I have my doubts you can restore 3001 in 6 months or less, if they are interested, they better get their guns going, and NOW.

The mainline roads could refurbish an engine in 2 weeks, so its possible if you worked on it with enough furvor it could be done. But today you should ask the experience of existing groups who have restored engines, talk to the 261 crew, talk to the 765 crew, talk to the UP, Strasburg, Ohio Central, Ross Rowland, anybody else?...8-P and get the experienced minds together and you can do it.

Thanx for the update, sometimes you have to nudge around. 8-D

I have a good friend who has a saying: "I can do it cheap, fast, or with quality; I can give you any two but not all three".

Back in the days of big backshops and large numbers of boilermakers, Bullards and Flannery salesmen, the usual "time in shop" for full overhauls on large power like the Mohawk was about 30 days.

200 working hours in a month x six months= 1200 working hours. Gonna need 25-30 experienced people to make 30,000 man-hours. The lead times alone for making the specialties will take way longer than six months.

Tom, you're right: Fast, cheap or good; pick any two. A phrase many of us have used before, I think.

Howard P.

It's "Pick two AT MOST." Many (I would dare to say most) restorations don't even get one of the three.

I'm sorry but I doubt the validity of the posting from the museum. I have sent a copy to the museum itself asking them to verify. I feel that there has been a rash of posting lately by new people, of which some have similarities which I find suspect.

Joshua

It's a slow day at the office, so I placed a call to the museum and asked who is "in charge." Mr. Ron Troyer is in charge, but he was not in. I left a message, as I wish to confirm if "Orion" is really associated with the museum. The person I spoke to on the phone, however, indicated there was no "archivist" on staff. Thus, I believe the moderators should look into the validity of the posts from "Orion Forbes Taylor."

If I hear back from someone assocaited with the museum, I will update the board.

Regarding the comments made by the previous two posters, I respectfully wish to assure you that I am very much affiliated with the Museum. My position is, as I am a full-time university student, a volunteer one, but Mr. Troyer has allowed me to use the position of archivist to describe my duties. I am not in a paid 'staff' position, because there really is not a Museum staff beyond Ron. I have been with the Museum since late-May 2009. I have not been in to the Museum physically within the past month (preparing for end of term projects and final exams). I'm not sure who you spoke to at the front desk, as we only just this fall got two replacements, alternating days. I am only somewhat acquainted with one, Nancy Moore, and do not personally know the other at all.

I'm lost. What does all this make you in the big sense? I ask because you seem to be speaking in a position you don't occupy.

I haven't heard back from the Museum regarding the validity of "Mr. Taylor's" claims, but it appears that he is back-peddling a bit.

Mr. Taylor, if you are who you say you are, then I would caution yourself about giving yourself a title, and speaking on behalf of the museum.

This is a good time to reiterate my little talk about be careful about who speaks on behalf of your organization, in an official or unofficial capacity. Besides possibly spreading misinformation under the banner of an "official" announcement, there could be certain legal implications regarding agency, etc. that I won't bore the readership with.

David -

I think Mr. Taylor has stated who he is, and how he fits into things there at the National New York Central Museum. Until someone from that organization comes along and says to the contrary, I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt.

In the meantime, I will keep my fingers crossed for a 3001 restoration.

Les

Quick research on the Intertubes makes me think you are right, Les.

The mystery in all this is the whomever is working the restoration. I don't believe the museum has the facilities for a full out restoration but note, 765 was restored outside, in a rather unknown location with a wee bit of a drive to get to. You prolly want to move 3001 out to a secure location, for the safety of the public and working crews.
The engine would require pre-prepping before the move, so before it moves there will be crews working on it where it sits.

I just did a quick calculator on the 765 restoration, if you took 4 years restoration, 52 weeks, thats 208 days of saturdays, thats already looking at 6 months if you worked every day. But consider trials and errors, like a stubborn tender pin that took like 3 weeks to troubleshoot and finally pop, you can shorten the restoration time from learned experience. Get the engine in an experienced shop I could see 3 months save you don't have to do serious boiler/firebox work. But 765 was done with a LOT of volunteer work, but was lucky to have some really good machinist members, and no serious boiler work save maybe some staybolt cap fixing.

In the time needed you will need solid professional daily help for up to 6 months.

Expensive, ready for it, lets restore 3001.

Weekend volunteer help, saturday/sunday, but experienced help, 2 years is lucky.

For those of you that actually believe all this nonsense about 3001, I've got some ocean-front property in Kansas that you might be interested in.

There are several items of unbelief in all this, but the kicker for me: ..."3001 is to run by July 2011." Yeah, sure.

The property is just outside of Topeka.

Topeka? Ocean-front property? Wait! Isn't Kansas the place where those guys did a restoration of that Santa Fe 4-6-2 out in the middle of nowhere, and got her running again? Hmmmmmm! How much are you asking for that ocean-front Kansas property anyway Rich?


Les

If Mr. Taylor is who he is, then so be it. However, as a long time reader of the board, I've seen countless posts from "official" sources stating that locomotive X will be restored, etc. We've seen people impersonate others on this board, with similar posts, some coming from "officials" from certain museums. Mr. Taylor's thread just fit right into that model.

You will have to excuse my ongoing skepticism and cynicism. However, when someone says that a large 4-8-2, which hasn't turned a wheel in operation for over fifty years will be restored to full running condition in only six months, then my suspicions are raised. Extraordinary claims often require extraordinary proof. Sorry if I don't let some desire to see a NYC steam locomotive in action cloud my sometimes overly-realistic view of things.

The only 4-8-2 that I know of in the United States that I could say be operational in only six months is sitting less than 20 miles from me, at the Museum of Transportation...