Hello,

I have a friend with a 30" gauge steam locomotive and tender and it is a 2-4-2. It has a new boiler and has been totally rebuilt and he has his own semi that the engine and tender fit on. He built racks that the engine and tender set on and he has a very large fork lift that he takes with him and then he lifts the loco and tender and places them on his grade crossing and pulls each of them off with a chain from the fork lift onto his track. It is a really slick set up and he can be fully loaded in just a little over 20 minutes because the racks attach to the trailer and the loco and tender are chained to the rack. The last time we went to his track and unloaded/operated/loaded I was amazed at how quickly he had made this task. I asked him about it and he told me that he wanted to make it easy and not a lot of work and I must say that he sure did. I wish I would have taken video of the process, because it was like loading to large pallets onto a trailer and then anchoring them in place.

I would like to have something similar in standard gauge but I have not found the right engine yet. I would like to be able to take it to other friends tracks or certain events if asked. I would rather have it on a truck just to get it to where I wanted it because it is a simple and quick process. I take other steam items that I have to events if asked and I think this could be done eaiser than the way I have seen on videos I have watched on youtube after seeing the loading of my friend's engine.

Thank you,

Jeff

[quote="PJS Am I correct in assuming that the Leviathan does not have air brakes, which would be correct for that era? If it does not have air brakes, pulling cars with passengers requires a little more thought. .[/quote]

If - and I have no authority to even propose it to its owner - Leviathan would make a visit to the little line I wish I could volunteer on more often, it could head the train on its return trip, having made the trip out light, and the diesel on the other end would supply the air. An air hose to a brake valve in the cab would permit actuating the train brake and require no permanent alteration.

I think it would make a fine event for a line that has steam already, but not anything like this kind of steam.

Any steam is great for an event at lines who have no locomotives, only diesels. Gramlings worked out the model - but are they turning away potential clients? There may be room to grow the market and provide a small diversity in the process. I'd love to have a little 50 ton 0-4-4 Forney to trundle around........SERM has a kit to build one. A private individual has a nice little 2-4-2 in Georgia.

dave

Another small engine that has traveled extensively is the W.T. Carter Brothers 2-6-2 #4, which operated for a couple of seasons in Florida before returning to its owners in Arkansas. At 65-tons it is small enough to be shipped on a standard TTX flat car without clearance restrictions, or moved by truck. W.T. Carter Brothers 2-6-0 #2, an even lighter locomotive from the same collection, has been trucked around for several movie shoots, usually accompanied by several wood coaches built on flat car frames.

Alan Maples

#4 has to be one of the best-suited locomotives for this type of operation. Perfect size, oil-burning (so no cinder/ash issues), and has operated fairly recently. I wonder what the condition is, as it hasn't operated since returning from Florida circa 2003-04.

Former BEDT 0-6-0's; #12, 13, and 14 (particularly 14, as she operated last), would be well suited as traveling locmotives for the same reasons.

I wouldn't rule out some of the existing fireless steam locomotives that are kicking around. There's at least three that I know of that are operational on air today. I have a little 7 ton three-foot gauge Porter that can easily be moved on a contractors trailer. Whippany Railway Museum has a beautiful little standard gauge Porter, again easy to move around really. Even on air for demonstration purposes such engines do run well (from first hand experience) and could play a role in this age when there are fewer and fewer conventional engines in operation. Under the right circumstances, rather than air, if properly overhauled, one could be charged with a modern portable boiler and operate for several hours on that charge.

If we are trying to maintain the broad interest in steam, it might be a good idea to use every tool available to you. Don't rule out the role a Fireless can play.

J.R. May