I went to Houston Saturday and went byto see 982.
I thought they were trying to restore that loco?
I am not running anybody down or out to insult any groups effort, but it looked worse than when I saw it a couple of years ago.

It looks like the effort has come to a stop. 982 is still an impressive machine. And I have a question about the engine.

On the firemans side next to the air pump theres a big device that looks like an air pump but its much bigger and has a 5" or 6" pipe that runs to the steam chest, what is this thing?
Im guessing a feedwater pump.

thanks
Alan

adofmsu@aol.com

You can contact them thru their website at the link below.

982 Website
hkading@rypn.org

> On the firemans side next to the air pump
> theres a big device that looks like an air
> pump but its much bigger and has a 5"
> or 6" pipe that runs to the steam
> chest, what is this thing?
> Im guessing a feedwater pump.

It is a Worthington BL feedwater heater and pump. It is an "open" type feedwater heater where the steam is mixed with the incoming feedwater, rather than a "closed" type like an ELESCO, which is tube-and-bundle type heater exchanger you normaly see partly buried in the top of the front of the smokebox. It also has a reciprocating steam pump built into it.

Southern Pacific installed Worthington BL feedwater heaters on virtually of all of their steam locomotives. On my "steam lizard" group website under >Surviving Steam Pumps>Worthington Study is a picture of the Worthington BL heater on sister engine 975 while it was still in Beaumont. (It's at the IRM now.)

I seem to recall in addition to the restoration work, the locomotive was moved to make way for an expansion of the Zoo. I have not seen it since, but my guess is the move plus a slow restoration project has taken it's toll.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Steam Lizards - Reciprocating Steam Pumps
james1@pernet.net

Alan,

Greg Radler of the TRPA (which is restoring the 982) is a member of the "steam lizards" group. He posted the following description of the Worthington "BL" heater some time back:

"The "BL" feedwater heaters contain the steam driven "driver" part in the upper right-hand corner. The middle of the right-hand side is
the cold water pump from the tender. The lower right-hand corner is the hot water pump. The driver and both pumps are connected together
by a common piston rod and move together as one unit. The upper left-hand corner contains the heater section. The lower left-hand corner
is a "storage" area for hot water. Some of the "BL" units do not have this storage area."

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a


Steam Lizards - Reciprocating Steam Pumps
james1@pernet.net

> It is a Worthington BL feedwater heater and
> pump. It is an "open" type
> feedwater heater where the steam is mixed
> with the incoming feedwater, rather than a
> "closed" type like an ELESCO,
> which is tube-and-bundle type heater
> exchanger you normaly see partly buried in
> the top of the front of the smokebox. It
> also has a reciprocating steam pump built
> into it.

> Southern Pacific installed Worthington BL
> feedwater heaters on virtually of all of
> their steam locomotives. On my "steam
> lizard" group website under
> >Surviving Steam Pumps>Worthington
> Study is a picture of the Worthington BL
> heater on sister engine 975 while it was
> still in Beaumont. (It's at the IRM now.)

> I seem to recall in addition to the
> restoration work, the locomotive was moved
> to make way for an expansion of the Zoo. I
> have not seen it since, but my guess is the
> move plus a slow restoration project has
> taken it's toll.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a

The 982 is undergoing a slow restoration effort slowed by mainly the lack of money. The locomotive has in fact been stabilized,with some of the boiler jacket having been replaced,running gear cleaned up and lubricated,plus some other work that you cannot readily see having been done.

The 982 is unique in one respect...when she is eventually overhauled,she DOES HAVE A PLACE TO RUN!
The City of Houston wants to again move the locomotive,but no new location has been decided yet. Most likely the locomotive will be moved out of the park to another location.

Here it is people....we have a big locomotive,with a place to run.......but no restoration funds to complete the job. Contact the website or myself if you are interested in donating time,talent,or treasure in getting this fine locomotive back on the road.

kbcotton@flash.net

> The 982 is undergoing a slow restoration
> effort slowed by mainly the lack of money.
> The locomotive has in fact been
> stabilized,with some of the boiler jacket
> having been replaced,running gear cleaned up
> and lubricated,plus some other work that you
> cannot readily see having been done.

> The 982 is unique in one respect...when she
> is eventually overhauled,she DOES HAVE A
> PLACE TO RUN!
> The City of Houston wants to again move the
> locomotive,but no new location has been
> decided yet. Most likely the locomotive will
> be moved out of the park to another
> location.

> Here it is people....we have a big
> locomotive,with a place to run.......but no
> restoration funds to complete the job.
> Contact the website or myself if you are
> interested in donating time,talent,or
> treasure in getting this fine locomotive
> back on the road.

Kenneth: One of the two surviving SP 2-10-2's (either IRM's 975 or your 982) had, I believe, a boiler replaced after a boiler explosion when it was in regular service. So THAT particular Santa Fe had a boiler that is newer than the locomotive. Do you happen to know whether it is 975 or 982?

Incidentally, the 975 at Union is in horrible shape and desperately needs to be stabilized.

midlandblb@cs.com

> Kenneth: One of the two surviving SP
> 2-10-2's (either IRM's 975 or your 982) had,
> I believe, a boiler replaced after a boiler
> explosion when it was in regular service. So
> THAT particular Santa Fe had a boiler that
> is newer than the locomotive. Do you happen
> to know whether it is 975 or 982?

