Ex PRR 1361 Boiler

gunns · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:57 am

Well, First they sneak it across the ABQ turntable into the Barellas backshop. Hire a bunch of "Bangers" to stand guard, and call in the aliens from Roswell with a stock of unobtanium, then.....

(Sorry the Pro SF writer in me came out. Grin)

Regards,
Kevin

Newriver400 wrote:

Frisco1522 wrote:

I think the only way to stop these threads and all the assorted outrage and flaming is to put the 1361 into the Witness Protection Program.

Now that's funny!

Wonder how that would work for a plot line on In Plain Sight?

That said, I'm not sure that, from a perspective of best available resources by the common management of both locations, it's such a bad idea. This would be especially true if they were going to hire a couple of shop guys to work on the project while not working on the operating EBT loco or if they are possibly planning on working on two boiler projects simutaneously and keeping all of the equipment in the same place.

Best,
Mike

<Snipage>

co614 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:54 am

Gentlemen,

Before we work ourselves up to the point that our nickers are in such a tight twist we can't breathe correctly let's wait until the facts are known about the real game plan and then we will have ample opportunity to chime in with our 2 cents worth of wisdom.

I can share that some months ago one of the industrys most respected contractors shared with me that after having been told that he would be part of the next effort to get this machine road worthy he was informed without explanation that they had decided that his services would not be needed. A very bad indication that the current Altoona management has not learned the key lesson from the disasterous prior "management", that being to hire proven professionals and then stay out of the way.

Time will tell.

Ross Rowland

tomgears · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:07 am

Friends,

News about work being done on the boiler of any locomotive is always welcome here. Please save the mudslinging for other message boards. Posts that do not meet our guidelines will be deleted without warning.

Tom Gears
Moderator

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:53 am

dinwitty wrote:

just recall the 765 was restored outdoors, you don't need an inside location, just secure as possible. Today may be different but I would be sure they are doing the right thing, and note theres been some EBT news here about the roundhouse apparatus workings, so they have skilled people there. You couldnt keep steam going there without the skilled folks there.

I don't think Altoona currently has room to rebuild the boiler for 1361 anyway. Might as well pull a 113.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

Donald Cormack wrote:

Quote:

You couldnt keep steam going there without the skilled folks there.

Skilled folks at the EBT you say? As I recall, the restoration of 15 was under the complete oversight of the Strasburg Railroad using SRC personnel to do most, if not all of the skilled labor. Certain knowledge also tells me that if any problems develop with 15, SRC personnel are already on the way.

I'm completely on board with Jason on this one. If this scenario is to play out as I think it will, it's completely foolhardy. Why send an infamously ill-fated locomotive, more importantly it's disaster of a boiler to a location where:
A. It will be stored outdoors and easily accessible to anyone in eyeshot hell-bent on creating mischief.
B. It will have no facility to properly handle to copious amounts of boiler work needed to satisfy ASME and FRA boiler standards. (If they decide to do said work anyway)
C. We can assume that there are no real "in-house" individuals that have the wherewithal to perform, let alone supervise the alleged work to be done.

Lastly, Mr. Dinwitty, don't ever compare the restoration of a Lima product to a PRR Juniata product. Aside from having all the former Lima design engineers doing barrel-rolls in their graves, it's like trying to compare the amount of body work needed to restore a classic 60's muscle car that spend it's life on the west coast as opposed the east coast.

I agree, wait for more info from the K4 folks, they need to be more informative, but they may have a reason for being clandestine a bit. Like I said before, EBT has someone skilled. Nuff said.

765's 2nd restoration was inside and far more detailed with boiler work and a full workover, I see no difference for the work coming up for the K4 vs the 765, 765's 2nd restoration took 13 years, we could have that long to wait for the K4.

overNout

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:40 pm

dinwitty wrote:

765's 2nd restoration was inside and far more detailed with boiler work and a full workover, I see no difference for the work coming up for the K4 vs the 765, 765's 2nd restoration took 13 years, we could have that long to wait for the K4.

overNout

The problem with that is - we've already waited how long? I hope not to have to wait another 15 or so years...

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:23 pm

bigjim4life wrote:

dinwitty wrote:

765's 2nd restoration was inside and far more detailed with boiler work and a full workover, I see no difference for the work coming up for the K4 vs the 765, 765's 2nd restoration took 13 years, we could have that long to wait for the K4.

overNout

The problem with that is - we've already waited how long? I hope not to have to wait another 15 or so years...

Its most likely we'll see 1361 running before Maine Central 501, so stay positive

mikefrommontana · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:47 pm

It could be that 1361's boiler is being "stashed" at EBT to avoid the political fallout of having all the pieces of a (currently) "failed" project in Altoona.

In the end it's politics. If rational decision making ruled preservation, we'd probably have it like the Brits do. We don't, so we muddle on. Wishing 1361 all the best!

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Erik Ledbetter · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:12 pm

Frisco1522 wrote:

I think the only way to stop these threads and all the assorted outrage and flaming is to put the 1361 into the Witness Protection Program.

Hmmm.

Charlie · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:49 pm

That's great!!! So if those NS folks are looking for another engine to run...

PRR Forever · **Joined:** Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:38 pm **Posts:** 91

Wow. I cannot believe what I am reading here. So basically, this guy informs us ONLY that the K4 has been moved from Steamtown to EBT. With just that information, jasonsobczynski somehow draws the conclusion that EBT is definitely handling the remaining restoration work on her. Then he completely damns the project as an utter failure.

And to make matters worse, most people actually BELIEVE him and start arguing the merits of this alleged operation!

ALL this...without so much as a peep from the Altoona folks on what the official reason is for her storage there.

REALLY?!?

mikefrommontana · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:35 pm

Ain't the Internet grand?

However, were the Altoona people considering doing boiler work at EBT, I wouldn't fault them with the idea--just so long as it's executed well.

Stay tuned.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Dave · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:00 pm

Well, just a couple things:

If I lived in central PA, I'd be proud to be a part of EBT. It's a national treasure of a time capsule, and has demonstrated a lot of good preservation and ongoing work in recent years.

There's NOTHING wrong with hiring a contractor with the ability of Strasburg to do overhaul work, it is an indication of good understanding of one's homegrown abilities and quality available from a neighbor, and making a rational decision to pursue quality from a highly reputable source.

I don't know or care if EBT is just a temporary holding area for a big hunk of steel, or if work will be done there, but it demonstrates nothing other than cooperative neighborliness for them to be involved, and that's commendable no matter how you look at it.

Let's hope for some good news about real progress in the future.

dave

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:39 pm

Please clarify. I am confused. Is it proven truth that 1361 boiler is at EBT (Orbisonia)?

EDM · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:21 pm

I had the same thought as softwerkslex; is it really 1361's boiler? Didn't someone from the Pottsville area make a big deal out of what he thought were steam locomotives, dead in transit? And they turned out to be tank cars?

EDM
"I'm from Missouri" (not-), NJ