SP 2-6-0 1744 Sold To Niles Canyon Railroad

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:25 pm

This definitely rates a new thread:

Quote:

SOUTHERN PACIFIC #1744 RETURNS HOME TO CALIFORNIA’s NILES CANYON RAILWAY

The Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) is proud to announce that we have purchased and are returning a native Bay Area steam locomotive, the Southern Pacific #1744, to be rebuilt for operation on the Niles Canyon Railway. The 2-6-0 Mogul built by Baldwin in 1901 operated for many years out of Oakland on the SP Western Division and in California’s Central Valley where the Moguls were fondly called “Valley Mallets” (pronounced “Malleys”) by their crews. The locomotive was made famous in later years by operating on several of the last steam railfan excursions on the Southern Pacific. After many years of operating around the United States, the #1744 is returning home to once again operate through Niles Canyon on the last leg of the Transcontinental Railroad.

After retirement from service on the SP in 1958, the locomotive operated at the Heber Valley Railroad, moved to Texas and was restored for a brief period of operation in New Orleans. Iowa Pacific bought the locomotive and ran it on the San Luis & Rio Grande over Colorado’s La Veta Pass in tourist service during 2007 until it was sidelined with boiler issues. The locomotive was disassembled, boiler work started and then stopped. The locomotive has sat disassembled since 2008 with the boiler moving from Alabama to Texas and then back to Colorado during this time.

The Pacific Locomotive Association is currently in the process of gathering the pieces together in Colorado for shipment. The boiler will be sent to a contract shop for repairs while the rest of the locomotive will be shipped home to Niles Canyon. The PLA plan to return the #1744 to service will not be a quick or inexpensive proposition but we are looking forward to the future when she will once again steam on the Niles Canyon Railway. The non-profit all volunteer heritage railway encourages donations to help return this classic Southern Pacific Steam Locomotive to service. Please visit our Steam Website at http://plasteam.ncry.org/SP1744/historic.html to donate towards the restoration, see more information about the locomotive’s history and future progress updates as the rebuild begins. You may also donate to this project right here on our Facebook site as well. Your help is appreciated!

Fundraiser link on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/NilesCanyonRai ... 1146316158

Link to photo by Jim Wrinn from 2007.

https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... 9376_o.jpg

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:43 pm

Wonderful. Nice healthy restoration topic.

p51 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:37 pm

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

This definitely rates a new thread:

You mean other than the thread about it opened before this one?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=44276

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2876

I wonder what boiler work was being done, and how much time remains on the 1472. GGRM's #2472 is down to two years and so wouldn't have run for long even if there had been a rapprochement with PLA.

Howard Wise · **Posted:** Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:23 pm

PMC wrote:

I wonder what boiler work was being done, and how much time remains on the 1472. GGRM's #2472 is down to two years and so wouldn't have run for long even if there had been a rapprochement with PLA.

1744 will be starting on a new 1472 period.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:48 pm

In my defense, when I STARTED writing, editing, and re-editing that post (because for some reason a LOT of images that are supposed to be linking aren't, at least on some browsers) so it would all show up, Tom's post wasn't up there.

Indeed, the only reason I didn't delete this was because this has the text of the press release.

psa188 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:33 am

PLA/Niles Canyon is working on assembling an excellent SP collection. 1744 will fit in nicely with SP9010, the black widow units and that nicely restored articulated coach. Since I am only about 45 minutes away, this is a good thing.

David Dewey · **Posted:** Tue Mar 10, 2020 12:18 pm

1744 is an excellent choice for them, and a worthy class of SP power to see preserved operational. I just wish they'd gotten 1727.

p51 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 11, 2020 12:47 pm

I had no clue this engine ran as short a time as it did. Lots of photos and text on that subject from the man who ran her for that short timeframe:
http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,390655

xboxtravis7992 · **Joined:** Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:33 am **Posts:** 195

From the same source: http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php ... msg-390690

I wonder if those poor repairs were done in New Orleans or in Heber during the Wasatch Mountain Railroad/Heber Creeper era. The pre-state owned Heber era was pretty trouble prone and it wouldn't shock me if that is where those bad patch jobs came from.

Earl Knoob · **Posted:** Wed Mar 11, 2020 1:31 pm

The issues with 1744's firebox were in existence when Heber ran it, but apparently were not an issue. Whether they were discovered by the New Orleans operators or not, I cannot say. The engine had its boiler work done in Ft. Worth on Ft. Worth & Western property by a local boiler company, and was one of first locomotives to go through a 1472 inspection under the FRA regs.

Not mentioned were the very funky repairs done to the flexible staybolt caps and sleeves. The threads on the sleeves were rotted away. Instead of replacing the sleeve (and the bolt), large pipe couplings were welded to the boiler over the sleeve, and a common pipe plug was screwed on to the coupling to seal the whole works

I was going to post a link to my dissertation on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum, but someone here beat me to it.

Earl Knoob
The last guy to run 1744.

mrwalsh85 · **Joined:** Sat Feb 02, 2013 3:55 pm **Posts:** 100

xboxtravis7992 wrote:

I wonder if those poor repairs were done in New Orleans or in Heber during the Wasatch Mountain Railroad/Heber Creeper era. The pre-state owned Heber era was pretty trouble prone and it wouldn't shock me if that is where those bad patch jobs came from.

*tick tick tick....*

Randy Hees · **Posted:** Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:35 pm

It is clear from information presented here and elsewhere that this locomotive was worn out when it became a display piece in Utah.

Several groups have fought with long term issues in later tourist service. Blaming or alluding to anyone involved in caring for it along the way will not be tolerated.

Thank You
Your always friendly moderator

xboxtravis7992 · **Joined:** Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:33 am **Posts:** 195

Randy Hees wrote:

It is clear from information presented here and elsewhere that this locomotive was worn out when it became a display piece in Utah.

Several groups have fought with long term issues in later tourist service. Blaming or alluding to anyone involved in caring for it along the way will not be tolerated.

Thank You
Your always friendly moderator

Sorry Randy, I let the speculation go awry. You are right though, it was worn out by the time it was on display in Corrine and I forgot to figure that.

David Dewey · **Posted:** Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:54 pm

On SP1727, visually things look good. The driver tires are not dished, and appear to be pretty thick, the main rod brass wedge is barely off its heel; what we can see of the boiler looks solid and it held 120 pounds water pressure in '78. Also, until fairly recently the summer sun on the air reservoirs would build up air pressure in the tanks. In 1978 all the accessories would operate with 120 lbs of air (after the hydro, we lowered the water to normal level and tested everything and lubed everything as well as tried to cap off any openings that might let water into where it shouldn't be. After all the "fun" we drained the boiler and left the corner and belly plugs out for a long time to give the boiler time to dry out. Since the whistle was cut of a few years ago, that opening has been wide open tough (they sawed the brass elbow in half to get the whistle), as has the bell ringer air line.
When Portola RR Museum moved the SP1215 we found lots of signs that it had been shopped, and not run much, the main cylinders still had machining marks in them, there were chalked notes on the main boxes, yet some of the valve gear had noticeable wear. It was interesting that when we pulled the piston covers off, the insides were nearly pristine, almost no rust at all--steam cylinder oil sticks for a long time! We sprayed lube into the cylinders and when we went to move her, she rolled very nicely. (we had lifted the boxes and polished the axles first--there was just a little rust between where the grease cake ended and the brasses began. When the San Jose group gets around to the 1215, they should find some good bearings under her, although the Museum folks did move her around a LOT more than I would have liked.