Remember that "junkyard Porter?" If not for Richard Jenkins' Lost Engines web pages this engine would most likely still be in the junkyard. First photo was taken by John Stump in 2001 in Newbury, MA, and shows (me) cutting years of vegitation away from No 2's boiler...

I shot the lower photo this summer at the Valley RR in Essex, CT. It's a long story, but the "friends" are doing a marvelous job on old No 2!

Hi Steve:
Since your visit the Freinds have replaced the cab sides and put the bell, sand domes, some piping and hand rails on. It was missing it's side rod collars and about half of the main rod bearings and wedges. We found the valves were rusted in place. These were dismantled and freed up, as well as the pistons. All of the missing parts have been made, either in our shop or by Jim Alteri, who has a home shop.
The side rods are on and we expect to get the main rods and valve gear installed in the next week or so.
The Freinds recently recieve a small grant for the acquisition of missing parts from inside the cab (injectors, lubricator, etc).
J.David

She looks amazing. What a difference a small group of determined people can make on a basket case like her.

Has the steam dome been re-welded so as to make her a pressure vessel, or is this a cosmetic restoration that must remain cosmetic? She sure looks better than when I last saw her! What a great addition to Peabody, Mass. Somebody had vision when the last owner had to make good his property tax issues.

fantastic work.

Wonder if that's what the PRR engine in the quarry will look like?

Frisco, he claimed he could "stand on the roof of the locomotive and look at the slope back tender". Of course it didn't look like that! That's a tank loco.

I was looking for this locomotive for a few years I finely found out about the owner having to move it and thought it might work at the shelburne falls trolley museum or another railroad museum in MA. Although I am a bit upset at yet another steam locomotive going to CT (like they didn't already have a lot there compared to us in MA) seeing the work that has been done at least I know it went to a good home.

These things sure do clean up nicely, don't they? Between the reassembly of Simons Wrecking no. 2 at the Valley Railroad, the Viscose no. 6 (another former junkyard wreck rescued only about 5 years ago from Pulaski, VA) making guest appearances in steam at the Arcade & Attica and the Michigan Trainfest this summer, and the rescue of the remaining N&W steam locomotives and Baldwin diesels from the Virginia Scrap Iron & Metal yard in Roanoke in August, it has been a good summer all around for these former "lost engines".



The project to restore and display the Simons Wrecking no. 2 in Peabody stalled, and the engine was sold to the Friends of the Valley Railroad earlier this year. While it would have been nice to have the engine stay in steam-starved Massachusetts, she's obviously in good hands in Essex, judging by the progress made so far. If she does have a shot at running again, the prospects seem much better there, with an active steam railroad to run on.

HI all

The engine has not looked that good , in a very long time, the last time I saw her, was at the old Steamtown, in Vt. My hat goes off, to the friends of the Valley RR, for doing a great job, now she is a real showpiece. Pat.

Another little known chapter in the saga of No 2 is that she almost went to Connecticut 7 years ago.

In 2002 the junkyard owner agreed to donate No 2 to the CT Eastern RR Museum. The folks from Willimantic made several trips up to Newbury, MA, measuring, doing minor prep work, etc., and working out various details with the owner. During this time some local kids decided to "play" in the junkyard. Upon returning home the children reported seeing not only wrecked cars, but rusty 50 gal drums, and other junkyard-type nastiness...you get the picture. The parents called town hall...the local health inspector called MEPA, who in turn contacted the EPA.

After the owner missed a deadline to have the place cleaned-up, the EPA moved in and hired a crew -then sent him the bill. After the entire fiasco was finished he changed his mind about the donation and asked for a large sum of money for the engine, in order to cover some of cost of the clean-up (purported to be in the neighborhood of around $30k).

Not surprisingly CT Eastern said "no thanks."

The engine sat for another 5 years until Richard Carnevale, head of Public Works in Peabody, MA (and also a railfan) spotted her during a tour of the junkyard. He convinced his boss, the mayor, that cosmetically restoring No 2 and placing her at the head of the new rail-trail in Peabody would be a great idea...and the mayor agreed.

Athough the plan never reached fruition, Richard is responsible for ultimately saving this locomotive, and having some major components, such as her saddletank, fuel bunker, and air pump, refurbished in the process.

Stephen

Hey, I can live with it in Connecticut, considering she's in the hands of a reputable steam operation! All reports indicate the boiler is in pretty good shape overall.

Dear Richard:
I am sorry to say that the boiler and firebox of the No.2 were in poor condition when we inspected it in the early 1980s' at Bellows Falls. That was one of the reasons that it was auctioned off (1st Steamtown Auction).
It has only gotten worse since then (steam dome torched off, parts lost). Interestingly, the dome was junk prior to being torched. Someone, long ago had patched it (an illegal, undocumented, welded repair) due to extream thinning of the dome due to corrossion (it UTs at less than 1/4" in places).
I welded the remains of the dome back on and figure that the boiler is good for, say, 14.7psi (atmospheric pressure) inside and out...
J.David

Never wake me up while I'm dreaming, David!

I was misinformed about the boiler status. And the dome? Well, 14.7 psi is a start!

beautiful work. definatly better than rotting away or being scrapped.