Kurt: I read that BEDT #13 is inoperable. Does that mean there is some dire problem with her, or merely that she is not in firing up shape? Would it be logical to assume that as a BEDT loco, and not a Pennsylvania native, that she might be a trade or sale item at some time in the future? I realize that this is not a policy making forum.

I happen to think she's a beautiful little loco, and bringing her up to operable standards might make her a great place to start a tourist operation.

Aurora7@Juno.com

> I happen to think she's a beautiful little
> loco, and bringing her up to operable
> standards might make her a great place to
> start a tourist operation.

Without speaking on Kurt Bell's behalf, I can point out one perfectly-rational case for keeping her at Strasburg: She's the only H.K. Porter steamer, if not the only Porter of any kind, in the collection. Surely a Pittsburgh locomotive builder deserves representation in the "Railroads of Pennsylvania" collection.

Now, there happen to be other Porters available to the Museum--I can think of two fireless 0-6-o's Porter built in 1949 that are conceivably "available."


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

Who built the Reading shop tanker?

Joshua

Some day I want to see her come home to Long Island where she belongs

BEDT15@aol.com

BEDT No. 13 was acquired by former Museum Director George M. Hart in 1963 for his Rail Tours operation at York, but never ran there. After storage at a lumber yard in Reading for many years, she was donated to the PHMC in late 1976. Her inclusion helped fill the Museum's need for a locomotive built by H.K. Porter in Pittsburgh and for a sidetank-type steam locomotive design. We did briefly entertain the thought of deaccessioning No. 13 as a trade for ex-CF&I 0-4-0T No. 2 at WK&S but nothing serious ever materialized. About two years ago the WK&S folks U.T.'ed No. 13 and found some boiler problems in the area of the locomotive's domes. We do not have plans to restore or run any of the Museum's locomotives and No. 13 will remain in the collection into the foreseable future. No. 13 received a new coat of paint a few years back and remains on display on one of the turntable ring tracks in the Yard.

> Kurt: I read that BEDT #13 is inoperable.
> Does that mean there is some dire problem
> with her, or merely that she is not in
> firing up shape? Would it be logical to
> assume that as a BEDT loco, and not a
> Pennsylvania native, that she might be a
> trade or sale item at some time in the
> future? I realize that this is not a policy
> making forum.

> I happen to think she's a beautiful little
> loco, and bringing her up to operable
> standards might make her a great place to
> start a tourist operation.

> Who built the Reading shop tanker?

Well, according to The Gospel According to St. J. David, Reading 1251 started life as Philadelphia & Reading 1251, built Sept. 1918 at the P&R shops in Reading, Pa., C/N 2306.

So, unless the RR Museum of Pa. ever manages to get a Reading T1, that's their only hope of a Reading-built loco, to boot.


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

> Some day I want to see her come home to Long
> Island where she belongs

Sure would be nice to have her back in Brooklyn, but the city has other plans for our waterfront over here in W'burg. :-)


janklorenzen@msn.com

> Sure would be nice to have her back in
> Brooklyn, but the city has other plans for
> our waterfront over here in W'burg. :-)
yea i know but I hope Bob dimond gets his way mainly because if we ever get BEDT 16 up and running I would love to do a photo shoot in Brookyln but that is years from now.

BEDT15@aol.com

> So, unless the RR Museum of Pa. ever manages
> to get a Reading T1, that's their only hope
> of a Reading-built loco, to boot.

Reading 2101, currently in Baltimore, really belongs in Reading paint, and back in the Pennsylvania state collection. She's probably operable, but where she is, she will not operate again anyway.

Aurora7@Juno.com

Thank you for the update. Any idea of the specific fault in the boiler? Crack? Corrosion? Expensive repair?

Aurora7@Juno.com

> Who built the Reading shop tanker?
> Joshua

0-6-0-T, class B4A #1251 was a Reading Shops conversion from a class I-2 2-8-0 (road # unk.).

