If this gets moved to Railfanning, I won't complain. However, I still found it interesting, not only for the story of the speedster's record (which some today might consider a bit suspect), but the story of her worklife later.

The photo just after her restoration is interesting, too. Where did the Central find those tender trucks?

https://centralpahistory.blogspot.com/2 ... qGzl6h74PY

Interesting.

It was my understanding that she finished her career in Northern New York, explaining why she went on display at their beautiful Watertown NY train station until around when the Central knocked it down circa 1960 or so.



Never heard this story about Pennsylvania. The story I've heard is that she supposedly ended her career here after a stint as local power for the milk run between Cape Vincent and Watertown NY.

I'd never heard anything but Watertown, either. And I have to wonder if the drivers were decreased to 70" directly -- I thought they were reduced to an intermediate size, maybe 78", in the interim -- of course I have no substantiation other than 'online sources' if, or when, that was accomplished.

The Beech Creek run was a passenger accommodation, probably not a milk train. The service in Watertown certainly was.

We had a discussion on those Ohio trucks a while back. It would be really, really helpful to see detail drawings of the trucks as applied, and the construction of some of the components.

Greetings:
In 1993, I did the latest restoration of NYC 999 for the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago.
In preparation for the restoration I contacted Charlie Smith, the President of The New York Central System Historical Society. Charlie had worked for the NYCS in their Mechanical Dept. as a draftsman. Over the years he squirreled away every drawing he came across pertaining to the 999 and when he retired "borrowed" them for the NYCSHS archives. He supplied me with many drawings including the cab and cowcatcher which were invaluable in the restoration as what was on the locomotive when I started were very poorly made from lumberyard pine. Using the original drawings, Glenn Guerra made the ones on the locomotive now, using the correct species of wood, at his shop and assembled them on the locomotive.
The tender now with the locomotive came out of work train service. It is similar to the original from 1893, but not identical (read: close enough for the 1921 restoration by the folks at Avis, PA).
The drivers went from 86" dia. directly to 70" dia. during the rebuilding in 1913 when it also received a second new boiler and a new number: 1086 which it carried until 1921.
It is likely that all that remains from the 999 of 1893 are the cylinders and frame.
Be well,
J.David

[attachment=0]999.jpg[/attachment]Markham Yard about 1957,

The "as built"photo in the article shows it with piston rod extensions, which I believe were added later.

St. Thomas, Ontario. 1952. Note there are no main rods on it, so it was obviously in tow.

In 1960, the 999 visited the Kentucky Railway Museum, as part of a special, opening of the season exhibit. This was when the museum was located in a city park adjacent to River Road in Louisville. Here's a color photo. Somewhere in my stuff, I have photos of NYC employees installing the main rods after it arrived.

Here it is at KRM, next to L&N 152, and coupled to the Virginian business car "Dixie"

Here are 3 photos of NYC 999 on display at Bergenfield, NJ on the West Shore line in October of 1958. Was this part of a larger exhibition tour? When was the locomotive handed over to the museum in Chicago?

When the engine was #1086 with a tender different than the original, it looks like the tender had Fox trucks, although they may be a different brand than Fox. I don’t know if Fox trucks were made with the elliptical springs and their openings in the side frame as shown on #1086.

We have had some previous discussions here about early tender trucks in which I referred to “Ohio Trucks.” That refers to the basic tender truck design seen on the original #999 as well as on the rebuilt #999 after its time as #1086.

The Ohio Truck design seems to have been widely used during the circa 1870-1900 era. Although, I suspect that there are lots of variations in the detail which are hard to pick out in photos. The most prominent Ohio Truck spotting feature is the large elliptical spring arched upward and transferring tender weight from the tender side sill, directly onto the tops of the two journal boxes. This was the primary suspension, and it required a telescoping center bearing. I wrote to John White, asking about the designation of this type of truck, and he said he was not sure, but thought it might be called, “Ohio Truck.” I have no independent verification of that name.

The “Ohio Trucks” on #999 (originally and today) were applied relatively late in their period, and show some advanced features such as the raised guides on each side of the elliptical springs. That is similar to Ohio Trucks used on CStPM&O tenders on some of their 4-6-0s built around 1900. As I recall, they were their class I1 locomotives.

This is how the 999 looked as displayed outside the Museum of Science and Industry in August 1990. That's me posing in younger days -- but I still have that same shirt.

On some "even" anniversary (probably May 10, 1973) I climbed up on her and rang the bell. I also recall walking atop 2903's tender.