Ross Rowland

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Ross E. Rowland, Jr. (born 1940) is a figure in United States railroad preservation. He has run public and demonstration excursions on existing railroads utilizing steam locomotives.

Contents

Early life and financial career

Born in Albany, New York in 1940, Rowland's family relocated to Cranford, New Jersey in 1945, where Ross frequented local railroad roundhouses as a child. [1] Rowland's father, grandfather and great-grandfather all had railroad careers which contributed to Ross's interest in trains as a child. At the age of 14, Rowland left his family home in 1954 to hitchhike following a dispute with his parents. After returning to Cranford, eventually a local friend would invite Ross at the age of 17 to start a career in the futures exchanges in New York City. [1] In 1966 Rowland founded Floor Broker Associates Inc. [2] He also served on the board of COMEX, a precious metals investment firm. Rowland would work in commodities for 33 years prior to retiring. [1]

During his commodities career, Rowland would be sued by Henry Leffert Ramm, who accused Rowland of an adulterous relationship with Ramm's wife Lynn Ruth Ramm in 1984. [3] Henry Ramm sued Rowland for damages. Rowland appealed the case for a jurisdiction dispute to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas under Judge David Hittner in the case Ramm v. Rowland in 1987 who denied Rowland's motion to relocate the case and returned the case to the Texas state courts.

Steam excursion career

Ross Rowland began operating steam excursion trains in the form of his newly formed High Iron Company on October 13, 1966, and he would subsequently create several trains that would be pulled by steam, including the Golden Spike Centennial Limited train in 1969. Rowland's 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 United States Bicentennial. [4] Rowland's actions in setting up the American Freedom Train would lead to him being awarded an honorary lifetime membership in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. [2]

The American Freedom Train was met by some protest, particularly from American Indian Movement and People's Bicentennial Commission activists concerned about inadequate coverage on the train regarding African American and Native American history. Rowland responded to the criticism by offering a tour to some protestors while stating "We only have 700 linear feet, so we can't do everyone satisfactory." [5]

Rowland has been connected with and operated several U.S. excursion steam locomotives, including Canadian Pacific 1278, 1238, 1286, Nickel Plate Road 759, Reading 2101, and Chesapeake and Ohio 614.

ACE 3000 Project

During the 1980s, with 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 and to operate with enough efficiency to be economically viable to railroads. [6] Rowland managed to obtain permission from CSX Transportation to operate C&O 614 in freight service in 1985, to obtain data in order to finalize the ACE 3000 design. The ACE 3000 originally started development as a Steam turbine locomotive design, but was changed to a traditional reciprocating drive as development continued. [7]

A preliminary design for the ACE 3000 was developed, [8] 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.

21st Century Limited

In 1992, Rowland along with Ralph Weisinger proposed the 21st Century Limited, a theme train hauled by C&O 614 with custom railcars and displays. Rowland initially projected the train would run by 1996, and 614 was briefly wrapped in the colors of the train for a photoshoot to advertise the project. Rowland sought out several sponsors for the train and was able to sign Chrysler as a sponsor. [1] The project would eventually be cancelled. [9]

In the 1990s, Rowland operated public excursions on New Jersey Transit between Hoboken and Port Jervis until the retirement of C&O 614. Rowland has been a critic of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Steamtown National Historic Site. [10]

Pacific Wilderness tourist train

In the summers of 2000 and 2001, Rowland managed the Pacific Wilderness Railway (PAW) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. This short-lived tourist train consisted of a few older coaches pulled by 2 GP20 diesels, traveling from Victoria to the peak of Malahat before returning to Victoria. The operation was criticized for lacking any proper station or accommodations at Malahat, and a lack of scenic sights along the route. [11] Further criticism highlighted the age of the rolling stock, a failure to attract cruise traffic such as the success of Alaska's White Pass and Yukon Route, and the failure to bring in an operating steam engine due to weight limits on bridges over the PAW line. [11] The operation failed, and ended in July 2001. [12]

Later career

From 2007 to 2017, Rowland promoted the concept of a "Yellow Ribbon Express" for the benefit of the Wounded Warrior Project. [5] In early 2011, Rowland announced the planned operation of the Greenbrier Presidential Express, a luxury train set to operate from Washington, D.C. to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. [13] However, problems with capacity on the Buckingham Branch Railroad and with steam operation into Washington, D.C. killed the project's feasibility. By 2014, many of the passenger cars bought for the Greenbrier Express were sold at auction, bringing an end to the project. [14]

In the early 2000s Ross attempted to sell C&O 614 at auction, however no buyers surfaced. In 2002 it was announced Andrew J. Muller of the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad had purchased the locomotive from Rowland, however this deal would later fall apart and Rowland retained ownership of the locomotive. [15] C&O 614 was moved from storage in Pennsylvania to static display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in 2011. [16] It has since been moved to display in Clifton Forge, Virginia, at the C&O Railway Heritage Center, where it is currently wearing the green paint scheme of the failed Greenbrier Express project. Although on static display, Rowland still owns the engine through the American Freedom Train Foundation. [17]

In 2016, Ross Rowland founded a new "American Freedom Train Foundation" to promote a 2026 Freedom Train concept for the United States Semiquincentennial. [2] Criticism of the American Freedom Train 2026 and the prior Yellow Ribbon Express has come from railfans who have speculated they were projects whose primary goal was to fundraise money for restoration of Rowland's C&O 614. [5] Rowland volunteered to portray Santa Claus in a 2018 Toys for Tots train event. [18] Rowland frequently operates as a guest steam locomotive engineer at the New Hope Railroad, and was an avid boater as well until selling his ship the Hustler in 2021. [2] [19] In 2021, Rowland received a lifetime achievement award from the HeritageRail Alliance. [20]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamtown National Historic Site</span> Railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 2101</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive (RDG class T-1)

