HVSR No. 3, a 1920 Baldwin 0-6-0, operated again over the past weekend after a 2 year hiatus. After the initial runs in 2015, some issues were found that required the locomotive to be taken out of service. One of those issues was a bad bearing on the No. 3 axle.

Instead of having a crane come out to lift the locomotive twice so that the axle and bearing could be repaired, the HVSR instead decided to install a drop table that had been in their possession for years. A large hole was dug in the middle of their 3 track shop building, forms erected and the floor and walls of the new pit were poured. Then the entire floor was concreted which included removing the existing tracks and embedding the rails into the concrete. After the concrete work was done the ex C&O drop table was installed and finally the No. 3 axle could be removed for machine work. It may seem a lot of extra work just to repair the locomotive, but now the railroad has a much easier way of maintaining the entire fleet of locomotives and passenger cars.

It has not been decided if No. 3 will run again this year on the Santa trains, but it certainly will operate in 2018.

Congratulations to the crews there at HVSR! Whether she runs again this year or not, either way, another locomotive comes back to life! I look forward to making the journey out there to see her in action...

I forgot to mention that the No.3 will be rejacketed over the winter.

An 0-6-0 with a wagon top boiler is a rare beast. Does anyone know of another?

Nice work guys! She's a good looking engine. ...and good for you installing the drop table. It's nice to see some resources saved and planning for the long term.

Here is a pic of the drop table in use. We also lowered the No. 2 axle for inspection while it was on the table. The table is designed to be wide enough to remove an EMD Blomberg truck as well as drop the No. 2 axle on the 0-6-0. That resulted in the table width that you see here.

Not sure what I am more impressed with the drop table or the 0-6-0. With a drop pit in your shop you sure could make life much easier. Still involved to remove a wheel set or driver set but no air jacks or crane service. You don't need a small army of bodies to move blocking and stands. I am sure it was an expensive addition to the shop but what a valuable asset to have. Glad the money was found and powers that be recognized the worth. Almost like having a 5 ton overhead crane at your disposal. Most of my experience working in a steam shop involves spending your hours hunting down tools and figuring out how to do the impossible with little or nothing to work with. Of course work can be without drop pits and overhead cranes and real men don't need no stinking drop pits or cranes and work outside in all kinds of weather. But if you want to keep things running with minimal down time having the tools to do the job is priceless. Whether your dropping diesel trucks, rail car wheels/trucks or steam locomotive drivers This is one priceless addition to keeping the equipment rolling.

And yes that is a very nice looking 0-6-0. Almost looks like they removed the front and rear trucks and it was originally a 2-6-2. Has that wonderful Baldwin look to her. Congrats on all fronts. Regards, John.

I agree, looks like it was once a ?-6-? to me.

In my single digits, I played on her when she was displayed near Zanesville along with the fireless cooker and a sleeper (?). She ways always a power company engine; I would find it surprising a power company would order a 2-6-2 for switching duties.

Bob

Pretty sure she has always been an 0-6-0.

Rob Gardner

Kelly -

I agree that a wagon top boilered 0-6-0 is rare, especially being built as late as 1920. Surely Baldwin had more modern design 0-6-0's they could have offered to the power company at that time. I wonder though, if there had been an earlier 0-6-0 built to this design and the purchasers said that they just wanted a duplicated engine. Any record that this might have been the case?

Les

From what I remember from an older post on this loco, the boiler was sitting at Baldwin for years unused, set aside for a Grand Trunk engine that never was produced (correct me please). The company that bought the boiler off of Grand Trunk, then had Baldwin build the rest of it. That’s the reason for the later build date on an older boiler. It saved the company that bought it lots of money to have it done that way.