As I said in my previous post, I wouldn't be surprised to find that the running gear is in excellent condition. OTOH, the Southern (which became Norfolk Southern while this engine was under lease) side-lined that engine in the middle of a very busy excursion season, and went to the trouble to not only lease NKP 765 to fill in for it, but they paid for some fairly expensive repairs (refurbishment of both trailing truck axles) to ensure 765 could complete the season without major issues. NKP 765 finished out the season, and they never returned 2716 to service after that.

I heard from people directly involved with the Southern steam excursion program at that time that 2716 had significant firebox problems and that's why they side-lined it mid-season. Now that doesn't necessarily mean the firebox is rotten, but I'd certainly expect the new crew to find more than a broken staybolt or two.

Bringing a "retired" locomotive back into service requires a 1472 day inspection per Part 230. There are no exceptions to this rule, no matter how good the locomotive was when it went out of service or how badly it has deteriorated while in retirement. Part 230 was developed to make sure that no assumptions are made when bringing a locomotive out of retirement. So how good or bad the locomotive was "back in the day" simply doesn't matter. And arguing about it doesn't move the world forward.

Every locomotive restoration requires an absolute pie-in-the-sky optimism. In the past, that optimism has been a trap for the unwary. The good thing about Part 230 is that now, after 15 years, we understand just what is required and can make very good plans and estimates. The days of an open-ended or slap-dash restoration are pretty much behind us. Let's let the Kentucky Steam guys get on with the work at hand. They have a big job ahead of them and they don't need a bunch of worry warts or gloom-and-doomers hanging around telling them that they shouldn't be doing what they have decided to do. It's their money, their sweat and their responsibility to succeed or fail.

It's their money, their sweat and their responsibility to succeed or fail.

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35384&p=200520&hilit=611+firebox+repair#p200520

It is interesting reading about the 2716 and her past from those who knew Bill Purdie, and getting that inside look. Also, the comments from Rich and Kelly paint a different picture than everyone else is talking about. It sounds like a lot of these later operating excursion locomotives have firebox "damage", just as RDG 2100 was rumored to have in it's firebox, only to have it dis-proven recently upon her inspection.

The only thing that concerns me, as a potential donor, is the lack of a already established shop. I've been doing some work lately at one of the local museums, and we are finding out it is really hard to maintain a GE 44 tonner, while sitting out in the snow. It needs proper shop facilities. The group is working on some land near our current ROW to develop into a working railroad shop. I cannot imagine trying to take apart a large steam locomotive outside or without adequate shop facilities. Now, if they had said that they were going to rent some space at a shop like Ft Wayne, or even Age of Steam one would be more inclined to donate, as those are well run shops, and have the added knowledge base of large steam locomotives.

Second thing is the issue with CSX. Without a valid interchange point, it makes it even harder. Your gonna truck it... to a shop that hasn't been established yet, and near or on a head of rail that is not steam friendly. Sounds like a hard proposition, notice I didn't say "losing", but a very hard proposition. I'd like to hear more from Mr. Campbell on how they plan to over come this major obstacle in the future.

Second thing is the issue with CSX. Without a valid interchange point, it makes it even harder. Your gonna truck it...

It is interesting reading about the 2716 and her past from those who knew Bill Purdie, and getting that inside look. Also, the comments from Rich and Kelly paint a different picture than everyone else is talking about. It sounds like a lot of these later operating excursion locomotives have firebox "damage", just as RDG 2100 was rumored to have in it's firebox, only to have it dis-proven recently upon her inspection.