When the locomotive was at St. Thomas shops several years back, much of the stoker equipment laid in the pit underneath her. Maybe it is still there?

Severe siphon warpage and she's on the wrong side of the continent. The owner could have simply invested in a western locomotive and things might be less critical. The tragedy, in my mind, is a set of four locomotives from a single railroad class, managed to survive Dieselization. In the correct hands, each of them ran, built a following, and has earned the right to continue in those roles. 2124 could run again, I guess. 2101 could run again, I'm pretty certain. 2102 will likely run again, someday. 2100 is damaged, lost in an environment where she's a stranger, a vandalism target, and at risk of being possibly butchered with little to show as a result, yet she has run recently. Pretty sad situation.

Eastern WA state is a better location to store 2100 outside than anywhere on the east coast/mid-Atlantic. Cosmetic theft and vandalism is the biggest risk at it's current location instead of theft, vandalism and serious rot if left outside in the east. Richland, WA is a desert climate and is no Seattle. For whatever reason it was moved at the end of the operation, it was a good move.

Bob

Some excerpts from Trainorders:

Guys....it's just firebox repairs. Take a deep breath and cool down.

Straightening a rod is a little time in a press and overhauling appliances is just a trip to Backshop for pro quality overhaul.

This is all the sort of thing done everyday in the 1950s, less frequently now but still nothing terribly difficult. The hard part is actually finding a good business reason to have a T hog up and running. I suggest you work on that instead of gloom and doom about repairs.

dave

The point is not the bent rod, it's the illustration of how this engine was treated, and the notion that she really is a big basket case a long way from home that has seen a lot of unnecessary abuse.

If someone's life mission is to get a Rdg. T-1 running again the obvious first choice is the 2102. Andy Muller is a reasonable business man and I'm sure if he were presented a viable, soundly financed business plan covering returning the 2102 to service he would give it serious consideration. The other 3 are frought with problems and of all of them the 2100 is the least likely candidate between its legal issues and the terrible abuse it suffered during its last operation.

IMHO-Ross Rowland

Ross, looking at it from a business viewpoint, looking at it as a machine, I guess you are correct. Looking at it as a needless heartache and a justifiable surrender, then I can't simply write 2100 off. This becomes a tragedy in that case.

Getting emotional about either business or mechanical situations doesn't lead to any worthwhile enlightenment.

The business plan failed. So did the business.

The mechanical plan for the choice of a Wootten fireboxed anthracite burner and hauler to be relocated to a line it wasn't designed for and altered (and badly) to try to burn a fuel it wasn't designed for also failed.

I don't know about the details of the business failure, but most knowledgeable people could have forseen the mechanical failure.

Misguided, certainly. Unfortunate, also....but more unfortunate for the entrepreneur who failed and his investors than for us bystanders. Anybody with the money and motivation can make any necessary repairs and convert her back to the fuel for which she was designed, and find a line that resembles the Reading to run her on.

Apart from a nice object lesson in choosing the right locomotive for the right use, there isn't much to be gained by agonizing and lamentation. By no means is she a basket case, nor only worthy of scrapping. This is an opportunity for somebody down the line, if that somebody approaches it rationally, not emotionally.

dave

Mr.Glueck, Sometimes in life we have to come to be at peace with things we can not change. The 2100 is in terrible shape both physically and legally and the hurdles that would be needed to overcome in attempting to return her to service are MUCH greater than the challenges represented by the 2102.

It's all relative.

If you're determined to see 2100 steam again then get busy doing what it will take to get there and go with my best wishes for success.

Ross Rowland

Please allow me to get a hockey mask and flame retardant suit on first, but it sounds like swapping the (currently inoperable?) 2100 for the (more easily restored?) 2124 with Steamtown to return 2124 to operation somewhere wouldn't be an unreasonable goal. That would put the "Class" locomotive of the series in the museum. Most museums like having the first or last of something in their collection. Wouldn't be Steamtown's first trade under NPS ownership.

Ross, Dave, and all other friends of steam, I do hope somebody is able to untangle the 2100 mess. Right now, we are frying our own fish, and moving forward, I may add!