America's newest standard gauge steam locomotive is up and running. The Leviathan built by Chicago business man David Kloke will make its public debut at TrainFestival 2009 in Owosso, MI next month. Come on up and check it out! http://www.trainfestival2009.com

The locomotive is fired by fuel oil. The pilot, lamp, and brass steam dome cover were off for the test.

Here is their release

Release from Stan Gentry and photos from Christine Funk

On June 23, 2009, a hot and humid afternoon in Elgin, IL, the Leviathan steam locomotive moved under its own power for the first time. With great anticipation and after 10 years of dreaming, planning and constructing, owner Dave Kloke pulled back on the throttle. With a hiss of steam exiting the cylinder cocks this beautiful piece of working history moved majestically down the track and a quest was completed.
This was a historical event in Steam railroading in the United States, with the Leviathan being the first new full size standard gauge steam locomotive built since the US Park service had O'Conner Engineering build the two locomotives for it's park in Promontory Utah in 1979. Overseeing this first short journey over the rails of the Fox River Trolley Museum was George Thagard III of the Sandstone Railroad and Chris DeWitt of the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Tending the duties of keeping the fire, watching the water levels and the steam pressure on the fireman’s side of the locomotive was Dave's son, Joe Kloke.
In the second run of the day Dave and Joe were joined in the cab by John H. White Jr a good friend and notable author of many technical and historical railroad books.

Mr. White's comments on the project;

“I have worked with many craftsmen over the years, artists, draftsman, model builders and restorers, but I can not think of any as individuals who attempted a project as large as the Leviathan. The construction of a full size operating locomotive is no small task. It requires thousands of hours of labor and the physical strength to handle large parts. At the same time the parts must be precise. Each piece must be faithful to the original to look right. A crudely fashioned handrail post can ruin the machines appearance. The lettering and ornamentation must be exact to be convincing. Some locomotive replicas of the past look fine at a distances but are rough and ready on closer inspection. It takes a good eye and an insistences on precision to finish each piece exactly so. I consider the Leviathan replica to be as perfect as such a recreation can be made. It is in my opinion a masterpiece.
The creator of Leviathan Dave Kloke, does not look or act like an artist. His manner is jocular and casual. Behind that facade lives a very serious and determined person who I have come to admire.”
John H White Jr.

Big congratulations! to Dave Kloke on this phenomenal accomplishment. Can't wait to see "Leviathan" in person in Owosso! Thanks Jason, for posting this news.

Stephen

That's a pretty engine. Looking forward to seeing it next month at TrainFestival.

Very cool! One of the main draws, for me, of TrainFest 2009.

How neat. I wish her a very long life, keeping the mission of steam locomotion alive well into the 21st Century. She certainly looks tall. It will also be nice to measure her against the "small" locomotives that will also attend this festival.

Who knew, on August 8, 1829, that (nearly)180 years after the first run of the Stourbridge Lion, that there would still be steam locomotives, much less any new ones, much less that they would still draw a crowd? Behold, the power of the steam engine!

As information, there is another new standard gauge steam locomotive that will be constructed in the same shop as the Leviathon. It is a 2-6-0. Major components are already being moved there. It is owned by another individual.

What is the origin of the design for the Leviathan? Is that a reproduction of a specific prototype locomotive, or is it a design based on general characteristics of locomotives of a certain historical period? If, the latter, it would be interesting to learn what guided the decisions in the design/engineering process that led to the selection of specific features and details.

If you go to the project web site, I believe it states that the original was a sister to the Central Pacific JUPITER, built in 1868.

http://web.mac.com/vtlyon/iWeb/The%20Le ... an%20.html

I get the impression that the project relied on a lot of the design used for the National Park Service reproduction of that engine.

There is a thin paperback book by the mechanic who erected the National Park Service's 4-4-0's. As usual, it's not in front of me so I can't recall the title, but I suspect in includes the phrases Jupiter and 119. It doesn't describe the design process, but still tells quite a bit about building these replicas. Precise plans of the originals weren't available, only basic dimensions. I expect plans were developed from study of the practices of the time.

I probably got my copy from a NPS bookstore, maybe in Scranton, or from the Smithsonian.

Let everyone else follow the 4449 to Fargo or Kalamazoo; I wanna follow Leviathan down I-69 and see the reaction.

Aarne Frobom
Roadside Attraction, Michigan

Waitaminute, waitaminute............... who laid tracks down Interstate 69?

Any more info on exactly where and when it will be? That sounds like fun!

**EDIT** The Leviathan, that is.

Hmmm ... that sounds like Mr. Gentry's Lyon.

It has been decades since I attended a presentation by Chad O'Conner on the construction of the Gold Spike locomotives. As I recall, the contract required the locomotives to be very close to the originals, within fractions of an inch. He developed a method to dimension parts from original photographs. A lot of work was done to create accurate replicas. I think even Ward Kimball's tender murals followed documentation.
S'
David D.

The video called, "Jupiter & No 119" which used to be for sale in the Promontory gift shop (and online), is only available on VHS tape, but does a pretty good job explaining how the two reproduction locomotives were created. Amazing how computers and CAD in particular have affected the design of such things. David is 100% correct that dimensions were extrapolated from historic photographs -- I recall a scene in the program where Mr O'Connor is standing next to a full-size drawing of one of the locomotives.

Here's a link to a used one currently for sale on eBay for $5. http://cgi.ebay.com/TRAINS-Jupiter-and- ... .m20.l1116

And new for $25. from here: http://www.train-video.com/ifr526vhs.html