Excuse me Jim, but in addition to the above cosmetic changes, didn't the number 9 also get an entirely different front end with the offset door that these engines carried replaced by a door centered on the front? Or maybe my memory is failing me. If it WAS done, how did they do it? And what happened to the original front end with the offset door?

Les

If the old memory serves me right, when they moved the headlight location on 9, they just made a new bracket and mounted it to the existing smokebox door. The door is up above the airpump.

Don Ross has a nifty c.1977 view of the 9 with the beauty treatment at the below link.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr0605/nhi9.jpg

These really are great engines, you can really feel the power of them when you start 4 passenger cars on a 2.1% grade and they don't even act like their working:)

Offhand; do any of you guys have recent pictures of #9 taken apart? Also, would you have the contact info for anyone who has a breakdown of the mechanical "status" of #9. The more detail the better - I am looking for boiler condition ( wall thickness, wastage, firebox condition - sidesheets, diagonal stays \ footings, radial stays, tube sheets, etc.), engine frame, wheels, siderods, bearings, air pump, gauges etc. When they took her apart for restoration, what was the "list" of to do's to get her running again......

Inquiring minds want to know........

All the best,

Kris

Kris,

No recent photos of 9, but at the below link you'll find a shot taken in 2001 (from George Ellwood's website). 9 is pretty much in the same condition today. You would have to contact the New Hope & Ivyland RR directly for specifics concerning the condition of the boiler and running gear.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

http://rr-fallenflags.org/nh/nhi-stm-ags.jpg

Couldn't find any online shots of now-gone NH&I Lima-built 0-6-0 7, but I did find a c.1962 B&W view of the 7 while in service on the Virginia Blue Ridge Ry. See the below link (another photo from George Ellwood's website). Note the Reading boxcar... a little ironic, since the 7 would meet her end on an ex-Reading branch! The NH&I used parts from the 7 to overhaul 9 and scrapped the "remains". This took place during the "McHugh Era" of the railroad.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

http://rr-fallenflags.org/misc-v/vbr-s7s.jpg

Jim -

I guess I should know this, but I don't. Virginia Blue Ridge used four U.S. Army 0-6-0's, numbers 5, 7, 8 and 9. We know the story about 7 and 9 but what about the other two?

Les

Former VBR ALCO-built 0-6-0 5 (USATC 4039) was sold to the Morris County Central (tourist) RR in NJ, first operating out of Whippany on Morristown & Erie RR and later out of Newfoundland on the New York Susquehanna & Western RR. The MCC gave 5 her old USATC number (4039) back and converted the engine to oil firing. The MCC also had former VBR 2-8-0 6, which prior to coming to the VBR in 1952 had been Southern Ry 385. She became MCC 385 and was also converted from coal to oil. The MCC operated its last train, with 4039, in December 1980. After a brief move to Honesdale, Pa while under private ownership, 4039 is today back at Whippany, NJ. It's owned by and displayed at the Whippany Railway Museum. The museum has restored the locomotive cosmetically and has it lettered as MCC 4039. Recently the engine was temporarly lettered as "USA 4039". The museum has long range plans to restore 4039 to operation for use on special excursions. Funding to aid in the overhaul had been promised, but I beleive it got caught up in politics (I don't know the whole story and will leave it at that).

Former VBR ALCO-built 0-6-0 8 (USATC 4038 and later USA/Fort Eustis 618) was sold to the Delaware-Otsego RR, a tourist line that operated out of Oneonta, NY on 3 miles of ex-NYC (nee Ulster & Delaware) trackage. VBR 8 was renumbered 2 on what was nicknamed the "DO Line". Highway construction forced the "DO Line" to relocate and in 1971 the operation reopened at Cooperstown, NY as the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley RR. (running on an ex-D&H branchline). Steam operations with 2 (VBR 8) continued until (I believe) 1975. The locomotive was stored for many years at the C&CV Miilford enginehouse. Today it is on static display at the Cooperstown, NY station.

