Sammy,
What about making the folks at Canadian Pacific (CPKS!) aware of this? Perhaps with all that is going on, they might have some influence in Mexico now?
What are the axle loadings for those engines? Looking at them, they seem to have similar stats to the Canadian National Northerns that were built for dual service and could travel over most lines. I remember Numbers 6167 and 6218 travelling over 80- and 100-pound rail at reasonable speeds on excursions.
The 3038 is a good-looking locomotive and seems like the type that could have a good career in excursion or special service.
Good luck!

Rick, The problem is that I have no influence with the new mega railroad OR the Mexican government. I DO have several old friends in Mexico I can contact along lines that Mr Corniellie suggested, but some of them are most likely "riding the White Train" already (as we say in Mexico).

The QR-1s were quite similar to the GTW U3c class http://www.rypn.org/articles/single.php ... 015159.txt weight on drivers 240,000 pounds

I think that NdeM 3028 might be an easier target, but I've talked to many folks about her over the years, and accomplished exactly ZILCH. When I left BN after three unsuccessful attempts at a Burlington steam program (sabotaged by museum politics), my bosses advised me that I would have a much better chance with ANY engine I could make a decision for, and put a wrench on.... Still waiting to succeed that way, too, and I'm on my third try with an engine one tenth the size of a Niagara.

I think we should clearly define that the issue with the locomotive on airport display involves the tender and two other passenger cars, NOT restoring it to operation.

On the other hand, if there is one locomotive suited to the widest range of potential operation at meaningful number of seats per trip, it would be the Niagara at New Hope, adjacent to at least a couple of shop facilities that can do the work efficiently and well. There is no need to build relationships with CPKC or UP.CN/GrupoMexico to figure out how to influence Mexican domestic policy for that alternative.

Countless thousands of us "ferrolocos" (Mexican slang for train freak) have drooled over the NdeM 3034 in Puebla, which would be an EXCELLENT candidate for a running restoration, and pleaded with anybody who (wouldn't) listen...

I haven't asked, but I'm pretty sure UP would say that since they already HAVE a 4-8-4 with a blue card, there is no reason to fix up somebody else's 4-8-4.

One of the heavyweight cars was an ex-Lackawanna heavyweight diner. Does anyone know if it was one of the cars that made the move or was it left behind (or scrapped)?

I can't take it any more. A Niagara was a NYC locomotive, but it can't be pronounced in Spanish. The engine at New Hope is a Niagra.

Aarne Frobom
From the back table at Toivo's Tacos

Mr Frobom, Please look at the diagram posted near the beginning of my article: http://www.rypn.org/articles/single.php ... 015159.txt Every NdeM folio book and blueprint has this same spelling. You are welcome to visit my home and inspect these primary sources for yourself.

It is no problem for Spanish speakers to pronounce in Spanish language, as I explained once before in this forum: Using English type phonetics, it is Knee-ah-gah-rah. The primary accent should be placed on the second syllable, and the secondary accent on the first syllable. The single r beginning the last syllable should be rolled, but with only a single click.

Nacionales de Mexico deliberately copied the name for their 4-8-4s from the NYC because their engines were being built by ALCO around the same time as the Central's were. It is a sign of admiration for the American railroads, and both NdeM signaling practice and operating rules were likewise copied from the NYC.

How folks from the Northeastern USA spell or pronounce the big waterfall, or the river it's on, or the town near it, or NYC 4-8-4 locomotives, or anything else is a different matter entirely. I will only add respectfully that the NdeM 3028 is a NIAGARA, same as the other 31 members of her class, once and for all, and forever.

The real pity of this thread is that NdeM 3038 was the last big time steam engine doing regular revenue service in North America. (still no word on the tender and two heavyweights...)

We've been over this so often it isn't amusing any more.

No NdeM locomotive was a "Niagra" (spelled like the blue pill) except to ignorant and sometimes racist railfans.

The locomotives were Niagaras (with an accent over one 'a' that I don't know how to type) and even a cursory examination of the builder's drawings will show that.

Interestingly, the Spanish pronunciation, which I thought was like nee-AH-ha-rah, is much closer to the original "native American" pronunciation of the river and the falls. So our saying nye-AG-rah is... just wrong.

My question in all of this is what kind of interest in Mexico exists in operating steam locomotives?

I know that there hasn’t exactly been a plethora of operating steamers down there. So what kind of obstacles exist preventing such? Money? Politics involving the major railroads? Regulations from the Government? Condition of surviving locos?

If 2816 does indeed have the excursion down across the US and into Mexico City, could it inspire Mexicans to perhaps restore a steam locomotive? Or is that inspiration already there and just needs help?

Excuse me for my questions if they’re off topic.

Mr Steam guy, there are many in Mexico that would like (lets make that LOVE) to see, ride, or work on an NdeM Niagara, and also some gringos such as myself. The obstacles are money and politics, same as in other places around the world, and the fact that nobody much listens to us Niagaraholics. The 3034 in Puebla would still be feasible for a restoration project, except for these hangups.

There is also the 3028 in the good ole USA, but I have very little company in my ambitions for her. I personally am struggling with restoration of a locomotive one tenth that size, and do not expect to ever see, ride, or work on an operating NdeM Niagara before I die...

As I've often said on this forum, "Somebody please prove me wrong".

Sammy?
We can always dream, eh?
For comparison, here are a couple of shots I got from my old friend, long departed, Dick George. They were taken near Oakville, Ontario in 1958.
The 6303 was one of several ex-GTW that were transferred over to Ontario and used in dual service. They got full Canadian National ids.
The 6262 was a later loco with exhaust steam injector.
Ontario Northland (T&NO) had some Northerns. I think they were a little lighter than the CNR's. They regularly came into Toronto on the overnight "Northland" passenger train, and occasionally came out our way, I think, when CNR needed power.

Well, it beats workin...

I am sorely tempted -- let's find the artist who wanted to suspend the full-scale replica of an ATSF 4-8-4 above the High Line Park in Manhattan, and take up a GoFundMe or other collection to have him do a shiny Imronized weatherproofed copy of a NdeM Niagara. Then offer to trade it free to the Mexicans doing the airport display in return for their rusty old engine and tender.