Certainly an opportunity to stock steam parts for American renovations. Got a park loco project in mind? I was taken by surprise at Grand Canyon Railway, to see a CB&Q Mike with a Chinese lubricator! Hey, it does the job!

I'm anxious to see what Mr. Conrad's work on the 2-8-2 looks like when it's done. I would do the same thing to a Chinese engine if I owned one.
Maybe the president can use a couple of Chinese engines on his campaign train next year.

"Maybe the president can use a couple of Chinese engines on his campaign train next year."--Frisco 1522

A steam campaign special would be cool for any major candidate, but you won't see it, partially due to the problems of getting the major Class Is to agree to it, and a very part due to the lack of imagination on the part of the candidate and the campaign managers.

There is a story--I think it may have been in regard to a presidential campaign in 1972 for Richard Nixon, but I'm not really sure--in which a steam special was considered. Supposedly the campaign people turned the idea down--they thought the steam engine would get more attention than the candidate!

I have a weird brain; someone says something, or I see something, and I think of something else. In this case, I remember a button that used to be sold on the Delta Queen during the campaign of the 1970s to get the boat exempted from the Coast Guard regulations to keep it running. The button said, "I'd Rather Be A Steamboat Than President," or something like that. Wish I could find that thing.

Does anybody else remember that?

Multipower had been around since at least the mid 1990s. I contacted them back then and got a very reasonable price on a factory rebuilt SY, on behalf of a wannabe tourist line I was doing some work for. Never happened, of course-

I have dealt with Multipower a couple of times. We got many parts for LRR no.1 from them during the restoration. The prices were reasonable and it was a very easy process. Contact Qiang Ge at Multipower and he'll hook you up. Even if it isn't listed on his website, he probably has it for sale. Just so you know, China uses an air compressor based off of a Westinghouse. Both No. 1 and 110 sport Chinese air compressors. We haven't had any problems with them at all. No. also has a chinese headlight, couplers, and water glasses. No problems with any of them.
Travis

My comment on using the Chinese engines on a campaign special was typed with the sarcasm key on.

I caught it...but the "Inter-Web" really needs to have an icon for that.....

I'll admit, I thought it sounded ironic--but who can really tell unless there is a note that the sarcasm switch is on?

At the same time, what does the reaction from the campaign men in the example from the 1970s say? And not only that, can you imagine the reactions from some people to "polluting, greenhouse gas-emitting, coal-fired locomotives?" Or about how the candidate would want to "take our cars away" and for us "to go back to the horse and buggy?"

That's not sarcasm. I was actually accused of that (and of being a Communist, too) for promoting a light rail line!

Still, would such a stunt be worthwhile? I would like to think so, especially if the candidate was to call us to emulate the greatest generation--something I have noticed they do not seem to do for some reason. . .might have to do with them being afraid of losing their jobs, and at least in my state, elected officials are prohibited from collecting unemployment insurance. . .

Yup, I can see the headlines now:

"Campaign train causes global warming catastrophe,

During his recent campaign swing through the southern sates, president Obama's train, pulled by 2 Chinese steam locomotives, unleashed a series of global warming events that threatened to destroy the world we live in. The locomotives carbon footprint greatly exceeded the recent EPA regulations, drafted by the Obama administration, by a magnitude of unthinkable proportions. The great volumes of carbon entered our atmosphere triggering large upheavals which caused the polar icecaps to melt, seas to rise, global earthquakes and tsunamis of epic proportions. The president quickly convened a joint session of congress. As the president stood at the podium he pronounced, in his god commanding presence, that these events would cease and the heavens listened. The polar caps refroze, the oceans receded, the earthquakes and tsunamis ceased and the earth healed. Their was great rejoicing over the presidents great accomplishments and the world was once again at peace."

Ho, ho, ho, ho!! Sounds like the campaign managers in 1972 were right--the steam engine or engines would hog all the press!!

But it also would reveal how those rascally Republicans and negative nabobs of negativism in the news would get things wrong--as Chris notes, the engines would spew CARBON into the air (at least, that would be the visible stuff).

Now, anyone who has been around steam engines knows that CARBON (or C, as opposed to Carbon Dioxide, or CO2) doesn't stay in the air; it comes right back down, typically around the third car in the train. Our term for C is Cinders--and that stuff can help fertilize the right of way, returning certain elements to the soil and ballast. Of course, the right-of-way men might not appreciate something that makes weeds grow faster. . .

Charlie McCarthy: "Bergen, our railroad will have the best food in the dining cars. Our steaks will be great; we'll call the steak dinner the Coal Car Special."

Edgar Bergen: "Coal Car Special? Why would you call it that?"

Charlie McCarthy: "Because it's so tender. . ."

Sad thing is your satire/humor has way to much truth in it Chris. Not to far from what might get printed.

Not a big fan of buying Chinese products over something made in USA, but being that no one else is offering what they do in the line of modern rebuild-able {parts readily available} steam locomotives? If I were in the market for a mid sized 2-8-2...........Do you want to run it or talk about it. Maybe yes, maybe no, but having the option in this day and age is really quite unique.

How much was spent on the #4960 rebuild years ago when she got completely gone through with major boiler rebuild/re-design. At the time I think it was the most expensive and extensive rebuild of it's kind. Not arguing right or wrong, but pointing out the money spent v/s buying new/rebuilt in China. Historically speaking it is comparing apples to oranges and not a fair comparison, but dollar/cents..............Business is business, restoration and history is what it is. Luckily I have no money so no issues here to decide upon.

Really would like to sit down and talk with the master mechanic who keeps one of the SY's running to hear how they compare from a maintenance perspective. Find out the weak spots are?

Cheers, John.
l

Perhaps no one here recalls that back in 1966, I think, when Lyndon Johnson was president, there was a steam locomotive in his general vicinity. Rail Tours Inc. was running on the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR at that time, and Johnson was scheduled to appear in Dallastown, during that community's centennial celebration. Rail Tours had been running short excursion on the Ma & Pa's Dallastown Branch, from Dallastown to Yoe, about 4 miles round trip, behind CP 4-6-0 No. 972.

When the Secret Service found out about the steam locomotive, they forbid its operation on the day that Johnson was in town, citing their fear that it would (1) blow up on its own and harm the President, or (2) some nefarious person would shoot a hole in its boiler, causing an explosion and harm to the President.

Back when Bush 41 was in St. Louis, he was at a function at Union Station and at that time, we kept 1522 there. Secret Service just about had a conniption about our engine being there and wondering if someone could hide a bomb in it.
They were assured that 1522 was not a threat and were satisfied.
You couldn't run a campaign special today behind steam because Al Gore would lay down in front of it.

Doggone it, we need a real he-man for President, one who understands America's industrial heritage, and is willing to fight to rebuild the infrastructure that got us through gas and tire rationing in WW II. That means rebuilding America's railroads, and that includes a new locomotive fleet designed to get us off of oil by burning abundant American coal.

I nominate we draft Ross Rowland for President.

If Ross turns us down, I nominate myself; please send money. . .:-)

Neither Ross nor I would likely win, but we would have fun, and might get to invite some readers here for the ride!

Now, I'm all for democracy, but how about we wait until 2016. It's a bit late to get in front of the current candidates.