The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (KSHCO) is a nonprofit organization based on the border between Irvine and Ravenna, Kentucky. The organization mainly focuses on the restoration of Chesapeake and Ohio K-4 2-8-4 steam locomotive No. 2716 along with other vintage railroad equipment. The organization has plans of turning the surrounding area into its own tourist attraction called the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center through a partnership with the R.J. Corman Railroad Group and CSX Transportation.
History
KSHCO was formed on February 7, 2016, and on that same day, they announced that they signed a long-term lease with the Kentucky Railway Museum of New Haven to restore and eventually operate Chesapeake and Ohio K-4 No. 2716. They spent a few years searching for a facility to properly rebuild the locomotive, and then in May 2018, KSHCO partnered with CSX Transportation to move No. 2716 to a former Louisville and Nashville rail yard in Ravenna to build a new rail-based tourist and community development center. With the help of CSX and the R.J. Corman Railroad Group, KSHCO has slowly gotten settled into their new location with the addition of more locomotives and rolling stock, and they are currently expanding their plans to enhance tourism and economic growth in central Kentucky.