CLEVELAND, Ohio – One of the men who helped bring back big steam to main lines across the country, will be on hand for a fundraising dinner this September.
Ross Rowland will be giving an exclusive video and photo presentation about his lifetime at the throttle. Rowland, a former New York Stock Exchange commodities trader, helped organize and run many excursions such as the Golden Spike Centennial Limited in 1969, the American Freedom Train from 1975-76, and the Chessie System Steam Special in 1977 and 1978. His trips have been seen by thousands if not millions of people trackside over the decades.
The locomotives Rowland ran could be considered a railfan’s dream including Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 759, Reading 4-8-4 2101, and Chesapeake & Ohio 4-8-4 614.
“If it was not for people like Ross Rowland blazing the trail 50 years ago, we would not have as big of a preservation community as we do today,” said American Steam Railroad president Steven Harvey.
“It’s truly incredible when you look at his legacy, from either inspiring restorations with his excursions or giving museum locomotives another chance at running.”
The dinner will take place on Saturday, September 21, and is a fundraiser for American Steam Railroad’s restoration of Reading 4-8-4 T1 2100. The event will take place at Midwest Railway Preservation Society’s former Baltimore & Ohio roundhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Guests can inspect the progress made on 2100 and ask volunteers about their efforts to bring the engine back to life.
The dinner served is from the famous Ohio City BBQ, and those attending can take a Pullman train ride and sit in the same seat as Robert Redford did in the movie, The
Natural. Live steam models will also be displayed with many more exciting features planned for the event.
Tickets are $99 per person and can be purchased on the internet at fireup2100.org
American Steam Railroad Preservation Association is a non-profit dedicated to preserving experiences from railroading’s golden age by saving historic railway equipment.
–From an ASR announcement
