AM
Location:  Clifton Forge, VA
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  Roster,Yard,Steam
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  1108   Comments: 2
C&O 500
Title:  C&O 500
Description: 
Photo Date:  11/25/1948  Upload Date: 11/10/2012 4:40:20 PM
Location:  Clifton Forge, VA
Author:  Daniel Barnett
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  2317   Comments: 4
C&O 500 at the Fair
Title:  C&O 500 at the Fair
Description:  Technology that failed
Photo Date:  8/4/1949  Upload Date: 1/22/2011 11:28:10 PM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Lew Schneider
Categories:  Roster
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  2968   Comments: 6
CO Experimental Steam Turbine #500
Title:  CO Experimental Steam Turbine #500
Description:  Interesting front view of the experimental steam turbine built by Baldwin and Westinghouse as a possible alternative to the traditional coal burning steam locomotive. Only three were built and proved expensive to operate and mechanically unreliable. Nevertheless, it's an interesting footnote to railroading. The unknown photographer's notes were more extensive on the camera settings than the loco - Ciroflex "B" camera, 1/25th sec exposure, f/10, EXX film, film size 120, taken at 2:45pm, printed on paper #4
Photo Date:  9/1/1949  Upload Date: 2/18/2019 5:11:23 PM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories: 
Locomotives:  CO 500(John Henry)
Views:  402   Comments: 0


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