As posted on the Midwest Railway Preservation Society's Facebook page, work is resuming on the restoration of GTW 4070, a 1918 USRA light mikado located at the Clark Aenue roundhouse in Cleveland, OH.

"Well after a long period of time we finally have some funds to continue work on the 4070. So we now have a group of volunteers to do work on her. The first project is to remove the smoke box and the taper bolts as they all need to be replaced and the smoke box repair. Then the front tube sheet will be removed in the coming weeks."

On a personal note, 4070 was the first steam locomotive that I ever saw in steam, in 1984 when she was running on the Cuyahoga Valley Line.

Thanks Rick. Certainly good news. Got a question; I recall when Dick Jensen joined a larger tender off of a Soo Line 4-8-2 with his Grand Trunk Western 4-6-2 # 5629 to increase fuel capacity. But I just noticed that some of these GTW Mikes (including 3734/4070) got larger tenders when still in regular service. Anyone know from where the GTW acquired them? Or were their smaller tenders rebuilt by the railroad?

Perhaps a little late in the game to ask, but this resumption of work on the 2-8-2 prompts the question.

Les

Long overdue and most welcomed post! Thanks for sharing, Rick.

Great to see! Will be great to see her and the 2100 together someday soon.

What all does the 4070 need before she returns to service? Aside from FRA Form 4 and such...

Some time ago, I recall hearing that this group had an original USRA tender that could be installed behind 4070 to return her to her original USRA confuguration (or close, anyway). Do they still have that tender? Is there any plan to do something like that?

Tom

4070's tender came from either a GTW S3b or S3c class engine in the latter part of the 1950's when engines in those classes were taken out of service. Those classes came with the larger tenders when constructed by ALCO in 1923 and '24.

Ted -

Thanks for the explanation.


Les

Yes, I was aware that the tender used by 4070 for many years was a replacement. However, I was given to understand that Midwest acquired a correct USRA Medium tender several years ago, which would make it possible to return her to original or near original appearance. My questions are: Do they still have that USRA tender? If so, what are the plans for it?

Tom

Tom -

There is a photo on Richard Leonard's Steam Archive photo website, showing 4070 back in the Autumn of 1952 with a smaller tender, with a raised section for increased coal capacity. The 2-8-2 was built in 1918 as GTW #474 as an AUTHENTIC U.S.R.A. light Mikado, but I'm not sure if the tender she carried in that 1952 photo was the original one as modified, or if she got a larger tender even before she got the one from the S3b or S3c locomotive later. Do you perchance know if the 474/3734/4070 had three tenders in her GTW career? If she DID have 3 different tenders, how long did she run with the original U.S.R.A. medium tender?

Les