Hello everyone,

Early today, I rode on the Virginia Creeper Trail for the third time, and as always, had a blast. The highlight of every trip over there is seeing the old "Molly" N&W 433. She looks rather nice under the pavilion in downtown Abington.

While looking at her, and comparing her to the operable 475 at the Strasburg Railway, has 433 ever been inspected internally to see if she could ever run again? I mean, I doubt that she ever will, but who knows.

Martin

I have always said given enough determination you could get any engine to run.

N&W kept their 4-8-0's (that they used since 1911) in operable condition for regular service, my opinion 433 could be in better condition than you expect but like always, it would get a thorough workover.

Just the cosmetic appearance tells you something about the care a locomotive has been given. Agreed, it could be a mess inside, but the view you posted leads me to think she's been pretty well looked after.

There have been some interesting preservation activities along this line. In Todd, NC there are two cabooses and a GE center-cab locomotive, labeled "Virginia-Carolina"...hence my interest in the other posting about V-C #50:
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image ... 7dc03438f7

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Thanks for the responses guys. The original M class engines are so fascinating to me. I went to see the 475 a number of years ago, and was in awe by how well she ran.

It would be really neat to see 433 run again. The problem I see is where to run her, who would do take on the task, where would the work be done to make her run, and if the city of Abington would let it go (that would probably be the most vital thing).

Even if she never runs again, at least she has a good home and a roof over her head.

Again, thanks for the comments guys.

Martin

I think I am pretty happy one of them operate, on a personal level I would rather see one of the M2's get going, thats a long time future wish.

I have Prince's N&W book but only says it was donated to Abdington, but heres some better info.

http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-ma ... 00314.html

O Winston Link recorded sound on the Abdington branch on the Fading Giant album, however both engines that ran it are scrapped.

The N&WRHS has a website that has records of equipment data, its rather scattered, but it showed some details of shopwork of various engines including M's, M2's W's, M2c's over their operating life, some indicating when they got Baker Valve gear, or when they got a boiler patch. The Roanoke builder crews were busy not just on new engines but keeping the old in running order, which is why the N&W never got 0-8-0's till late, like 1950, in the meantime, the M's, W's were pulling up the yards and branch line work. Knowing 433 ran up to 1957 tells me on retirement it was likely in good operating order, when it had its last overhaul, I don't know. 50plus years of sitting simply is going to require the complete overhaul work, you will likely get all new flues, the firebox would certainly get a lookover and check and look for flaws. There is no way you could throw a fire in it and expect it to go.

475 was in the Scrap yard along with the M2's and the W and Strasburg rescued it earlier while the others remained. Somewhere I heard someone tried to get the M2's out or tried to see if any could be operable, after dragging one of the M's and the wheels slid without moving, he gave up saying the pistons were frozen. Well, too bad, too good because maybe now one of those engines could operate and give it the detailed workover than the rather childish "I hope it works" from this guy who tried before.

just some overall thoughts that may help your interest.

Correction: Strasburg DID NOT "rescue" 475 from the scrap yard. 475 was acquired, along with lots of other N&W steamers, by Virginia Scrap Iron and Metal Co. of Roanoke, Va., but was then purchased by W. Armagost of Holsopple, Pa. In 1980 it was sold to H.S. Kuyper, and then conveyed to the Pella Historical Society, being stored at Union, Ill. In 1982 it was purchased by C. Rosenberg and others, being donated to the Boone & Scenic Valley in Iowa in 1985 and moved to Boone for display in 1986. It wasn't until around 1990 that the Strasburg Railroad purchased it and returned it to service.

Two tidbits for trivia hounds.

First, in July 1964 Mr. Armagost approached the Everett Railroad (Everett, PA), offering to lease the line on weekends to operate a steam passenger excursion using his locomotive. The Everett's board of directors became so enamored with the notion that they ended up buying their own equipment and getting into the tourist business without Mr. Armagost.

Second, the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, noted for operating steam into the 1960s and whose engines subsequently filled the rosters of several early tourist roads, once considered buying a 4-8-0 from the N&W. From a VBR 1946 internal management document in my possession: "The N&W Railroad have in the past sold their Model M, M-1, and M-W under $5,000. These engines will weigh approximately 90 tons and are more modern than any of ours. They would easily carry any reasonable load over Rose Hill . . . without doubling." At the time, VBR had three locomotives with a combined age of 128 years. The presence of an N&W alumnus as the short line's Master Mechanic may have influenced management's thinking on future motive power. Ultimately the VBR bought war surplus 0-6-0's instead.

Alan Maples

I am confused, I was at Strasburg in the mid-80's and rode behind the 4-8-0 and even shot film of it.


-edit-

I am emailing strasburg directly, I'll have to check my films.

In a closely related note, the recent tornadoes that struck at Southwest Virginia, destroyed trestle #7 on the former Abington branch...

http://www.vacreepertrail.us/

Before...



After....



A recent update..

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/0 ... l-Repairs/

I've seem to have developed a fondness of the M's. And I've thought about trying to bribe Abington out of their engine. But as one of the best maintained park engines I know, I feel it some how irresponsible to lust over it.....

Another option I have considered, would be building replicas of such an engine. While it would be hard to use the "Bachman" method of making mulitiple different reproductions represent multiple different roads,

Is there enough existing N&W blue prints and engineering data to rebuild an M?

While not generic, does the 475 make a good enough showing it would be worth reproducing?

It seems they crossed a wide enough range of asignments that they would cover the range of many assignments (except backing up constantly......except Strasburg doesn't seem to have a problem....)

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checked my film, I rode behind 90, the 2-10-0, same number of wheels, wrong arrangement. Prince's book confirms the Holsopple purchase. Not sure why my brain said the 4-8-0 was there.

no comments from the peanut gallerie.

You didn't say anything about the popcorn gallery.