C&O Kanawha No. 2716: A Third Chance at Steam — and a Plan to Take It on the Road

Published: February 20, 2026

In the world of large, mainline-capable steam locomotives, it’s rare for any one engine to earn a third operational career. Yet that is exactly the goal for Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 No. 2716—an 80-plus-year-old “Kanawha” type Berkshire that once hauled everything from wartime tonnage to peacetime passenger schedules across the C&O’s coal-rich territory.

Today, the locomotive is the centerpiece of Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation’s long-term effort to return big steam to Eastern Kentucky—this time with a home-base shop, a developing rail-heritage campus, and an eventual “residency” plan that would send the locomotive beyond Kentucky to operate at partner sites around the country.

What follows is a look at where the restoration stands, what work remains, where No. 2716 is expected to run once completed, and why this particular Kanawha has become one of the most closely watched steam projects in the eastern U.S.

Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 #2716 (K-4), masquerading in Southern Railway colors, leads an excursion southbound through Orange, Virginia in July, 1982. American-Rails.com collection.

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (KSHC) formed in 2016 and secured a long-term lease with the locomotive’s owner, the Kentucky Railway Museum (KRM), with the intent of restoring No. 2716 for operation.

A major turning point came when the organization established its base in the former Louisville & Nashville facilities at Ravenna/Irvine, Kentucky, where the group has been converting an underused diesel-era shop and surrounding property into a working restoration site and public-facing attraction. Railfan & Railroad reported that, alongside the locomotive work itself, Kentucky Steam has been rebuilding track access into multiple shop bays so equipment—including 2716—can be moved in and out more easily for heavy mechanical work.

That shop readiness matters because a locomotive restoration of this magnitude is as much about workflow as it is about parts: the ability to position the engine, bring in machining tools, stage appliances, and cycle components through inspection and repair is often what separates “steady progress” from “stalled project.”

Current Progress

Public updates describe a restoration that has involved substantial boiler and firebox attention, plus the long list of “hidden” work that comes with any FRA-compliant return to service (appliances, running gear work, air systems, tender upgrades, and modern operational requirements).

Key reported milestones and needs include:

Boiler staybolt hardware replacement. Railfan & Railroad reported that the staybolt caps and sleeves beneath the jacket were found in worse condition than expected due to moisture exposure, leading the group to order 470 new staybolt caps and sleeves.
Boiler tubes and flues sourcing. Kentucky Steam announced it purchased a full set of boiler tubes and flues from the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum’s C&O 2789 cache, using Emery Trust-supported funding, describing the acquisition as a major cost saver and a way to keep resources within preservation.
Oil conversion planning. The organization has stated it intends to convert No. 2716 from coal to fuel oil, a decision explained as improving practicality for travel and operations—especially if the locomotive is meant to roam to multiple host railroads.

To learn more about the restoration progress and potentially donating towards the cause please click here to visit the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation's website.

Funding

Large steam projects frequently move in waves—periods of slower progress followed by bursts when funding, tooling, and contractor availability align. In 2023, Kentucky Steam announced it received a $1.9 million AMLER grant, describing the funding as supporting both the broader “Yard” development and the restoration of No. 2716, including an allocation intended to aid the mechanical work.

In 2024, Kentucky Steam also announced a $23,000 Emery Rail Heritage Trust award targeted specifically toward installing oil-burning equipment. And that same year, the group reported receiving a major donation of steam-era tools, machinery, and parts—items described as immediately useful for a “big push” on the locomotive, including heavy jacks and machine tools sized for large-component work.

Put simply: the story of 2716’s restoration is not only “how fast can we rebuild a boiler,” but also “can we build the ecosystem—shop capability, tools, and funding—to keep a large locomotive running once it returns.”

Where She Will Run

Kentucky Steam’s plan for No. 2716 isn’t limited to static display or occasional photo freights. The stated vision is to restore the locomotive for operational service and then secure multiple venues where it can actually stretch its legs—often outside the constraints of Class I host-railroad requirements.

The first announced “residency”: Connecticut’s Naugatuck Railroad / RMNE

A cornerstone of the operational plan is a signed agreement with the Railroad Museum of New England (RMNE) in Thomaston, Connecticut. Kentucky Steam has said RMNE is slated to be a months-long host site, and the locomotive would operate on RMNE’s tourist operation along a 19-mile route between Waterbury and Torrington.

A broader pattern: short lines and museums

Kentucky Steam leadership has also indicated they do not want the locomotive’s future to be dependent on Class I opportunities, suggesting the likely operating future is a mix of short lines and museum railroads where schedules, insurance, and dispatching realities can be managed more flexibly.

Back home in Kentucky

The locomotive is also central to Kentucky Steam’s home-region rail heritage plans, tied to the organization’s shop site and the developing attraction branded as “The Yard.” The AMLER grant announcement describes the wider site vision—museum, events, and rail-focused development—while also emphasizing that 2716’s operation is the “hallmark” effort intended to drive heritage tourism.

C&O's K-4 "Kanawhas"

No. 2716 is a C&O K-4 class 2-8-4, built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) and delivered in December 1943, part of the C&O’s wartime-era push for powerful dual-service steam. The C&O famously used the name “Kanawha” for its 2-8-4s, after the Kanawha River region they served.

The K-4 fleet was designed to be versatile—capable of heavy freight but fast enough for time-sensitive trains. After only about 13 years in revenue service, dieselization took over, and No. 2716 was retired in the mid-1950s. Preservation comes early

In 1959, No. 2716 was donated to the Kentucky Railway Museum, an early example of a major railroad preserving a modern, high-horsepower steam design rather than letting it go to scrap. Two prior operational “rebirths”

No. 2716’s fame among excursion fans comes from two notable returns to steam:

Southern Railway steam program era (early 1980s): The locomotive operated in excursion service and was famously altered cosmetically to resemble a Southern engine—one reason it is remembered even beyond C&O circles.
Brief Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society era (1996): Restored again and operated on limited excursions in Indiana, including festival-era operation, before being sidelined and eventually returned to Kentucky.

Specifications

Type / Wheel arrangement: 2-8-4 (C&O “Kanawha”)

Builder: American Locomotive Company (ALCO)

Build date: December 1943

Driver diameter: 69 in

Boiler pressure: 245 psi

Fuel / capacity: Coal (planned conversion to fuel oil); coal capacity listed as 30 tons

Water capacity: 21,000 gallons

Locomotive weight: 460,000 lb

Locomotive + tender weight: 850,000 lb

Tender type: 21-RG