Tamaqua to Lofty (Haucks is part way) is 1.6%. In the steam era, trains got a 2-8-8-2 pusher. T-1's did not normally run West of Tamaqua until the last couple of years.

Phil Mulligan

Today was certainly one for the history books. I cannot thank Mr. Muller enough for sharing his spectacular locomotive with us.

I enjoyed viewing several videos on YouTube of today's break-in run.

Firstly, she was hauling 50 empty not loaded coal hoppers for a trailing tonnage train of approx. 1100 tons ( vs. 6,000 tons if they were loaded) and the ruling grade on today's route was in the 1.3-1.5 % range not 2 %.

From the videos I watched she seemed to be running well and handling that train with ease.

From my experience with her sister 2101 she could have probably gotten a 6,000 ton train over the road assuming a good working booster and lots of good sand.

Congratulations to Andy Muller and his team for bringing this beautiful work horse back to life.

Ross Rowland

I too am enjoying the videos that have been posted. Wonderful to see her doing what she was built to do, in her Rambles paint, without a diesel in sight! Thank you Mr. Muller, it was worth the wait!

John

Is there another currently active steam locomotive that has a functioning booster other than 2102?

When I saw her yesterday at Orchard Rd, west of Tamaque, I heard a steady "swoosh" noise before the stack talk. At the time, I thought it was from the pops, but looking at video, while one pop was open and there was steam coming from below the cab on the fireman's side. Perhaps the steam was from the stoker?

My 18-year old son, now, what, two generations removed from active steam operations, was able to witness a large locomotive grinding up a grade with 50 freight cars in tow followed by a caboose. "Most amazing thing I've ever seen." It apparently topped 765 on Horseshoe curve, 611 on her knees at Linden Hill, and 4014 rolling across the Iowa plains.

Bob

I believe 4449 is equipped with a booster. 2716 is as well, once she is operational. Those are the only two I am aware of.

The swoosh I believe is the throttle valve sealing. 611 has the same sound almost a "shooop" sound when the throttle valve is opened.

Watched some of the video from yesterday. Having looked at numerous tonnage graphs for empty hopper trains in my career, an empty coal hopper weighs somewhere around 40 to 43 tons, so 50 of them would be ~4500-4800 tons. In any event, the fully-decorated product looks great, very tastefully done, and appeared to perform nearly perfectly (nothing man-made being totally perfect). Congrats to the R&N team. Takes me back to the first time I saw it under steam, passing through Kent, Ohio on it's way to the AC&Y for the 1971 trips to Spencer.

The empty coal hoppers making up yesterday's 2102 test train were a mix of modern aluminum and older steel cars. They average an unloaded weight of approx. 41,000 lbs or 20 tons. Thus her total trailing tons were about 1,100 tons including the caboose.

She sure ran well and is living testimony to the quality of the restoration done by the R&N steam crew.

Ross Rowland

Hello,

If I recall correctly, in my brief time in the engineer’s seat of the 611, The Strasburg engineer had another name for this valve, cannot remover what he said, may have been Russel?) I believe I asked him if it was the snifter valve and believe he said it was. I.e. the drifting valves? Assuming they default to the open position when the throttle is closed for drifting. Those in the know here can confirm. I recall that the “shooop” was very pronounced on the 611 when you started to open the throttle.

My question is, did the snifter open the cylinders up the atmosphere or did it connect both ends together? Assuming with long periods of drifting, do you still need the throttle cracked to provide lubrication? Curious whether the cylinder lube was put in the steam pipe ahead of the chests or directly mechanically injected into the cylinders themselves?

Thanks

Randy

From what I read today, #425 is getting some repairs to the stack, will return later in this season, and then goes down for the 1472 in the fall.

On a semi-related note:

Any plans from the CNJ 113 group for events this year?

I recognize they operate separately from RBMN, but they are almost a pseudo-sister operation.

From what I read today, #425 is getting some repairs to the stack, will return later in this season, and then goes down for the 1472 in the fall.[/quote]

Not some repairs, but a whole new stack. You could put holes in the old one with a small hammer. The new one is being made by the Hamburg Foundry in Hamburg, Pa.

425's 1472 day is due at the end of this year, not in the Fall.

2102 is set to pull empties to Tamaqua, and then loads back to Reading today. Steam in revenue freight service in 2022.

100(!) empties and a caboose behind #2102 this morning. Also, according to those on-site, it is wearing the 6-chime whistle in addition to the hooter

I thought the 50 car train was quite a feat. Little did I know they were just warming up. Another big congratulations to the R&N steam crew. So is 100 cars plus caboose a record for steam in the 21st century?