Today two other former VBR steam locomotives survive. The above-mentioned ex-VBR 2-8-0 6 (nee Southern 385) is stored at Harrison, NJ under private ownership. The other (and the only ex-VBR steam locomotive currently operating) is former VBR 0-6-0 4. This 1907 Baldwin 0-6-0 left the VBR in 1952 and became Mead Corporation 300 at Lynchburg, Va. After several private owners, this locomotive is now owned by and in operation on the Wilmington & Western RR in Delaware. It's now back to its original number 58, from its original owner, the Atlanta Birmingham & Atantic RR.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

After reading this thread, I thought perhaps somebody actually involved with the engine should interject some real facts. Here goes. I was indirectly involved with No. 9's aborted "rebuild" in 1992-1993 and can tell you what we observed at that time (mind you, this was 15+ years ago now). The firebox was completely shot and the shop staff cut much of the sheets out. The rear tube sheet was pitted pretty severely. Some UT'ing of the boiler took place but not enough to make an overall assessment of the condition. The backhead was completely stripped and most of appliances disappeared long before the present owners arrived. Many parts were missing. We had new staybolt stock made and a new crown sheet fabricated and layed out but the then-general manager of company stopped the project early on when funds ran thin and the replacement crown sheet was never installed. The tender looked pretty good and probably only needed patching. The wheels on No. 9 came off sister No. 7 and the running gear was a mix of both No. 9 and No. 7's parts. With so many appurtenances missing from the engine, IMHP, it is literally a hulk and would likely need $100K of work to make it operable again. It has sat outside for at least the last 12 years so its condition has likely gotten worse. Any potential purchasers would be advised to call the NH&I to seek additional details.

K.R. Bell

Still, all in all, even if you topped $200K for its purchase and restoration, it't not bad when you consider operations looking at $500,000 + restorations ahead of them if they want steam.

Kurt, you may know for sure, but didn't the shop staff under the Buzzard Management want to put a pony truck on her to alleiviate the bucking that helped put NH&I's track into even worse shape in the late 70's?

(shame it's not as easy to do to the real thing as it is to do to a Bachmann)

..thinking back to my days as a kid, playing up in the 9's cab on the Union Camp siding....those were the days.

Well Jim, this is sure a surprise. I can recall the Virginia Blue Ridge from days gone by as having engines 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 on the roster. Never realized a former VBR locomotive besides these was still around! I of course knew that AB&A # 58 was restored to operation, but never suspected the VBR connection. I guess I should have read J. David Conrad's book on Existing Steam a little closer! Now that you have spung this on me, do you happen to have a photo of her when she was on the Virginia Blue Ridge as its number 4?

Les

In regards to photos of VBR 4, I have seen only one. Around 1980 Mr. Carl Lathrop, the son of a VBR official, wrote a first-hand history of the VBR Ry. called "Sentimental Journey" (since long out of print). A photo of 4 appeared in the book, but it shows the locomotive in storage, not in service. I corresponded with Mr. Lathrop prior to the release of his book and he sent me a number of 8X10 B&W prints of VBR steam from his collection. Included was the same shot of 4 in storage. The 4 came to the VBR in 1947 from the US Army where it had been USA 6961. At same time the railroad acquired USA 4039 from the Army and it of course became VBR 5. I recall Mr. Lathrop stating the VBR crews had no love for the 4 due to it having "a strange motion to it" (or words to that affect). I assume this was in reference to its riding and tracking qualities "at speed". The movie footage I've seen of VBR steam operations shows the 0-6-0's tooling right along! In any event, the 4 was only on the VBR roster from 1947 until 1952, so I would imagine other photos of it are probably pretty scarce (certainly none online that I know).

Kurt, if you're reading this, do you know of any other "VBR 4 photos"? I wonder if Brian Woodcock has any?

Regards,
Jim Robinson

I have almost all of Brian Woodcock's negatives in my custody at the moment and I don't recall seeing any. I believe he gave HRCV/W&W his No. 58 file--perhaps they might be contacted.

Jim -

I pulled out a listing of photographs that Tom Lawson, Jr. sells hoping that perhaps he has one of number 4. Unfortunately he doesn't, but he DOES have photos of VBR number 1 (a 2-8-0) and number 3 (a 4-6-0). So this brings up another question; what wheel arrangement was number 2?

Les

VBR #2 was a 2-8-0, built by Richmond in 1895, acquired used from Southern (#186) in 1938, scrapped by VBR in 1947.

Above info from John J. Hilton's "Steam Days on the Virginia Blue Ridge" (Published by National Capital Trolley Museum), which includes a photograph of Mead Corp #300, formerly VBR #4. Very similar but slightly different view from the one that Lathrop published. Mr. Hilton's text states that #4 was not well liked because it nearly rolled over in a derailment. Bought in 1947, sold in 1951. A real boomer, the engine has had eight or nine owners since it was built.

Alan Maples

Kris,

Since the ad is still up, I presume the engine is still being brokered through D.F. Barnhardt at an asking price of $35,000. There are 4 views of the engine available here under Item 1008:

http://www.trains-trams-trolleys.com/ho ... motive.htm