I spoke with the owner of the "Flying Duchess" about a year ago and he indicated that the locomotive is stored in a warehouse and is for sale, for the right price. He also mentioned that he has lost track of his Mark 2 coach - it has probably been scrapped.

That part about the Douchebag er, Dutchess being painted blue is spot on. I was thinking the same thing... It does have an uncanny appearance to the little blue money machine.

Mike

Thanks to those who responded to my question. It's amazing to me that there are projects out there that don't get much attention even with today's Internet capabilities!

The Maine Central 2-8-0 #501 is definitely no longer an active restoration for service project. The locomotive's owner, The 470 Railroad Club, made the decision not to complete the restoration to operating status several years ago, reasoning that it would be too expensive to complete. Unfortunately, the club spend a large some of money a number of years back oon shoddy boilerwork by a less than reputable contractor; had that work been completed successfully, the locomoitive would probably be in steam today! Too bad the club chose to take the inexpensive route with the boiler repairs. A well-known steam restorationist inspected thee locomotive for the club, and determined it to be an excellent candidate for a return to active duty. #501 situation leads to another interesting question: How many locomotives are there out here that have had large amounts of money spent on them without the in-service restoration being completed? We all know about the Pennsy K-4, and several locomotives that had new boilers made that didn't live up to expectations--but are there others?

Since my original post, I've come up with a couple of other steam restorations that I'm wondering about. What's the status of the Central American 2-6-0 that was being rebuilt at the Pine Creek RR in New Jersey? And what's happening with the ex-LS&I 2-8-0 and small 0-4-0T that were being rebuilt at the Catskill Mountain RR site in Kingston, NY?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned CNJ 0-6-0 #113 in PA.

Yes, Hesston is working on 3ft HK Porter #2, a 17.5 ton Class C-2-T light Mogul, ex-United Fruit Company, Bananera Guatemala. She's awaiting return of a brand new welded code boiler, expected in the next month or so. Lot of detailed work remains before operation but we're aiming for sometime in 2011 for her 100th birthday. #2 was undergoing driver box repairs in 1985 when the engine house burned around her. Recent inspection determined that a new boiler was better use of funds than an extensive patch job.
Awaiting restoration is a sister Porter engine, #17 a 23 ton medium Mogul. Ex-Gilmore Car Museum, exx-United Fruit Company, Guatemala. She is stripped and awaiting a new boiler also, with some running gear repairs as time is available. Also awaiting restoration is an ex-Brookfield Zoo [Salt Creek and Western] 2-8-0. No timetable on the latter two, until #2 is up and running again.

John:
What can you tell us about the Browning locomotive crane at the Hesston, IN museum ? Does it still run under steam ? What year was it built ?

Kevin

I would like to propose a whole class of locomotives that seem to be all over the place.

They are the H.K. Porter 0-4-0 locomotives. They seem to have been built in a number of gauges is addition to 36" and standard gauge.

I was at the Long Island Railroad Museum in Riverhead, NY and found one in a shed Not a person at the museum that day could tell me anything about it. At a guess it may be the Defiance Coal locomotive that the museum is supposed to own.

One time many years ago I was at Edaville, USA and they had 5 or 6 of them lined up; all looked like 36" gauge.

And Thank you for the picture of the Flying Something British 0-6-0. i have heard of the tourist railroad but did not know she is still in the US. I thought that I read somewhere that the locomotive had gone back to the UK.


Thanks to Jeff Terry for his articles that make obscure locomotives not so obscure any more! His latest effort is a well traveled South Park locomotive at the Colorado Railroad
Museum. I have their IRON HORSE NEWS articles about bringing the old girl back home to Colorado.

If you sent me a private E-mail I'll send you a photocopy of the IHN.

Ted Miles

What a rotten color scheme, especialyy for an industrial 0-6-0. The coach in the picture looks more like a MK1 to me as well, anyone know of the loco and coach's UK history ?

