Still with its steel company number, presumably at Williams Grove. Date?

http://cgi.ebay.com/5023ND-RAILROAD-PHO ... otohosting

Nice Picture that guy has, Here's another one out of his actions, this one is of a Western Maryland Round House.
Does any body know which one?
Len.

Here's another picture of WM 203
It's from the guy's action.


Len.

If this photo is at The Grove it must have been just after the 643 was delivered. Note that the mainrod is down and a block installed for movememt. I am trying to remember a spot that looks like that but so far I am drawing a blank on the apparent cut in the ROW. I think I need some help with this one and will see if anybody else knows where it was taken or when. Regardless this is a great piece of Williams Grove history.

John Bohon

Bill Medlin says the photo was taken on the PRR Dillsburg Branch before the 643 was moved onto the Williams Grove site. This was the last time it was on PRR trackage.

John Bohon

Hi all, I won the bid for this picture. So sometime after I get it I'll make a 8x10 and take a copy of it out to Williams grove.

Len.

It would make sense that this is just before Williamsgrove considering it has a capped stack, main rods are off, american flags on the front.....whats up with the MIGY on the stack?

Would be nice to see the engine with a jacket on it again...I understand their reasons though.

Which are?

I'm with you Andrew - given Pink Panther fiberglass insulation and basic sheet metal skills are all that's required for a decent jacket job, seems from a safety standpoint (much less efficiency) there would have to be a very good reason to leave it off.

dave

They don't have the jacket on the boiler because the engine house doesn't have heat in the winter.

Len.

Could you explain the reasoning, please?

643 had jacketing on the boiler until about 1988. It still has boiler insulation and jacketing in the cab (I think mainly to keep the cab heat level down). I believe the primary reason for the bare boiler is to keep moisture from getting trapped against the boiler shell. Even thought the engine is steamed up more often today than in the past, the thought is it isn't often enough to dry out all of the moisture that may be present. Also I'm pretty sure the jacketing had to come off for its annual state inspection and there may have been manpower/time concerns to get everything in place in time for the annual antique machinery show, which for many years was the primary operatiing time for the engine. The lack of insulation and jacketing doesn't seem to be a factor in the operation of the locomotive in terms of boiler performance or safety. In fact if you attend the annual machinery show you quickly note that most of the other boilers operating there--on the steam tractors and the like--lack jacketing as well. Many of these tractors, portable engines, etc came new from the factory with bare boilers. Insulation and jacketing were typically an option not often ordered.

The good folks at the WGHSEA are making great progess in sprucing things up with fresh paint on their passenger cars, PRR wood caboose, Ohio self-propelled steam locomotive crane, and the various RR. buildings. Track maintenance is ongoing and a new switch has been installed to create a passing/runaround track. A lot of hard work they can be proud of.

Neat photo posted above. 643 (then numbered 5 from its days at the Central Iron & Steel mill at Harrisburg) arrived via the PRR Dillsburg Branch during the group"s 1961 machinery show. A local freight move behind what looked to be a PRR Alco T6 diesel. The PRR Branch used to past by the entrance to the show grounds, but is now long gone.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

If you ever had to hostle a hot engine and fill the sand dome, deal with a clogged sand trap out on the road, tweak a dynamo, loosen up a jammed bell ringer, or retie the whistle cord you'd know why a jacket is a safety device.

dave

HeyMr.Robinson,
when was the last time you were out to Williams Grove, The EX.PRR is still in track , NS uses for coal trains. When I was there on September 1th. a NS train went past.

Len.

Removal of the jacket is required for certain state inspections. I do not know if it must come off every year or not. The jacket remains off because their shed does not have full sides or doors and even if it did when other equipment is being worked on over the winter the engine must stay outside. Even when under the shed rain blows in causing the boiler to get wet. They feel it is better to keep the boiler dry in the winter preventing rust than to worry about how 643 looks without the jacket. As discussed here many times, 99.9% of the folks riding the train do not know the difference and do not care. The group is always short of help and removing and reinstalling the jacket every year cuts down on time to do things like maintain the grounds, cars, and track. I do not like the way the engine looks without the jacket but I agree with their reasoning in this case.

Len, the track you are seeing at the end of the run is the old Reading mainline. The Dillsburg branch was a PRR (originally Cumberland Valley) branch that ran between Mechanicsburg and Dillsburg. It crossed the highway at the entrance road and went under the bridge the Reading line goes over accross the road from the entrance and down the abandon ROW about a tenth of a mile. Believe it or not the branch was once electrified to run trolleys to the park. The bases for the poles should still be along the ROW. From what I remember the branch was temporarly severed and the track lined over to line up with the nearly parallel WGSL track just before it turns and goes accross the crossing on the private entrance road to the park. I hope that all makes sense.

John Bohon