Taken in 1969:

http://algomacentral.railfan.net/images ... team_1.jpg

Late in the steam era, a string of 8 old steam locomotives like this one meant only one thing; scraping! But not in this case! Probably most, if not all, of these survived. Some to steam again. Engine closest to the camera is #35 which is now at Illinois Railway Museum. The next in line appears to be #29, now restored and in operation at the Grand Canyon Railroad. Others moved as far west as Oregon and as far east as New York state.

Les

Everyone,

Do any of the locomotives including #35 still have the unique booster truck under the tender with the connecting rods?

Just curious,

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian

LS&I 35 at IRM still has its booster. I believe this was the main reason IRM kept this engine and let the 34 go.

When I was with a group that looked at the 34 before she went to WMSR we were told that the tender booster was the reason 34 was being let go and 35 kept.

The 29 at Grand Canyon had the tender booster but last I knew it was sitting with piles of other unused equipment.

The 33 had the booster when sold to the Hocking Valley who removed it. Rumor it sat somewhere in Parsons yard for years and may even be sitting there still.

Seems to me the 35 is missing a main rod. A sister engine at WMSR had this fail and we quickly loaned them one off of this engine to keep them in business in mid season. My understanding is that a replacement would be made for their loco. Whatever happened there? I do not recall that our main rod was returned, and years have passed, although I could be wrong.

Bob Kutella

Every thing is back on #35. My son and I helped Dan return and put them on last November. It was a cold and windy day. I thought we were going to freeze by the time we were done.

John

Yes, John, thanks for the report. I can sleep easier now. I said I may have been wrong, but wrong that the task is complete is a GOOD thing. With well over 400 pieces of equipment on site, I do not often get to see every car and loco on any regular basis.

Thanks again.

Bob Kutella

I'm sure there will be an official response by Linn, Kelly, or someone else from Strasburg about this issue, but it is fairly well known that SRR crafted new rods for WMSR 734. They have been in use for quite a number of years.*

Here's the proof: http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/img/mechanical-shop/mach_Large_wmsr_mr4.jpg

Page with explanation: http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/mechanical-machinery-overhaul.php

*Since 2003? Additional information courtesy of John Craft's reactived Steam Central website: http://www.steamcentral.com/news.shtml

LS&I 18 and 20 are now in Colorado after traveling from Oregon, and Arizona previously before that.

Now 18 is going to make a stand in for a D&RGW C Class Steamer, and have her headlight moved to the top of the smoke box, rectangular number plate, and flying Rio Grande Logo...

The un-cashed check method of loaned equipment seems to work well. When the 261 group needed a relief valve from MILW 265 IRM took and check for what the valve would have cost to replace. One year later the valve was back.

Actually, holding a check is not a very good way of providing security for the parts. A check is considered "stale" if it is not cashed within six months of the date on the check. A bank does not have to honor the check if it is presented after that six month period. The entity, or Drawer, that created the check has to reaffirm the validity of the check. Furthermore, you run the risk of the bank account being closed, a stop payment order being issued, or insolvency of the Drawer.

Have a joyous day!
Gary Drag

As someone who's actually had to go through a variation of this theme before himself.......

It occurs to me that the fees and trouble of renewing a certified cashier's check and/or calling to see that the credit card's still active every 90 days would be less than, say for this example, the trucking fee one-way to get the rods from Illinois to Maryland. Worth it? Just how badly do you want those rods?

Personally, having actually been hired to literally "repossess" a passenger car from a railroad, I wouldn't dare enter such a loan arrangement without a whole bunch of legally-enforceable paperwork being signed in advance. I've seen much bad blood flying at places where I've worked over "loan" arrangements gone sour. This is not to discourage the practice of such loans; it's just a heads-up to imagine every possible contingency, and maybe even pay someone to imagine more. What if all of a sudden someone thinks they can sell your business car to Barnum & Bailey, or gut it for a disco car? What if Disney wants to rent your steamer from the loanee and hang it from the rafters of Epcot Center, with bubbles flowing from the stack? What if the excursion line derails the photo freight and turns your freight car into a pile of scrap? What if the guys suddenly decide to truck it back to you, with a fly-by-night trucker? What if their connection to the rail network washes out?