Saw it a week ago. Looks like more stuff has been put on it and some work has begun on one of the cars. Didn't have time to snap a pic. That intersection can be crazy!

113 passed its annual inspection, and has been test fired twice and things tweaked. It will be test run at some point when all the arrangements with the R & N can be made.

Bernie

Bernie - any reason to keep such events - such as steam up and moving of the engine - hush, hush?

Seems a few folks "have a knack" for being at the right place at the right time. I'm sure many fans would love to be there to share in the excitement. Considering the location, can't imagine a situation where the crowds would be too large. As a side thought, I thought such a notification would be a really cool perk to a "membership" program, or offered to those who help support the restoration by way of donations.

Best of luck to y'all!

/Mitch

PS - Rumor 1: Was #113 steamed up (and moved?) recently?
PSS - Rumor 2: Any plans being ironed out for future operations - either one time or maybe on the regular? That's vague enough, no? : )

Membership has its privileges, you know......

I will attempt to answer some questions.

PS Rumor 1 113 has been fired recently as mentioned in my post. It was only on wood and to test for leaks and test the appliances. During the first firing there were leaks that had to be addressed. Everything apparently went well for the second firing (I wasn't there for the second one). As far as I know the locomotive wasn't moved--there isn't much space to move it on the siding.

PSS Rumor 2 I know of no real future plans set in stone except that at some time there will be a move to the breaker to load coal.

Mitch, give the station a call and talk directly to Bob to see what he may be planning. Don't email because I am the one who monitors the email and you will get the same thing I am saying here. The hush-hush thing frustrates me because I would like to see more publicity. One reason for it could be that things could be delayed at the last minute.

Dino, you are correct about the 1,500 HP compressor. 113's compressor was supposed to be rebuilt, but was in terrible condition with blocked passageways and bad parts. More that 1/2 of it had to be replaced with new and used parts.

Alexander, membership DOES NOT have its privileges, just hard, dirty work and frustrations and countless hours on the phone and computer. Steam is not romantic except to the foamers behind the cameras who do not support any projects but complain.

Bernie

Jeff,

It would be nice if you included my complete statement. I was not referring to camera toting railfans who do support projects.

Dino,

Yes, I fired and ran WK&S #2 and #65. I learned on #250 before the RR shut down for that interlude. Combined with the full statement in my above quote, I am 67 years olde and still enjoy working around steam locomotives. I just don't get overly excited about it. It is just another bad addiction. I just attack whatever has to be done: firing, patternmaking, writing egrants, etc. I am in the process of making patterns for the future WW&F #11. I will probably be dead when it is finished and running, but I have many hours in it anyway,

When I was much younger and came home from a day of firing and running, I would plop on the living room floor and fall asleep, totally exhausted. My two young daughters would be jumping on me and I would just let them enjoy themselves. Just imagine what it was like when someone like my wife's uncle had to shovel 18 tons a day going up the Lehigh Gorge and do it every day. That wasn't romantic.

There is nothing more annoying when some foamer (not necessarily young, either), stops at the site while work is going on, asks a lot of questions and then leaves without thinking about making a donation. A lot of commercial photographers use the equipment as background for wedding photos, etc. and never donate either.

So much for ranting and bragging. Any more questions?

Bernie

What's the address for us to make donations? And is there a way to make online donations? If there is none, has thought been given to setting up a Paypal donation link? A lot of people prefer that method to check these days...

Any donations can be sent to: Railway Restoration Project 113, 113 East Sunbury Street, Minersville, PA. 17954. Every donation helps. Project 113 is a not for profit 501(C)3 corporation. We can get matching grant money from certain employers including the Norfolk Southern Foundation.

I will talk to Bob about the paypal option.

Bernie

113 is not going to Railfest. Again, I have not been given the details, but essentially 113 is not ready for a trip that length. The rumors had substance and we started the paperwork, but when I finally inquired this week I was given a positive "no". We have to do some short term running as I am sure there will be some bugs to work out. Lehigh Gorge is not a good place to break down.

Bernie

It has been speculated elsewhere that "Hayden Seybold" is the latest in a long string of pseudonyms adopted by a certain character some of us here may be familiar with..... who has supposedly been causing "hijinks" on other such forums with similar behavior.....

I can say almost certainly that he's not "You-know-who." He's....an interesting character, and "eccentric" in his own way (along with another Facebook-er), but he's actually a real person.

I think the one you're alluding to goes by "Shenard F. Laner" or at least that's what his Facebook fan page calls him. I'm not too sure.

DC

Back to the topic at hand...Bernie, when do you think/hope the next test run/shake down run may come, sometime within the next month or so?

Bigjim,

Call Bob Kimmel at the Minersville Station 570-544-8300. If he gives you anything that he wants public, post it here.

Bernie

I was looking through some pics of 113 on railpictures.net and i see alot of people commented saying "hopefully this year she'll be running" and this was on pics from 2011, I still see alot of people talking about "what's taking so long to get her running" ym thoughts are this: Bernie, you and your entire crew are doing and have done a hell of a job so far on 113. It's unbelievable how "close" she is to fuly running again. Keep up the great work! I love to buy a calender or t-shirt or anything for that matter of 113, and have that money contributed to the restoration. feel free to PM me if you have any items for sale.