A group of us took a trip to R&N today. We stopped by the office and recieved visiter passes. We had a good time and were treated nicely by all employees we ecountered. We noticed that the 425 was moved to the car shop area sans tender. Does anyone know what the plans are for her? The people we spoke to there weren't to sure.

Thanks!

Alan

alanl759@aol.com

Don't know about the plans for "four and quarter" but I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to R&N HQ from Scranton. Thanks very much. Nice email BTW, I try to spend time with 759 when I can, what an engine...

Joshua

joshuakblay@hotmail.com

I was talking to my friends who work for the company and they told me that they are going to be doing some more work to The 425. I would like to tell you that they have worked on The 425 with some work here and there, and they just have not started work on it. The reverser was rebuilt a year or so ago, but The 425 still has to be overhauled! I hope this helps!

Aaron

norfolk_western_611@hotmail.com

The 425's throttle was rebuilt last year by the shop crew at the New Hope & Ivyland in Bucks County, PA. A very reliable source has told me that the same group is contracted to do a boiler evaluation on the 425 this summer. I can only assume that the R&N would have the boiler evaluated because they intend to return it to service....but this is only my assumption and not information from the horses mouth. I wouldn't want to be accused of spreading rumors.

smith@drexel.edu

> The 425's throttle was rebuilt last year by
> the shop crew at the New Hope & Ivyland
> in Bucks County, PA. A very reliable source
> has told me that the same group is
> contracted to do a boiler evaluation on the
> 425 this summer. I can only assume that the
> R&N would have the boiler evaluated
> because they intend to return it to
> service....but this is only my assumption
> and not information from the horses mouth. I
> wouldn't want to be accused of spreading
> rumors.

On behalf of the horse's mouth...

the above is accurate, except cross out INTEND, write in WOULD LIKE.

I recommend waiting until next year before getting excited.

News will show up on RBMNRR.com when there is any. The project is only beginning.

We are running excursions this fall, diesel powered. See the web-site.

=alot of work and $$ away.

Steve Gilbert,
Director, Passenger Operations
RBMN

> On behalf of the horse's mouth...

> the above is accurate, except cross out
> INTEND, write in WOULD LIKE.

> I recommend waiting until next year before
> getting excited.

> News will show up on RBMNRR.com when there
> is any. The project is only beginning.

> We are running excursions this fall, diesel
> powered. See the web-site.

> =alot of work and $$ away.

> Steve Gilbert,
> Director, Passenger Operations
> RBMN

Steve: Has any thought ever been given by RBMN to restoring the 425 to her front end appearance when she was Gulf, Mobile & Ohio #580? This would basically lower the headlight to the center of the smokebox. I don't even know if the current appearenace of 425 is as she appeared when in service on the GM&N or not (the late Paulson Spence liked high mounted headlights and installed them on a number of the locomotives in his collection.) Anyway, IF the 425 was changed back to "GM&O 580" you get the appearence of a "new" locomotive at a minor cost.

midlandblb@cs.com

I wish I could tell you where, but I once saw a photo of a sister engine pulling a passenger train on the GMN with the headlight mounted high, so the current situation is not inaccurate.

Steve: Has any thought ever been given by
> RBMN to restoring the 425 to her front end
> appearance when she was Gulf, Mobile &
> Ohio #580? This would basically lower the
> headlight to the center of the smokebox. I
> don't even know if the current appearenace
> of 425 is as she appeared when in service on
> the GM&N or not (the late Paulson Spence
> liked high mounted headlights and installed
> them on a number of the locomotives in his
> collection.) Anyway, IF the 425 was changed
> back to "GM&O 580" you get the
> appearence of a "new" locomotive
> at a minor cost.


davago61@hotmail.com

> Steve: Has any thought ever been given by
> RBMN to restoring the 425 to her front end
> appearance when she was Gulf, Mobile &
> Ohio #580?

Perish the thought, brother Beckman ;-)

I've got photos of GM&N 425 and GM&O 580 in regular service, including the builder's photo. 425 today looks very much like it did leaving Philadelphia (PA, not Mississippi) - the coal pusher is gone now and the headlight and bracket are slightly different, but that's about it.

GM&O 580 is a sow's ear in comparison - the above-center, smokebox-mounted headlight (the mounting bolts were centered, putting the headlight in the top half of the smokebox door) leaves things looking kind of bare up top, and there was apparently a shortage of white paint in the 1940s, as lettering and numbering was pretty spartan ;-)

Now, who do you have to blackmail to get that wonderful round "GM&N The Road of Service" herald painted onto the tender for a season? Steve, I've already got a stencil master ready to cut (hint ;-)

JAC

> Now, who do you have to blackmail to get
> that wonderful round "GM&N The Road
> of Service" herald painted onto the
> tender for a season? Steve, I've already got
> a stencil master ready to cut (hint ;-)
> JAC

As Artie Johnson used to say on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: "Veddy Inta-resting!"

I don't know about for a season, but
can you say "vinyl lettering" ?

For those who clicked on here hoping for some major 425 news, sorry, still nothing to announce, as of this date.