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<i>Greenbrier Presidential Express</i>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickel Plate Road 759</span> Preserved NKP S-2 class 2-8-4 locomotive

Nickel Plate Road 759 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio as a member of the S-2 class for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road". Built as a fast freight locomotive, No. 759 served the Nickel Plate until being retired in 1959 and placed into storage. In 1965, No. 759 was purchased by F. Nelson Blount for display in his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection in North Walpole, New Hampshire. The locomotive was restored to operating condition in 1967 by New York commodity broker Ross Rowland for use in hauling his Golden Spike Centennial Limited, a special commemorative train that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1969. Afterwards, No. 759 pulled numerous excursions for Ross Rowland and Steamtown until being retired once more and placed back on display in 1977. As of 2023, the locomotive remains on static display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and sibling engine No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio class M-1</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio 2716</span> Preserved American 2-8-4 locomotive (C&O K-4 class)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1309</span> Preserved American 2-6-6-2 locomotive

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad 2102</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive (RDG class T-1)

Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad 2102 is a preserved "T-1" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1925 as an "I-10sa" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive for the Reading Company, No. 2102 was rebuilt by the Reading's own locomotive Shops as a 4-8-4 "Northern" in September 1945, and it was used for pulling heavy coal trains for the railroad until being retired from revenue service in 1956. Between 1962 and 1964, No. 2102 was used to pull the famous Iron Horse Rambles excursion trains. After the Rambles ended in 1964, No. 2102 was sold to Steam Tours Inc. of Akron, Ohio to spend the next 23 years pulling various fan trips in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. In 1985, it was sold again to Andy Muller to operate on his Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad alongside 4-6-2 "Pacific" No. 425, until its flue ticket expired in 1991. Beginning in February 2016, the locomotive was restored to operating condition and returned to service in April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 2100</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive (RDG class T-1)

Reading 2100 is the prototype of the T-1 class 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives constructed in September 1945 for use by the Reading Company (RDG). Constructed from an earlier 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive built in May 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. 2100 pulled heavy freight and coal trains for the Reading until being retired from revenue service in 1956. Between 1961 and 1964, No. 2100 was used to pull the RDG's Iron Horse Rambles excursions alongside fellow T-1's Nos. 2124 and 2102. After the rambles ended, No. 2100 was sold along with No. 2101 in 1967 to a scrapyard in Baltimore, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio Greenbrier</span>

The Chesapeake and Ohio Greenbrier was a class of 12 4-8-4 "Greenbrier" type steam locomotives built by the Lima Locomotive Works between 1935 and 1948 and operated by the C&O. Like a handful of railroads, the C&O didn't name their 4-8-4s "Northerns", and instead went with the name "Greenbrier" after the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a major resort on the C&O mainline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1238</span> Preserved CP G5c class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. It was purchased by George Hart, who used it for excursion service in the 1960s. It was later sold to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. In late December 2023, No. 1238 was purchased by the Waterloo Central Railway, and they have plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1286</span> Preserved CP G5d class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1286 is a preserved G5d class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull excursion trains in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.

The ACE 3000 was a proposed modern 4-4-4-2 coal-burning steam locomotive design for Ross Rowland's ACE 3000 Project and for the American Coal Enterprises, the locomotive was designed by Ross Rowland and was developed by American Coal Enterprises in the late 1970s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "A 400-Million Journey into the 21st Century". njbiz.com. NJBIZ. August 9, 2005. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Susan (January 1, 2022). "Meet Ross Rowland, Train Engineer par excellence". thousandsislandslife.com. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  3. ↑ Ramm v. Rowland, Denied (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas).
  4. ↑ "The John Marsh Files Box 64 "American Freedom Train (1)"". Gerald Ford Presidential Library, Box: 64, File: John Marsh Files, p. 20. Gerald Ford Presidential Library.
  5. 1 2 3 Speer, Daniel (May 2022). The Rails that Bind: America's Freedom Trains as Reflections of Efforts to Form Cultural Consensus and Indicators of the Weakness of Cold War Memory (Thesis). William & Mary. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ "The Ultimate Steam Page". Trainweb.org. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  7. ↑ Boyd, Jim. The Steam Locomotive A Century of North American Classics. MetroBooks. p. 103. ISBN   1586636138.
  8. ↑ "U. S. Patent 4425763" . Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  9. ↑ "The 1996 - 2000 21st Century Limited". Accuen Media. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  10. ↑ "Attendance Shortfalls at Steamtown National Historic Site Prompt Calls for Privatization". National Parks Traveler. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  11. 1 2 BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. "E&N Railway Corridor Study: Analysis of Tourist Train Potential". E&N Railway Corridor Study: 6.
  12. ↑ "Pacific Wilderness" . Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  13. ↑ Arundel, John (2011-06-27). "Hotel Watch: The Greenbrier Express". Washington Life Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  14. ↑ Steelhammer, Rick (2014-09-14). "Greenbrier Express project still viable, despite "liquidation auction'". Charleston Gazette Mail. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  15. ↑ Huddleston, Eugene. "The Outstanding Features and Many Lives of C&O 614" (PDF). co614.com. Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Thoroughbreds of Steam to Stand Side by Side". Virginia Museum of Transportation. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  17. ↑ co614.com. "F-A-Q".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Phillips, Don (December 3, 2018). "How Amtrak's Grinch Couldn't Steal Christmas". railwayage.com. Railway Age. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  19. ↑ Wrinn, Jim (May 1, 2018). "Ross Rowland on gloves, dinner companions, Anderson's Amtrak, C&O 1309, May 10, 2019, Big Boy, and much more". trains.com. Kalmbach Media. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Rail Preservation Award 2021 Winners" . Retrieved 2021-12-28.
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