This engine was the Reading Locomotive Shop switcher, and thus pushed and pulled each and every steam engine (and 1st gen diesels) on the roster in and out of the shops and roundhouse.

The 1251 was in service into 1964, and was supposedly the last standard gauge steam engine in regular service on a class-1 RR in the U.S.A.

see
WWW.READINGRAILROAD.ORG
then go to Surviving Equipment

SG
RCT&HS

(By the way, this was the 1st steamer I lettered, way back in 1982, -pre FRM.)

I believe the 2101 is far from being operable. The engine was caught in a fire that burned down the roundhouse around it. The extreme heat did a lot of damage to the engine. Not only has it been burned but it has been sitting outside ever since. From what I hear it is a sad sight right now. Now, I'm sure that it could be redone with an extremely large amount of money but there are other T-1s that are in much better shape that could be redone. Not to mention the 2100 in Canada that is operable but would need converting back to coal and some other adjustments. I would much rather see that engine back in the states than the 2101 removed from the B&O RR Museum.
Greg

2100 For Sale
gu292901@ohio.edu

> Reading 2101, currently in Baltimore, really
> belongs in Reading paint, and back in the
> Pennsylvania state collection. She's
> probably operable, but where she is, she
> will not operate again anyway.

Yadda........... yadda......... yadda. 2101 was never part of the "state" collection to begin with, and Pennsylvania already has an operable Reading T1 and a static one. Much as you guys (somewhat rightfully) complain about the deplorable condition of the engine at the moment, I don't hear you whining that 2100 or 2102 or 2124 "belong" at Strasburg.

So get off your collective duffs, find some worthwhile trading material, and make them an offer they can't refuse. For starters, you could acquire from CSX or Indiana & Ohio one of the last WM diesel orders, a WM GP40 from 1971, and undertake the terrific expense to put all the pieces back in them and restore it to WM red/white paint. Or how about liberating that WM Alco FA from New York State, fixing it up, and offering a trade? Of course, all of this talk assumes that they'd still give you the time of day for a WM piece of equipment......... which is actually somewhat unlikely, considering how much they could get from CSX just for the asking........ and I know of a B&O observation and a wooden B&O diner that the B&O Museum should rightfully lust after.

Don't get me wrong; I just last night watched movies of 2101 on the Chessie Steam Special and was hit by a bow wave of nostalgia (though I preferred 614......). But I hear too much "should" being *assigned* to the B&O Museum by Reading T1 foamers, and not one iota of "how can WE do this?"

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

Adding to Mr. Gilbert's write-up on 1251, the engine was last operated on the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR in October 1966 in Rail Tours excursion service.

> 0-6-0-T, class B4A #1251 was a Reading Shops
> conversion from a class I-2 2-8-0 (road #
> unk.).

> This engine was the Reading Locomotive Shop
> switcher, and thus pushed and pulled each
> and every steam engine (and 1st gen diesels)
> on the roster in and out of the shops and
> roundhouse.

> The 1251 was in service into 1964, and was
> supposedly the last standard gauge steam
> engine in regular service on a class-1 RR in
> the U.S.A.

> see
> WWW.READINGRAILROAD.ORG
> then go to Surviving Equipment

> SG
> RCT&HS

> (By the way, this was the 1st steamer I
> lettered, way back in 1982, -pre FRM.)

Alex, disagree with me if you like, but don't ever refer to me as a "foamer". Thank you.

I'll stand on my opinion that the 2101 looks ridiculous in that AFT #1 paint, badly faded and unsightly as it is. I will further stand on my opinion that it rightfully belongs in the state where it was built and operated.

Insofar as the claim that it was severely damaged in the roundhouse fire, I have no first hand knowledge but I do have several reports by knowledgeable and respected locomotive personel who claim otherwise.

Gaining an operable C&O Greenbriar was a gift from above, without question. As far as WM Diesels are concerned, the ex-LIRR FA is currently being negotiated for and hopefully, will return to it's home rails before too long.

Aurora7@Juno.com