Mike Pannell
Cheyenne

The 0-6-0 and three English coaches were purchased by Hollis Baker, scion of a Grand Rapids, MI furniture maker, for operation on the Boyne City Railway, which he had purchased. Equipment came off a boat in Detroit as I remember the story, and moved on its own wheels, sandwiched between a couple of flatcars which had buffers on at least one end as a special train move. The locomotive was converted to burn waste oil, and seemed to run well after a fuel filter was removed from the oil line. Locomotive and cars operated in excursion service between Boyne Falls, MI and Boyne City, MI, about seven miles. Operation had ended by 1976 and the equipment was auctioned off. One? coach and the locomotive were sold to TVRM, the other coach/es? were sold to the owner of the Detroit & Mackinaw Railroad.

Yes, it still steams occasionally to load logs on the saw mill and other lifts within reach of the rail. It was built in 1941 for a US Navy supply depot near Columbus, OH. After the war, it was sold to a sand mine near Bridgman, MI, but was not used there. It was acquired and moved to the museum late 50's or early 60s IIRC. I'll have to dig out notes for more details. It MAY run Memorial Day weekend, and July 4th weekend, but CERTAINLY Labor Day weekend 2010.

speaking of Hesston, what is the current situation up there as far as operable equipment? You guys seem to have a revolving steam fleet that is always changing, that would make most museums jealous. I know you guys got the Brookfield Zoo 242 back operating last year (which sounds wonderful on those grades!), and the Shay was running also when I was there. Then you have the German engine and the tank engine--what's the status of those at the moment? I know they have run fairly recently.

Then, there's that Porter that the volunteer's shop blog keeps mentioning as being under restoration and due out in the near future. Any timeframe for that one?

Thanks,
Kevin

[Speaking of Hesston, what is the current situation up there as far as operable equipment? You guys seem to have a revolving steam fleet that is always changing, that would make most museums jealous. I know you guys got the Brookfield Zoo 242 back operating last year (which sounds wonderful on those grades!), and the Shay was running also when I was there. Then you have the German engine and the tank engine--what's the status of those at the moment? I know they have run fairly recently.
Then, there's that Porter that the volunteer's shop blog keeps mentioning as being under restoration and due out in the near future. Any timeframe for that one

Porter #2 (c/n4841) awaits a new welded boiler, expected on site in the next month or so. Much work remains, with operation for her 100 year anniversary expected in 2011. Porter #17 (c/n 6580) also needs a new boiler -- old boiler removed and some running gear work done between other projects. No timetable so far.
CKD 0-4-0T (c/n 1930) and DR99-3361 0-8-0 (c/n13200) are operational. We're repowering ex-Brookfield Zoo 'diesel' #999 [Rudy], as it was underpowered and under braked for our 4%+ grades. Still stored in ex-Brookfield [0-8-0 or 2-8-0] "Granny", awaiting a turn in the restoration line.
Yes, we like to change things around, to help spread out the wear and tear on the locomotives. Most of our serious restoration crew is also the operating crew during the summer, so daily and running repairs keep us busy in the warmer months. We also have a couple of stationary engines under restoration that keep others busy too.

Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA still considers Georgia Power 97 a restoration. We have been stalled due to lack of money and to lack of volunteers. Some small donations trickle in and we are hopeful that sometime in 2010 we will actually get started on boiler work.

Money and volunteers always welcome. www.srmduluth.org

A&WP 290 restoration continues at a slow pace. All of the jacket and insulation is off. Brackets are being removed with the plan that we will contract out a backing soda blast for the boiler shell when it is stripped. Then it will get a coat of paint for protection.

dfg

It's already been somewhat mentioned in this thread, but the Three Rivers Rambler website, www.threeriversrambler.com, in Knoxville, TN is advertising SR 154 for operation this year.

With SR 401 coming back online at Monticello, and likely SR SR 630 at Chattanooga, this seems to be the year for the revival of the Southern Railway consolidation....and they are all different classes!