From Railpace Hotnews at www.railpace.com :

HISTORIC STEAM RAILROAD OPERATION BEGINS: The New Hope Valley Railway (NHVRy) announces the return of railroad steam locomotive operations to Wake County, North Carolina after an absence of over fifty years. Locomotive Number 17 will be in service on Independence Day (July 4th), and available for operating days throughout the rest of the year. Helping us celebrate, we will also feature music from ESP (www.esptheband.com), playing Southern blues, Appalachian fiddle tunes, and traditional American folk, country, and bluegrass. It is appropriate this should happen on Independence Day. The heritage of our nation was built around the expansion of its railroad network throughout the last two centuries, and the core image of that has always been the sight of a steam locomotive at the head of a train and the sound of the whistle echoing melodically through the air. The return of an operating steam locomotive to Wake County brings the opportunity to look back to those days, and relive some of the history of our land. It is an prospect we should not miss, and one now more available to share with every generation of our families. The steam locomotive is typical of those operated at various places in North Carolina by many companies. After its years of service on a number of railroads, it was placed in storage to await its next assignment. The North Carolina Railroad Museum purchased the locomotive in 1999, and has been working on its restoration since then. Number 17 is now ready to enter service on regular trains operated by the New Hope Valley Railway. The locomotive is of the 0-4-0 tank type, common on many industrial railroads during the first half of the twentieth century. It was built in 1941 by the Vulcan Iron Works as their shop number 4347, and renumbered 17 in regular service. The New Hope Valley Railway plans to operate the locomotive as much as possible on public ride days during the 2004 season. Visitors are encouraged to visit our website (www.nhvry.org) for further information and detailed directions to the facility. Alternatively, the may call +1-919-362-5416 to speak with the yardmaster on duty. (East Carolina Chapter NRHS: - posted 6/24)

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

Does anyone have "expert opinions" as to the extent and/or quality of restoration on this steam locomotive, in light of current FRA and other boiler regs? I don't know much anything about this group; just curious.

John - I was involved with this group as a consultant specifically for the steam project. Two of the core steam guys are professional mechanical engineers. The quality of the job is high and 17 has passed all FRA requirements for two years.

I would have no safety concerns about being in the cab under steam. It is pretty small in there, though.

This little railroad is located in the Raleigh - Durham SMSA and has kept a much lower profile that one would expect given the major urban area nearby with high disposable income. Looks like the quality of their marketing might be growing as high as that of their steam restoration.

You won't find a much friendlier little tourist / museum operation with the flavor of a Southern shortline mixed train of the 1950's. Diesel power is one of several centercabs including a Davenport siderod 44 tonner. Lots of progress has been made restoring a wooden caboose and a RPO within the past couple years as well. It is well worth a visit.

Great selection of microbrews and the best Buffalo wings are available in nearby Cary just across the street from the Amshak as well.

dave



irondave@bellsouth.net

> Does anyone have "expert opinions"
> as to the extent and/or quality of
> restoration on this steam locomotive, in
> light of current FRA and other boiler regs?
> I don't know much anything about this group;
> just curious.

This loco was up at the West Virginia Northern before that line's closure. As I understand it (hearsay and rumor alert), it was prepped for operation at WVN but never used there. What I saw in the WVN shops was a sterling restoration job, at least cosmetically. Of course, I wasn't there for any hydro or boiler tests........

Carbon Limestone #17

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

ADM and Dave-thanks for the great feedback. "Zackly" what I was looking for!

WVN did some fine heavy running gear work but never finished the job. Complete Form 4 work including tubes was required as was piping and appliance work, fabricating and installing the oil burner and front end, and the usual bunch of miscellaneous things that made themselves known as the job progressed.

The local guys were wonderful to work with, and I even brought a short crew up from Savannah to help with the final fitting.

NHVRR is sort of like the WK&S of the South although it is regulated. The track is of a manageable length through the piney woods with a nice little yard, most of a wye, CSX as a nextdoor neighbor.

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

The only reason I don't get to Bonsal more often is because it's such a long drive -- close to four hours. Every couple years a few of us from SCRM get together and head up there to see how they've done up there.

There are a few little details about Bonsal that make me grumble sometimes, but they're all just minor philosophical things. For example, I'd take the excursion train all the way to the north end of the runaround track to give the passengers more of a ride instead of pulling just past the south switch. I also wish they were open more than just once a month -- but then I wish WE were open more than TWICE a month, too. They're landlocked, which has to be a real pain for them.

Last I heard, they were using the steamer as their yard goat. Since they don't have a runaround track at the Bonsal end, they leave the train on the main, pull the road engine into the yard, then go out with a yard engine and pull the train into the platform area. Then the road engine comes back out and couples on for the next trip north. So you only get steam up into the depot, the bulk of the trip is diseasle. I've heard a rumour that they're letting the 17 out on the main now, don't know if it's true or not.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@msmgmt.com

> This loco was up at the West Virginia
> Northern before that line's closure. As I
> understand it (hearsay and rumor alert), it
> was prepped for operation at WVN but never
> used there. What I saw in the WVN shops was
> a sterling restoration job, at least
> cosmetically. Of course, I wasn't there for
> any hydro or boiler tests........

As Dave comments in his post, the loco was basically gone through by the prior owners before the 1999 CFR49-part 230 rule revisions, but had to be taken back to the point where all the supporting Form 4 work could be done and documented. There's a virtually new stack of flues on the property that had to be removed for internal inspection (cost of safe-ending being nearly that of the new ones installed)and de-scaling, etc. I think, including the second annual done last month, she's been through a half-dozen hydros successfully.


staybolt@bellsouth.net

> This loco was up at the West Virginia
> Northern before that line's closure. As I
> understand it (hearsay and rumor alert), it
> was prepped for operation at WVN but never
> used there. What I saw in the WVN shops was
> a sterling restoration job, at least
> cosmetically. Of course, I wasn't there for
> any hydro or boiler tests........

As Dave comments in his post, the loco was basically gone through by the prior owners before the 1999 CFR49-part 230 rule revisions, but had to be taken back to the point where all the supporting Form 4 work could be done and documented. There's a virtually new stack of flues on the property that had to be removed for internal inspections (cost of safe-ending being nearly that of the new ones installed )de-scaling, UT etc. This was a 2-3 year "overnight sensation", as they say in show biz. I think, including the second annual done last month, she's been through a half-dozen hydros successfully. Steam operations started slowly and with an emphasis on sustainable crew, training, safety and logistics. Like any locomotive, theres always some details and tuning and tweaking needed to get them to behave, but the basics are quite sound.


staybolt@bellsouth.net