Gents,

Please, no knee jerk reactions to these questions, or degrading remarks. The question is serious and pertains to an important discussion.

What group leasing/owning a steam locomotive, has taken a long time to restore the locomotive back to operation? How long start to finish? Were there complications with ownership?

Brian Hebert

I'll get back to you when IRM's ex-UP #428 is completed.

Steve

Now that's really a low blow. The question is impossible to answer if you include cases where several projects are ongoing and other priorities arise. There are lots of engines out there whose restoration is on hold for one reason or another, but might be finished some day.

Here's an example: I helped (briefly) on the restoration of Southern 401 at Monticello back in 1975 and 76. She was finally put into service, with a new boiler, in 2010. (And I'm going to go see her again in a few weeks.) That's 35 years, and I doubt that's a record.

Maybe not intended, but I think the question is way to general and is apt to go every which way if intentions are to find valuable information. Virtually a horde of locomotives taken apart with good intentions and run out of money, man power or knowledge on what they got into in the first place? Not trying to be snarky here, but maybe be more specific in exactly what your looking for? Otherwise this thread may go and get itself locked within a short period of time. Then again it might be entertaining while it lasts. Good luck with this. Regards, John.

Definitions are the key. Officially, we may be awaiting a completion of restoration. UNofficially, someone may have informally just given up.

Let's see....
When I showed up on the Wilmington & Western in 1982, former CN 2-6-0 92 was "under restoration" after having operated in the 1960s and 1970s. I'm still waiting 31 years later.

SR 722 was being restored when I saw her at Asheville, NC in 1989. At that point, I believe she last ran on the W&W/SR around 1981. Still waiting.....

Last operation for the 722 was on the Tennessee Valley Railroad in 1985.
Kevin

Brian -

From your question "how long start to finish?", the project has to be finished! This leaves out a lot of projects that were started and stopped, or were started and are still ongoing. The 35 years for Southern 2-8-0 #401 as mentioned by Randall Hicks, might well be the record!

Les

It is not my intention to have the question turn into a list of whiners. I want to keep this conversation on the nice side of things.

I'm merely searching for information on COMPLETED restorations.

I know that the PM 1225 group took many years to restore their locomotive, but they did it. Who else is like them, or who is getting close?

Brian

I'm going to guess LIRR #39 is one of the longest running restoration projects. With that being said it's probably not a fair way to characterize that or other long running projects. Many are on-again/off-again.

I suppose another qualifier that could be added to this question would be: longest continuous restoration, or longest in general? Taking into account the former, I'd assume Baldwin Locomotive Works #26 at Steamtown is up there in the rankings

I knew from the title that this thread had my name on it. Brian, your question is based on a misperception. There is no such thing as a "completed restoration" of a steam locomotive.

I joined the PM 1225 project in 1970, about a year after it was undertaken. We're not done yet. Some events on the route to 2013:

The 1225 moved under its own power - I won't say ran - in 1987. It entered service in 1988. Was it done? No way. In the years thereafter there were short and long time-outs while we learned that you can't operate on expired superheaters, thermic syphons, springs, and other parts.

By 1995 it was running reliably, and became one of the first engines to operate under the modernized Part 230 rules. That meant it was one of the first to be withdrawn for inspection after the 15-year period in 2010.

In a few weeks, PM 1225 will steam again, after receiving new tubes and a new firebox, at a cost of about $750,000. (The 1225 is the third big engine to get a new firebox, after UP 844 and NKP 765.) Many other parts were rebuilt at the same time. Will it be done when it runs in December? No, not yet.

A steam locomotive is a complex device, composed of several subsystems. Each can be in a different state of repair. When the engine is in use, each deteriorates at a different rate, faster or slower depending on the intensity of use and the quality of care. Something is always due for renewal, and the job is never "done." Many parts of the 1225 are new; others were last overhauled by the Pere Marquette in 1948.

The other thing that's never done is paying for it all. Send money, and lots of it. Or come and buy tickets: nothing looks better than a 2-8-4 running through the Michigan winter.

Aarne Frobom
Owosso. Michigan

How about the 1361? Off the mountain in one piece circa 1987, restored to running condition at Juniata. Breakdown shortly thereafter, languished at Steamtown for years in various stages of disrepair, then moved to Altoona and EBT, where it is moving backward through the process. Can it ever run again? Yes. Will it? Don't bet the farm on it.

Why is mentioning IRM's UP 2-8-0 #428 a low blow? I believe they started on it 20 years ago and in a more serious way at least 10 years ago, probably longer. Whatever the facts are...and someone should correct me about the exact numbers ... they are what they are. There are ample reasons, of course, not the least of which was and is working on 1630, and I know I'm not out there volunteering (though I've given an extra donation earmarked for steam when renewing my membership most years). Anyway, it's been a very long time and the completion is still a long way off so my statement makes sense.

They fired up the boiler in August 2009. Their 15 year clock started one year later. One wonders how much boiler time they will have left when they finally are able to hit the road.

Steve

This explains everything behind your criticism of IRM in this and other posts.

Robert Dollar #3 (1927 ALCo 2-6-2T) was close to 30 years and two owners. The Western Railway Museum (WRM) began restoration of the #3 in 1979. Over the next 20 years the WRM completely disassembled the locomotive and did a tremendous amount of work to the locomotive, but was unable to reassemble the locomotive. In 1999 the #3 was acquired by the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) and moved in pieces from Rio Vista, CA, to Brightside, CA. PLA began work on putting all the pieces back together. Eight years later in February 2007 the #3 moved under her own power for the first time since being retired in 1959.

The #3 has proven to be a strong and reliable powerhouse (after a lot of tweaking) on the Niles Canyon Railway and operates along with two other steam locomotives, Quincy Railroad #2 (ALCo 2-6-2T) and Clover Valley #4 (Baldwin 2-6-6-2T).

Johnathon