This is to inform all that are interested that the boiler from ex PRR K-4 1361 arrived at the East Broad Top RR in Rockhill Furnace today at about 4:30PM. At that time it was positioned in front of the garage adjacent to the roundhouse on a semitrailer.

Why would it be at EBTRR?

Well, I guess the secret is out - 1361 was acquired by Colorado Historical Society and after conversion to 3 foot gage will be used on Georgetown Loop RR.

sold as scrap?

26 days late?

IF you can all imagine.... What begins is likely what well be the darkest chapter in the k4 story. The rebuild is going to be handled by the EBT..... Words fail me...

Well the Railroader's Memorial Museum and the company operating the EBT have the same management team, this would seem more logical the more thought you give it. More so when you take into account the lack of a place to house the engine at the moment.

Plus IF the Strasburg does have a remedy for Belpaire fireboxes and IF they were eventually contracted to do the repairs, their close relationship with the EBT might make for a good place to do said work.

Dave

Speaking of a lack of an enginehouse - I haven't really seen any updates anywhere, is there any progression being made on construction of the partial roundhouse at museum in Altoona? (otherwise now called POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Pennsylvania - no joke)

Logical In the sense that the EBT has no one qualified/expierienced to do the work? We as an industry need to stop finding was to applaud illconvinced efforts.

OK, logical in the minds of the unit's owners. Perhaps I should have prefaced that.

Dave

just recall the 765 was restored outdoors, you don't need an inside location, just secure as possible. Today may be different but I would be sure they are doing the right thing, and note theres been some EBT news here about the roundhouse apparatus workings, so they have skilled people there. You couldnt keep steam going there without the skilled folks there.

Skilled folks at the EBT you say? As I recall, the restoration of 15 was under the complete oversight of the Strasburg Railroad using SRC personnel to do most, if not all of the skilled labor. Certain knowledge also tells me that if any problems develop with 15, SRC personnel are already on the way.

I'm completely on board with Jason on this one. If this scenario is to play out as I think it will, it's completely foolhardy. Why send an infamously ill-fated locomotive, more importantly it's disaster of a boiler to a location where:
A. It will be stored outdoors and easily accessible to anyone in eyeshot hell-bent on creating mischief.
B. It will have no facility to properly handle to copious amounts of boiler work needed to satisfy ASME and FRA boiler standards. (If they decide to do said work anyway)
C. We can assume that there are no real "in-house" individuals that have the wherewithal to perform, let alone supervise the alleged work to be done.

Lastly, Mr. Dinwitty, don't ever compare the restoration of a Lima product to a PRR Juniata product. Aside from having all the former Lima design engineers doing barrel-rolls in their graves, it's like trying to compare the amount of body work needed to restore a classic 60's muscle car that spend it's life on the west coast as opposed the east coast.

I think the only way to stop these threads and all the assorted outrage and flaming is to put the 1361 into the Witness Protection Program.

Now that's funny!

Wonder how that would work for a plot line on In Plain Sight?

That said, I'm not sure that, from a perspective of best available resources by the common management of both locations, it's such a bad idea. This would be especially true if they were going to hire a couple of shop guys to work on the project while not working on the operating EBT loco or if they are possibly planning on working on two boiler projects simutaneously and keeping all of the equipment in the same place.

Best,
Mike

Seriously, besides the actual materials cost, how long to really replace the crown and roof sheets? Shouldn't be more than 2-4 months depending on how many guys you throw at it. I know locomotive work involves certain special knowledge for project evaluation and management reasons, but beyond that, it's rather straightforward skilled and unskilled labor. A knowledgeable project manager with a good set of drawings and access to an ME (assuming he himself is not) could complete the job with contract boilermakers, machinists, iron workers and welders from the local union halls if necessary. Again, I know that there needs to be a qualified person running the project, but the actual work ain't exactly rocket science. If you think for one minute that is anything close, then you'd just be flat wrong. The guys that actually did the work back in the day were good tradesmen who did skilled labor according to drawn plans, instructions, and advice/approval of a manager.