on Youtube here: http://youtu.be/t4CpVfr-DYE with the earlier videos.

Didn't see the location mentioned on the YouTube segment, but for information this is the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, Illinois.

Les

Was talking to Bob Ristow, one of the instructor engineers yesterday at Mid-Continent. He commented that York is a very sweet locomotive and performed above expectations for new construction on its first trial.

They did a nice job with the locomotive, given the compromises one has to make to represent an Antebellum locomotive in the modern age. Maybe I missed something, but the cab seems to be missing a few gauges, like a nice big brass boiler pressure gauge, and air brake system gauges. I realize there are historic exemptions for steam locomotives, but I don't think those are some of them. I'm guessing they will be added after the testing? I only saw one gauge in the cab, way up above the fireman's position. Can't tell what it's for, possibly fuel oil line pressure? Does anyone know if they are going to be able to represent link and pin couplers with this train or are Janney knuckles another required compromise? (Once again, I'm guessing they are going to have to use knuckle couplers.)

Can't imagine running a steam locomotive without a pressure gauge! As to the use of "Janney" couplers, I don't have my notes with me, but I recall that at a February information session Bob Gotwols said they would use knuckle couplers and air brakes to comply with FRA regs. (The passenger cars are built on freight car frames with freight trucks and, I assume, brake systems.) A single-stage air pump is mounted just ahead of the cab on the fireman's side, and I've seen a photo that shows they cleverly hid the air reservoir under the cab, behind the rear driving axle and between the wheels.

Walt Lankenau

If you go to the Kloke Locomotive Works page for the York open house earlier this month, you can see the large steam pressure gauge and 2 air pressure gauges mounted in a cluster above the backhead in one of the photos.

Fred Heilich

I presume the boiler has been steamed before. Would they have jacked up the engine and turned her over with compressed air as well? Maybe on steam too?

Steve

In the video, between time stamps 6:00 and 6:20 there is a view of the cab interior. The steam pressure gauge is visible in the center above the turret. I assume that the gauges located just to the right of the boiler pressure gauge and connected to the copper tubing are for the air brakes and the gauge to the left is for the atomizer pressure.

OK, I can see how I missed the pressure gauge, my screen image of it shows less than a quarter of it, but I still did not see any sign of air brake gauges in the time fram cited. I'm sure they either do or will have them for actual operations, they just aren't where I'm used to seeing them in a locomotive cab, steam or Diesel.

Well, FRA would not approve the locomotive for trials unless the Part 230 rules were followed. There is no exception regarding air brakes, even for a locomotive that is supposed to be prototypical of the 1860's. York currently has link and pin couplers, but this will have to be changed if the locomotive is operated anywhere except in a captive operation like Disneyland or Greenfield Village.

The air brake gauges are to the right (engineer's side) of the pressure gauge. At about 11:42 if you follow the copper lines up from the brake stand you'll see a glimpse of the black face/white hand gauges. They are hard to photograph but easy to see and read in person.....mld

This is a really well built and timed locomotive. I hope Dave will publish the card they ran at the trials. (Textbook I understand) Chad and John and now Dave hit it on the money. To those who feel this was a pre engineered kit--nothing is farther from the truth. Chad did not need to meet FRA standards. Dave's locomotives meet standards and fire great-completley different burners from the O'Connor design, which the park service abandoned. It will be fun to see this in service in a few months.