The posting about the Big South Fork and Doe River steam projects have got me wondering. How many other steam restorations are ongoing that we don't hear much about? Over the years, there've been a number of projects that have gotten started and have sort of faded into space. We've had threads in the past about locomotives being torn apart and abandoned--but I'm wondering how many locomotives there are that would still be considered "active" restorations even though they're years in the making?

Santa Maria Valley 2-8-2 #21 comes to mind. They were doing major boiler work on this locomotive a number of years back, but nothing has been posted recently that I've run across. Is this still an active restoration?

There are quite a few out there. Ones that I can think of off hand are:

1. An English built 0-6-0 switcher originally used at a power station which has been under restoration for over ten years somewhere in Louisville, KY. While I've heard mention of this engine several times as well assurances from posters on local dicussion boards that this engine does exist I haven't so much as seen one picture, web post, or any mention what-so-ever from anyone actually involved in the project.

2. The two 2-8-0's from the West Virginia Northern and a Heisler being restored by the West Virginia Railroad Museum. While you never hear anything by word of mouth, they do tend to keep their website updated alot better than many groups.

3. The 2-4-2 Columbia type engine at the St. Louis. Iron Mt. & Southern Railroad in Jackson, MO.

4. Reader Railroad 2-6-0 #2 in Reader, Arkansas. Of course not hearing much of anything can be said about the whole railroad. The only time I hear mention of the whole group anymore is when their train gets rented for a movie shoot.

5. WP&Y #71 at Dollywood

6. Southern 2-8-0 #541 in Knoxville, TN.

7. Southern #722 and 2-8-0 #1702 at the Great Smokey Mountains Railroad in North Carolina. Although I think it's generally accepted work on these two is merely progressing extremely slow or has just fizzled out all together.

8. Lee Cypress 2-6-2 #4 now at the WK&S Railroad in Pennsylvania. Was originally a restoration project in Hardin, KY that no one ever heard any news about and then the group doing it unexpectently just disbanded.

9. 2-8-0 #501 at the Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire.

Thats just about what I can think of at the moment.

I'll add a couple more:

10. LS&I 2-8-0 #20 that is privately owned and at the old Kettle Moraine shop in North Lake, Wisconsin.

11. GTW 2-8-2 #4070 which we recently talked about here.

Les

Some of the steam locos at the New Hope & Ivyland RR, including a National of Mexico 4-8-4.

Funny you should ask about #21.

For the past couple of years most of the work has been done on the tender. The tender is about 90% finished, with a little bit of piping to be done when the locomotive is finished. The tender restoration was from the frame up. We built a new water tank and are using the original oil tank.

Last year we had the Form 4 completed, without any major surprises.

Last month we had a "complimentary" inspection by the local FRA inspector, who thought the repairs we had made to the boiler looked good.

The big news was this past weekend the new firebox was mated up with the mud ring, and then placed in the boiler.

I'll try to get down to the shop this weekend and take some pictures to post.

Jeff Newenhof
Astoria Railroad Preservation Association

Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co #100, 2-6-2 Baldwin in Century, FL. Don't know of its progress.
Bill

I've been very casually following two geared loco projects, both of which have been going on for many years now.

The first is the Climax at Cass. They have Shays to spare, and at least one operable Heisler (maybe more), but no operable Climax. I've seen recent photos and activity, and it seems to be coming along well.

The reason that one fascinates me is that a few years back Mt Rainier Scenic was able to do the "Geared Locomotive Trifecta" with a Shay, Heisler and Climax. I'm not aware of anywhere else that can operate all three. Mt Rainier Scenic can't run all three at the moment either as our Shay is out of service, and while some folks call a Willamette a Shay, we know better. :)

Speaking of Willamettes, that's the second one I keep track of, again for obvious reasons. I've been hearing bits and pieces on the long running Willamette restoration in Medford, OR. For a while it looked like theirs would be done before Mt Rainier got finished, but it didn't happen that way. Not sure what the current status of the Medford one is... So, as one fellow said during our Willamette inaugural special event "If you've seen one operational Willamette, you've seen 'em all!" ;)

Southern 154 has a well kept up site documenting its restoration. www.southern154.com

The British 0-6-0T does exist here in Louisville. It is somewhat dissassembled and stored outdoors. Nobody is working on it that I'm aware of........sad. I'll try to get some photos soon to post.

It didn't make much of a splash, but Hesston Steam Museum got former Brookfield Zoo 2-ft gauge 2-4-2 #242 operational and into regular service last year. I believe they are currently working on getting a Porter 2-6-0 into operation next. Not sure what the timeframe is on that one, but they tend to turn out operational steam engines on a fairly regular basis up there.

The Gramlings have an 0-6-0T under restoration that might be out this year.

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is restoring ex-Knox & Kane/H&BTM 2-8-0 #38 and B&H 2-6-0 #11 for the Everett Railroad. I think the 38 is first in line, if memory serves.

The 0-6-0 in question was and probably still owned by a local gentleman. The original idea was to run the locomotive from the Louisville Science Center to the Portland Museum (Portland is a neighborhood west of downtown Louisville along the Ohio River and Louisville & Portland Canal). The idea was the lay track on the old ICRR roadbed that led to Central Station downtown.

Some members of the KRM steam program worked on it as well, but I think all serious work stopped at least 10 years ago, if not more. The work was being done on private property at a business located in the former PRR freight house in Louisville. This building is visible from I-64, along with a Pullman Standard Amtrak coach and a restored NC&STL 40' boxcar that belongs to KRM.

4. Reader Railroad 2-6-0 #2 in Reader, Arkansas. Of course not hearing much of anything can be said about the whole railroad. The only time I hear mention of the whole group anymore is when their train gets rented for a movie shoot.

In regard to Reader, not only is #2 active for use in movie roles, but work is continuing on 2-6-2 #4 as well. Richard Grigsby has a multitude of ongoing projects and so some of the Reader projects have slowed down a bit.

Yes, I'm aware of all of this. I helped do a hydro before the engine was moved from the Indiana side of the river to Louisville. It and the boxcar are still in the same location, but I don't see the coach...

This would be the "Flying Duchess", formerly of the Boyne City Railroad in Michigan?

I was in Durbin, WV over the Memorial Day weekend and the Heisler had not been touched since it was unloaded from North Carolina.

John Bohon