The park hopes the engine will be ready for July
though admits that would be an ambitious goal,
as is the goal to have her ready for September's
Railfest. Maybe, maybe not, but definitely on
the home stretch - maybe.


I generally am a lurker but this got me and I'm giving my 2 cents.

Ambitious? How so?
Ambitious would have been a long time you know like more than ten years ago.

The engine. OOS since 1999, it's simple yard goat. Six driving wheels, no lead or trailing trucks. saturated. Yet it is OOS since 1999, despite being in one of the best equipped shops, with a paid staff.

Compared to what's been done with another bigger 0-6-0, no shop, all volunteers, or a little further South where several locomotives run year around and get fixed as needed and Strasburg starts in February, not May.

It's not ambitious. It's overdue. way over due. Now, if other things were happening, it would be OK, but there is no 2317 and word is 3254 is done for good. What would they do if there was no rented F units?

It's pretty clear that something is wrong. Maybe they need a project board like Strasburg has in its shop so figers can get pointed. Who takes this long to do a switcher?

Another thing. the last thing they should be doing is worrying about paint-another delay for what?

Steamtown takes this long to do a switcher. The engine was just about rebuilt from the ground up. As for the paint, Steamtown does historical accuracy, and the engine was green when Baldwin first built it. Strasburg fixes their engines as needed, Steamtown has made it so that the next time they take her out of service is for her 1472 inspection, and they will only need to retube her them. They may have a paid staff, but it's a lot smaller than most volunteer groups, and they are subject to federal funding and restrictions. You can throw out all the accusations you want, but Steamtown doesn't fit into the normal pattern of heritage railroads. Let it go.

Public sector entities have pretty intensive structures of standards and practices through which they have to navigate to make anything happen. There's also the annual budget - dependent on politicians funding parks and historic sites, and the parks and historic sites bureaucracy filtering a myriad of competing requests from all their subject properties. This isn't an unusual rate of progress in that kind of system. I've worked in that structure, and in others.....each has its own way of getting things done. It is what it is and it will get a sustainable steam locomotive out the door in excellent condition once the process has taken place.

dave

It's interesting you say this, because everytime I read a post about 26, I tend to think the same thing. However, I haven't posted on this subject in quite some time now, because you're always gonna have them people who take shots at you just for making your own opinion. I find this project to be long past due as well. Almost 15 years now, and all we hear is "they HOPE it's done in the summer." Now, I understand it's all federal and all that political stuff, but take a look at what a volunteer group did in minersville to CNJ 113. By no means am I gonna sit here and shoot ST down, I used to love going there since I lived just an hour south of it. (Now living in Cali.) but in my personal opinion, it should have been up and running by now... regardless of how much work they've done. As far as the paint goes, 425 wasn't painted when they took it on it's returning test fire... I just think they should get it all together, make sure it runs nice and smooth and the way it should, and THEN worry about the paint.

Also, I don't want to throw out comparisons, as the situations were totally different, but 261 is already being test fired and nearly ready to hit the roads after what? 5 or so years? And that engine is a BEAST compared to little 26.

Well, things like maintenance, upkeep, and repairs on two other mainline locomotives, a diesel locomotive, a veritable fleet of passenger cars, as well as fuel costs, staff costs, museum upkeep and maintenance costs, not to mention yard and track maintenance cost and time kind of have happened over the past decade and a half, so it's not like they're going balls to the wall on the 26, focusing ONLY on her for this entire time. Work was performed as time and funds permit. Plus, the crew would work on 3713 as well, from what I was told. So, it's not unreasonable in my opinion, especially at a place like Steamtown (see above reasoning).

There's no doubt this project is past due and taking longer then anyone would (is) expecting.

When I said "ambitious goal", I meant from this point forward, it would be an ambitious goal to have the engine finished "so quickly" considering how it stands today.

The example of a handful of volunteers restoring a much larger 0-6-0 is outdoors is interesting though that project started in the mid-80's. A better example might be how fast the engine was restored by Jerry Jacobson of former Ohio Central fame. Two years, albeit, not from the frame up. As for paint - kind of hard to paint the frame after the boiler is attached. If we can wait some 14 years, we can wait 14 years and a few weeks, months or even a year longer.

Rumor has it there will be visiting steam at Steamtown this year - perhaps even CNJ #113 herself.

Hopefully, once finished, work on 3713 AND 2317 progress - vs simply calling it quits with a lone functional demonstration engine puttering around in the yard.

/Mitch

I've long been a vocal critic of Steamtown and it's easy to be critical of this effort that by all outward metrics has taken eons longer than common sense would say it should have.

However, it's also important to remember that this was their " rainey day" project which received attention when time and manpower permitted. That coupled with the inherent inefficiences baked into any Federal project ( rules, regulations etc.) which make any project take much longer and cost much more, makes it understandable why its taken so long.

I've come to be at peace with the fact that despite all its worts Steamtown is a fitting memorial to the American steam saga and does a credible job educating the general public on this under told piece of the story of the growth of our great nation.

Let's wish little # 26 a trouble free life bringing joy to the many visitors she'll entertain.

Also, I think Superintendant Kip Hagen is deserving of a big thank you for all the efforts he has undertaken to do his best to get the maximum funding possible for Steamtown during these tough budget times, and for the remediation project that materially upgraded the cosmetic condition of the 759/2124 and other icons in the collection.

Ross Rowland

Well said Ross

Absolutely. Let's wish the little Baldwin a long life of regular service while sister locomotives get required attention for service. Let's hope to see Steamtown with multiple steam locomotives hot and running, and idle Diesels on the display tracks.

I offer, without comment, the following:

http://www.nps.gov/stea/parkmgmt/upload/CIPExecutiveSummary2003web.pdf

I am not going to get into the conclusions of this study, but being 10 years old it is certainly in need of review and updating.

"I am not going to get into the conclusions of this study, but being 10 years old it is certainly in need of review and updating."

I changed my mind. The CIP was developed at considerable expense and use of staff time. If was meant to be permanent as I understand it.

The only thing that needs updating would be the years listed in the guide. This plan, much like many Long-Range Development Plans for colleges and universities, serves as a future guideline, and doesn't really revolve around hard deadlines and dates.

Some updated photos of Baldwin 26 taken May 6, 2013. The above are the piping and other pieces that have recently gotten the green treatment. Not too thrilling, but late in the day, the chassis was rolled back to the shop floor. We can now see how good she looks on rails, instead of through paint booth windows.

The past week or so, boiler jacketing has been put on to get accurate sizing for where parts will fit. This meant putting things on, and then taking them off. The jacketing sheets were stacked upright, and will be moved to the paint booth also. The main goal is to keep the boiler as light as possible, so the 30 ton capy crane can pick her up and place her on the wheels. This should be done by the end of the week.

I love how fat those tires are. They remind me of Lionel tinplate standard gauge trains. The trim is aluminum.

Today the side rods were attached to at least one side, possibly both. The tender, show in Mitch's pictures a few days ago, was rolled out of the roundhouse to the paint booth. Still a lot of work to do, and a lot of it isn't exciting, but when she is fired up, she will roll as smooth as if she were new.

Looking good. My limited understanding of Baldwin paint standards leads me to believe that the thick "white wall" tire stripes were only used for builder's photos and they would have been repainted with thinner tire stripes afterwards. Of course, I could be wrong...

I am looking forward to seeing this engine in Olive.