The C&O Historical Society has undertaken an exciting publications project called Chesapeake & Ohio History Series Books.
This series will consist of a book issued every quarter. Each book will treat an aspect of C&O history, equipment, structures, etc., more extensively than we could provide in our C&O magazine. Topics for these books may be continuations or expansions of magazine articles, or entirely new subjects not covered before.
FOUR VOLUME SERIES $70.00! 64-126 pages, softbound.
2022 History Series Books - Descriptions
1st Quarter:
Chesapeake & Ohio H-7 Class 2-8-8-2 Locomotives by Karen Parker
Most exhaustive and complete history of this important class of steam locomotives yet written. Mechanical and operational data 1924-1952. H-7s set a new standard nationally as the first “production class” of a single-expansion articulated locomotive, previous examples all being compound. Served C&O on the Russell-Toledo coal trains and the Alleghany coal trains. Fully illustrated with drawings, tables, map, and literate text. BK-22-501 $24.95
2nd Quarter:
Chesapeake & Ohio Diesel Switchers
By Thomas W. Dixon, Jr, with Karen Parker
This 64-page treatment explains the acquisition of all C&O’s purpose-built switching locomotives. Included are the ALCO S-2 and S-4 models, and the EMD SW1, NW2, S7, SW9 TR3, and TR4 models.
Each model is covered in a separate chapter that explains the design and how C&O used them, as well as a roster and mechanical data. In each case examples of all known painting/lettering styles are illustrated both in black & white and very nice color photos.
Official drawings for painting and lettering styles are included when available.
This is the most complete treatment of C&O diesel switching engines that has ever been done, drawing on all available official sources.
16 pages of full color photos included at the rear of the book as a color album! BK-22-502 $24.95
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3rd Quarter
West Virginia Coal Hauling Railroads
By Thomas W. Dixon, Jr.
96 pages
This book details how the various railroads that served West Virginia hauled the principal; product of that state--bituminous coal.
West Virginia was long known as the nation’s top coal producing state, and the only feasible way to transport coal from mine to market was and is by railroad. A number of major railroads served the various coalfields in the state: C&O, Norfolk & Western, and Virginian served the southern portions of the state, and each became world-famous for its coal hauling. They were known as the “Pocahontas Roads” because of that famous, thick, rich coal seam that they served.
B&O and WM served the northern and central West Virginia coal fields and received a great amount of their revenue from this large business. The book also has data on the New York Central that tapped some coal in the central area of the state, as well as some of the other short lines that fed coal into the major carriers or to river barge traffic.
The book illustrates trains in West Virginia in their typical environment with the typical types of steam locomotives they used, especially in the period 1945-1960. The photos, maps, and drawings cover the late steam era with just a little bit about the early diesel years. This was the highest period of coal development and modernized production and transportation.
This one volume will tell the reader all about how coal originated at the hundreds of mine tipples in West Virginia and then was taken by rail to the users all over America and all over the world!
Photos, maps, drawings, historical background.
BK-22-503 $24.95
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4th Quarter
Chesapeake & Ohio’s 2-10-4 Texas Type Locomotive
By Karen Parker
Detailed mechanical and operational information about the C&O’s classic and fabulously successful 30 T-1 class 2-10-4 Texas type steam locomotives that were used most of their lives taking 14,000-ton coal trains from Russell, Ky. to Columbus and Toledo.
These often have been called the “quintessential Super Power engines.” They incorporated all the best principals that Lima Locomotive Works conjured up to create the Super Power steam locomotive as a type. The T-1s were so highly successful that C&O generally bought only Super Power types thereafter. They were so successful on C&O that when Pennsylvania Railroad needed a new heavy engine class during WWII, it just copied the C&O 2-10-4s (that became the PRR J1 class). During 1949-1953 a number of them were used on heavy coal trains between Richmond and Newport News, Va., just before their retirement.
Included are mechanical and roster data, dynamometer car test report results, diagrams, mechanical drawings, maps, and much historical data not only about the mechanical design, but the operational history from 1930 until the last were retired in 1953.
BK-22-504 $24.95
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