The folks at the New York, Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society http://www.nyswths.org will be operating a fundraising event to benefit the Whippany Railway Museum's http://www.WhippanyRailwayMuseum.net Steam Locomotive No. 4039, which is currently being rehabbed for a return to full operation.

The event will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2011 at the NYS&WT&HS' Phillipsburg, NJ site. Many of the key people at both NYS&WT&HS and WRyM volunteered together on the Morris County Central Railroad at both Whippany and Newfoundland, NJ in the 1960's and 1970's. No. 4039 (US Army ALCO 1942) ran in MCC excursion service with stablemate No. 385 (an ex-SR 2-8-0 built in 1907), also preserved at WRyM.

Plans include unlimited rides on the Delaware River Railroad Excursion train, photo run-bys, a picnic, night photo session and a tour of the Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center's 1913 Triple Expansion Steam Pumping Engine at P-Burg.

For full details on how to purchase tickets, go to: http://877trainride.com/4039.htm or: http://www.WhippanyRailwayMuseum.net/in ... team-train

Forgot to mention that NYS&WT&HS will donate 100% of the proceeds from the event to the 4039 restoration project.

Whippany Railway Museum's Steam Locomotive No. 4039 has just been awarded an $89,500. Morris County (NJ) Historic Preservation Trust Fund Grant. A short article can be viewed at: http://morris.patch.com/articles/county ... eservation

So according to the website, the museum got a $300,000 grant back in 2001, and was looking for another $100,000 for restoration. With this $89,500, how much closer are they currently? I'm assuming there have been other grants/donations made since the web page for the restoration was last updated...at this moment - how much more money is needed?

The original TEA-21 grant awarded in 2001 was for $381,000. Whille waiting for the various government applications and "red tape" to grind its way through the process over the years, projected costs naturally skyrocketed. In 2010, upon the selection of a contractor, the Whippany Railway Museum contributed $150,000 of its own funds to the effort. The new grant of $89,500. currently brings the available funding to over $620,000. for the rehab project. Hopefully this will be enough to complete all the major work. While the website page does need an update, the Museum is still actively pursuing grants and donations on its own to supplement any further "unknowns" as the project continues. http://www.WhippanyRailwayMuseum.net/in ... fundraiser

Direct from Transportation Innovation Specialists is this quote on the work completed so far:

"The various appliances are all works in progress. Some are further along than others. New parts have just arrived for the power reverse. Two custom sockets were fabricated to remove a set of rusted valves from the air compressor. The injectors are completed. The turbo-generator is completed, and the lubricators have been cleaned as have the terminal check valves for the lubricators. They will be tested and set for proper operating pressures. Most of the misc. valves have been cleaned and inspected...the brake rigging has been straightened and is currently being built up where worn. Material for bushings for both the brake rigging and suspension is on hand."

"New material is on hand for making three new crown brasses. The cellers and grease spring plates are finished, the old crown brasses are pushed out of the boxes, and all the boxes have been cleaned."

"All the major components shipped have been sand-blasted or cleaned. Some valve gear parts and the shoes and wedges are still awaiting attention. Two new springs are being made and should be completed by the end of the month. The driving wheels have been shipped for turning the tires, journals and hub liners as needed. The proper new dimensions will be matched to the brasses, boxes, shoes and wedges."

"We are still awaiting the FRA's report on the boiler. The plans were sent by the FRA to a consultant for review...this process has taken months. The steel for the new boiler has been cut to shape. A McCabe flanger has been acquired and rebuilt for forming the flanges on the appropriate sheets. All of the steel for the sheets, most of the staybolt material and several thousand pounds of welding rod is on hand. Once approval is obtained by the FRA, further disassembly of the original boiler at Whippany will occur to use as patterns for the new sheets."

"Currently the priority is finishing the wheel turining so that the other parts can be completed. The dimensions of the brasses, boxes, spring saddles, equalizer hangers, shoes and wedges all depend on wheel dimensions, making the driving wheels a key part of the work yet to be done."

"With all that being said, the job is progressing...and expect to see 4039 steam in 2012."

Hate to bring up an old thread, but I remember this event and it was pretty popular, raising some good funds for 4039, or so I'd imagine. The last post even says look to see 4039 steamed up in 2012 - needless to say, it's now 2016, and the Whippany museum website doesn't seem to have been updated lately. I also haven't seen any posts from their Facebook account with any restoration updates, and I've searched on RYPN as well to see if anything has popped up. So, I'll put the word out here - are there any updates as to the restoration of the engine?

It has now been over a year since BigJim asked about progress on 4039. Has anyone heard anything lately?

Apparently updates on 4039 were posted on Whippany's Twitter page within the last few minutes - and I imagine they will be making their way to Facebook shortly as well.

https://mobile.twitter.com/whippanyrym

Awesome to see, thanks!

Anyone hear anything lately? It's been almost another year...the last thing I remember seeing, from last year, was that the newly built boiler was being sent for heat treatment. Has it been sent back to Whippany yet?