Crazy Rumor of the Month:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 10,1515424

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 707,page=1

"The AT&SF 5021, 2-10-4 Steam Engine that is located at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento is possibly going to be rebuilt by a television production company and when work is started it will be filmed and made into a T.V. reality show.
This being reported by the BLE&T in a recent Capitol to Capitol Magazine article by Robert Frank who is a Officer for the Southern California BLE&T.
The article states that the TV production company would spend around two million dollars to rebuild the locomotive to working condition all the while filming all the work that goes into rebuilding a steam engine.
The TV company is in negotiations with BNSF to obtain their consent to do the work and filming. The article also says that CEO Matt Rose is looking at this in a positive light.
The BLE&T in Southern California is supporting the rebuild also. "

Nooooooooo comment...............

I'm confused. SP #5021 is a three cylinder 4-10-2 at Pomona. The loco being talked about is a ATSF 2-10-4 of the 5011 class at Sacramento, or is it? Is this just confusion about two locos from California with the same number from different lines?

the engine being talked about is Santa Fe 5021 at California State Railroad Museum in Sacremento. I'm not sure though if this is an early April fools joke or a serious thread. Never did find the "Capitol to Capitol" magazine mentioned or any other online mention of this project.

I cannot confirm or deny the story, but there is a Robert Frank involved with the BLET in California, and Capitol to Capitol is the title of a publication the BLET issued in California.

How do I know? Google told me so.

If you know a brother in southern CA, ask to see the magazine. That will prove or dispel the rumor of the story.

A lot of TV shows get pitched but never get produced or get by pilot (I know, as this is part of my business). I will keep my ear to the ground to see if I can find out who the production company is.

It is a great concept, and one that I had thought about pitching once upon a time, but the success ratio in the TV pitching business makes opening a new restaurant seem like an automatic homerun, I thought better of it. If it is true, I wish the best to the producers.

Every once in awhile train related pitches do come around. I have advised on one, and hoped to get another off the ground when I was at MTV, but the logistics that make railroading so unique run counter to how TV productions normally work.

Rob

Remove the operable locomotive from each side of the equation and you obtain the number of a locomotive whose restoration to operation has been rumored to be financed by a motion picture. Next add those numbers and divide into one. That's the reasonable chance of it happening.

While it would be something I would like to see serious restorations will not work for reality TV, only documentaries, there are not enough conflicts to keep the 10-20 second attention span of most reality TV watchers. Serious restorations involve too much minutia for this type of show, let alone the fact that the reality TV show (horse) has been beaten beyond death and to dust.

I am unfamiliar as to the condition of this Locomotive, but if anything major is tweaked, missing or damaged, the 2 million will barely dent the final cost.

For those in the know, what is the cost to re-flue, ultra-sound, hydro-test and certify a kettle that size? This is of course ass-u-ming that they find no thin, warped or burnt sheets in the boiler, and that none of the staybolt holes need repairs. How much does it cost to get 5 drive axles re-profiled within the correct tolerances (matching diameters)?

I would love to hear from people that have managed the running restoration of an engine this size, but from what I have heard over the years, the production company really needs to add another zero to that check to do much beyond a cosmetic or pull me restoration.

If the museum does proceed with this, hopefully they have the production company give them a contingency bond equivalent to the insured value of the locomotive once restored to operation, this would be used to cover the costs of correcting any errors in the restoration, found during restoration and/or during the first few years of operation (due to short cuts or ineptness) and to finish the restoration in case the show gets pulled after it is started.

Just some thoughts,

Rich C

Ron, you are correct about the lineage and location of both locomotives.

In their craziest adventure ever, watch as Mikey and the gang at Orange County Chopper try to reassemble a museum steam engine and have it ready in time for the NRHS Convention in 2009!

I can not imagine a show like this drawing a large enough audience though it would definately make a great Discover Channel program... (re)Build it Bigger. It would seem to make much more sense to rebuild an eninge that already has a group of people interested in such a project with plans to use such an engine afterwards - perhaps the crew in Albuquerque.

/Mitch

Let's not forget that for the period of time SantaFe had the engine it was taken very good care of. Kept on stationary steam in the Belen roundhouse and taken out every month to have the bearings lubed and such. What CSRM has allowed to happen is probably enough to negate all the TLC it got while still in ATSF care. Maybe, HOPE HOPE there will be a surprize if this program ever gets off the ground. Let's really dream and wish for both 5021's to get running again; but then whatever happened to that UP Big Boy in Texas that was susposed to star in a movie(VTIC). Andy

Was it towed out of the engine house, or moved out under accumulated steam?

i think it (big boy) was taken apart really well
then they walked away
nothing like commitment
but, what would you expect from efforts pushed by ratings vs love

dr

No, UP 4018 was not dismantled or even moved outside the grounds of the museum in Dallas. It's right where it has been since 1964. It's amazing that museum visitors and others still inquire about the stillborn big boy movie seven or eight years on!

Ben Kroger
Dallas, Texas

If I recall correctly, it was moved a few feet in front of an audience.

I assume the 611 is "still" moved back and forth on a regular basis to keep things from seizing - I had heard that as well. Wonder if that (is true), and applies to 1218?

/Mitch

Both 611 and 1218 were moved recently from the Va. Museum of Transportation to the NS (former N&W) East End Shops for an employee open house that celebrated the 125th anniversary of the shop facilities. They are now back at VMT re-entombed - at least for the foreseeable future.

It was. They brought a couple of us from the FWWR to help shoot the rods since we had an alemite gun. The little Baldwin switcher was used to pull it. 4018 moved fairly effortlessly as I recall.