It's 119 Day! Getting fundraising kicked back off for LV 119

Nathan Haydt · **Joined:** Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:29 pm **Posts:** 15

ITS 119 DAY!

Today, The Historic Railworks is looking to get back on track to getting Lehigh Valley SW1 #119 home!

We are launching our gofundme campaign to raise funds for prep work for interchange. And no, the plan is not to flatcar her home, the plan is for 119 to be knuckle to knuckle with NS power and come home on her own wheels at track speed! Make sure the brakes work, swap for roller bearing dummy trucks, make sure the handbrake works, a few other odds and ends and she's good to go!

We're looking to raise $5,000 for this phase of the project which will go towards parts, supplies, a crane rental as well as food and lodging for volunteers when we're out at the job site for a couple days (its quite a bit of work).

Any donation amount is GREATLY appreciated!

Our Website is LIVE! https://www.thehistoricrailworks.org/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-lehigh-v ... k-on-track

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

Nathan Haydt wrote:

[T]he plan is for 119 to be knuckle to knuckle with NS power and come home on her own wheels at track speed! Make sure the brakes work, swap for roller bearing dummy trucks, make sure the handbrake works, a few other odds and ends and she's good to go!

Alignment control couplers? Those likely are the only kind of couplers NS will go "knuckle to knuckle" with.

Nathan Haydt · **Joined:** Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:29 pm **Posts:** 15

PMC wrote:

Nathan Haydt wrote:

[T]he plan is for 119 to be knuckle to knuckle with NS power and come home on her own wheels at track speed! Make sure the brakes work, swap for roller bearing dummy trucks, make sure the handbrake works, a few other odds and ends and she's good to go!

Alignment control couplers? Those likely are the only kind of couplers NS will go "knuckle to knuckle" with.

It just so happens, someone involved in the project owns a set, and they will be used for the move.

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

Nathan Haydt wrote:

It just so happens, someone involved in the project owns a set, and they will be used for the move.

I believe the coupler pocket must be modified also, which is the hardest part.

jayrod · **Posted:** Sun Jan 19, 2025 7:26 pm

Quote:

It just so happens, someone involved in the project owns a set, and they will be used for the move.

With the draft gear? That'd be a hefty mod. If wedges, that's gonna be iffy with NS.

superheater · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:54 pm **Posts:** 2606

While I assume restoring the unit for contemporary operation will demand rollers and tightlocks, would it be possible to put in on a flatcar and transport it-or does loading and unloading crane services make that infeasible/uneconomical?

jayrod · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2025 11:49 am

Shipping anything one-off by rail is really expensive. A dead in tow loco even more. I wonder how it compares between dead in tow with alignment control added, flat car or trailer considering the crane costs added in.

Good question.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2025 11:25 pm

Interesting. LV Coal Co. 119 is a 42" gauge 0-4-0T that is now Lokie #2 at Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland, Schuylkill County, PA. They have had a mine tour and train ride for over 40 years. The mine motor is an electric converted to battery and the cars are mine jimmies. It's a drift mine (comes to the surface) so they can roll right in; no hoists necessary.

The Lokie has a wide (for 42" ga.) firebox like any self-respecting anthracite engine. I've seen it pop off about an hour after it was last fired. Anthracite burns s l o w l y.

Phil Mulligan