> Incidentally, the 975 at Union is in
> horrible shape and desperately needs to be
> stabilized.

The 982 is the locomotive that allegedly blew up and had her boiler replaced. All the old heads I have run across have said so,but I can't find a record to substantiate the rumors. The 982 also turned over near Sugarland,also according to old heads. I'm still searching the old ICC accident reports to verify both claims. If they are both true,then the 982's boiler is much newer that her build date,which should give us a little less wear and tear than on the 975.One of these days I would love to see her repatriated to Texas,but that's a ways off.........

kbcotton@flash.net

> Incidentally, the 975 at Union is in
> horrible shape and desperately needs to be
> stabilized.

If you would have seen her in the park in Beaumont prior to the move to Union, I think you agree that she could have won the "ugliest park engine" award, bar none. I am not a Beaumont native, but judging from her appearance, the city of Beaumont had done nothing with her since she was parked, and the combination of the weather and pollution down here really did her in.

You can see from the photograph what she looked like when she was first removed from the park; the picture is from my webpage below. (I also have an older picture of 982; taken just before the major work began on her, and the move.) The IRM went through about two dozen cans of black spray paint repainting her, got her wheels rolling again and her brakes working; and the barest of stablization work for the trip home.

She is probably not high on the restoration list right now, but the fact is if the IRM did not come and rescue her, #982 would have been yet another "recent loss". Thanks, IRM!

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a


Steam Locomotives in SE Texas and SW Louisiana

james1@pernet.net

According the the SP steam compendium 982 did have a boiler explosion. When I correspoded with Joe Strapac about this, he could not find his notes to dispute what I found in the San Antonio, TX newspaper for that time. What I found was that engine 981 (or train)(maybe the same) did suffer a boiler explosion while sitting on a siding waiting for a passing train. The engineer, fireman and head brakeman died as a result of this. The boiler was several hundred feet from the locomotive frame. I do not know if 982 has the original boiler or a newer than 1919 boiler.

> The 982 is the locomotive that allegedly
> blew up and had her boiler replaced. All the
> old heads I have run across have said so,but
> I can't find a record to substantiate the
> rumors. The 982 also turned over near
> Sugarland,also according to old heads. I'm
> still searching the old ICC accident reports
> to verify both claims. If they are both
> true,then the 982's boiler is much newer
> that her build date,which should give us a
> little less wear and tear than on the
> 975.One of these days I would love to see
> her repatriated to Texas,but that's a ways
> off.........


http://rypn.org/TRPA/
greg.radler@parsons.com

> The 982 is the locomotive that allegedly
> blew up and had her boiler replaced. All the
> old heads I have run across have said so,but
> I can't find a record to substantiate the
> rumors. The 982 also turned over near
> Sugarland,also according to old heads. I'm
> still searching the old ICC accident reports
> to verify both claims. If they are both
> true,then the 982's boiler is much newer
> that her build date,which should give us a
> little less wear and tear than on the
> 975.One of these days I would love to see
> her repatriated to Texas,but that's a ways
> off.........

Kenneth: Perhaps one way to know for sure would be to check the builders plate. Now I am sure that the builders plates from SP 982 are probably missing BUT perhaps a good photo (subject to magnification) of the engine when it was in service might reveal the answer. IF Baldwin furnished a replacement boiler, there is a good likelyhood that it would so be noted on the BLW builders plate. Anyone out there have such a photo?


midlandblb@cs.com

> I went to Houston Saturday and went byto see
> 982.
> I thought they were trying to restore that
> loco?
> I am not running anybody down or out to
> insult any groups effort, but it looked
> worse than when I saw it a couple of years
> ago.

> It looks like the effort has come to a stop.
> 982 is still an impressive machine. And I
> have a question about the engine.

> On the firemans side next to the air pump
> theres a big device that looks like an air
> pump but its much bigger and has a 5"
> or 6" pipe that runs to the steam
> chest, what is this thing?
> Im guessing a feedwater pump.

> thanks
> Alan

Alan,
Yes she does look mighty bad. For 10 years the TRPA has struggled to get support from the local politicians so as to restore the 982 to running condition. To date, the TRPA has been unable to generate the necessary support. The engine was to be moved to a site outside of the park, but the move has not materialized. It would be a marvelous use of ISTEA funding.

The feedwater pump is composed of 3 sections. It has a 4BL top and midsection, and a 4B bottom. The Worthington pumps were designed so that the sections could be mixed and matched as needed. Such amalgamations were not uncommon on SP at the end of steam. The idea was to keep them running as long as possible with minimal capital outlay.

Also, farther down the thread is a mention of the 975. I must agree that the IRM was the saving grace of the 975. But we all must admit that the 975 is one ugly duckling. She is an Alco and exclusively a freight engine. The 982 is a Baldwin, was cross counterbalanced for passenger service, has steam heat lines for passenger cars, and (according to Mr. Sonny Weatherly, an engineer who ran the 982) she rides like a pulman at 65 mph. Of course, my opinion may be biased in favor of the 982, but when she is back together again, she will be a nicely proportioned lady that is capable of pulling 1500 tons over Fitzy (the second highest grade in Texas).

Jim Akin
Class of '01
Gig 'Em Aggies


jakin@iolbv.com