Does anybody know anything about this engine? Its been on Barnhardt's website for a long time. At $35,000, even in pieces, it would seem like a great opportunity for a group short on cash, long on enthusiasm.

Also where in Pennsylvania?

US ARMY #4023, 1942 ALCO 0-6-0
superheater@beer.com

> Does anybody know anything about this
> engine? Its been on Barnhardt's website for
> a long time. At $35,000, even in pieces, it
> would seem like a great opportunity for a
> group short on cash, long on enthusiasm.

> Also where in Pennsylvania?

At the New Hope & Ivyland, also known as Virginia Blue Ridge #9. It operated for a spell at NH&I in the 1960s, but I have heard reports to the effect of a hole cut in the boiler during a botched rebuilding. Maybe a former ex-NH&I neighbor or volunteer would care to comment more precisely what's wrong with it?


lner4472@bcpl.net

Sandy,

#9 does not have a hole in its boiler; you're thinking of ex-CNR 4-6-0 No. 1533, also stored at
New Hope. She ran briefly in 1966, then again from 1969 until 1971; then from 1976-1981 when she went out of service. An attempt was made to resume work on #9 in 1992-1993 but due to a number of reasons this was never completed.

K.R. Bell

> At the New Hope & Ivyland, also known as
> Virginia Blue Ridge #9. It operated for a
> spell at NH&I in the 1960s, but I have
> heard reports to the effect of a hole cut in
> the boiler during a botched rebuilding.
> Maybe a former ex-NH&I neighbor or
> volunteer would care to comment more
> precisely what's wrong with it?

> but due to a number of reasons
> this was never completed.

Are any of those various reasons such that a restoration is impossible or unfeasible?


superheater@beer.com

> At the New Hope & Ivyland, also known as
> Virginia Blue Ridge #9. It operated for a
> spell at NH&I in the 1960s, but I have
> heard reports to the effect of a hole cut in
> the boiler during a botched rebuilding.
> Maybe a former ex-NH&I neighbor or
> volunteer would care to comment more
> precisely what's wrong with it?

Well if you read the write up it pretty much lays it out, new side sheets and new crown sheet. Pretty much means all the stays would have to be re-done and you'd have to have a place to make the new side sheets, or deep pockets to have some body make them for you. Also if you look at the picture on the barnhart web site it reall does look like some body cut the bottom out of the wrapper sheet, I have no clue why some one would do that or what type of repair they wanted to make.

But if I ever won the lottery (like the big time about 50 million) I'd be going back up north and trying to get all of those VBR engines back down here.

btrue@vt.edu

Let's hope the current folks at New Hope find her a good home. I would hate to see #9 end up like former VBR #7 that was cut up by the old New Hope steam railroad.

Tom Gears

> Well if you read the write up it pretty much
> lays it out, new side sheets and new crown
> sheet. Pretty much means all the stays would
> have to be re-done and you'd have to have a
> place to make the new side sheets, or deep
> pockets to have some body make them for you.
> Also if you look at the picture on the
> barnhart web site it reall does look like
> some body cut the bottom out of the wrapper
> sheet, I have no clue why some one would do
> that or what type of repair they wanted to
> make.

0-6-0 9 (or 4023 if you prefer) has areas cut out of the firebox just above the mud ring. I assume these were areas with wastage that were to be replaced during her last (aborted) overhaul. Also she lacks a rear tube sheet. I don't believe they had yet fab'ed a replacement when the overhaul was stopped. The locomotive is stored at far end of the NH&I in New Hope on what was the track to the gravel pit. There are some extra parts laying beside the engine that I believe are from scrapped ex-VBR sister engine 7. Actually-if I remember right--9 (in its present state) is a mixture of parts from both 9 and 7. Lima-built 7 was cut up (except, apparently, for the saved "extra parts") during 9's c.1976 rebuilding. I don't believe there was a "show stopping" mechanical reason for ending 9's early 90's overhaul. Instead, unfortunately repairs to 9 fell victim to "issues" involving the then management of the railroad. The present day NH&I folks have chosen 4-8-4 3028 (and perhaps someday even once again 4-6-0 1533) for future operation. The NH&I line is one curve after another and the hefty 0-6-0 didn't fit into the current operator's plans, hence its offering for sale.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

Actually VBR 7 was parted out and scrapped before 1975 by one of the managements of the NH&I, before the "New Hope Steam RR" was formed.

USA 4023/VBR 9/NHIR 9 was a good steamer that rode acceptably backwards and had good visibility backwards. I understand the tender drawbar arrangement leads this engine while running backwards. Ride forwards was not so good.

It was my understanding Col. Hill had designed a lead truck for the USA 0-6-0, and I further understand Midland Terminal and a terminal road in Portsmouth VA had 2-6-0 versions of the engine.


Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Hello

Talked to a few ex-NH&I buddies about this engine on more than one occasion. As was mentioned, there was no real deal-breaker encountered when working on the engine. However, the road contracted staybolt firebox repairs (conflicting reports say staybolt work OR wrapper work) that were done incorrecly and upon examination revealed that the firebox would need to be re-repaired. The expenses already put forth, added to the costs of re-doing the work helped make the decision to let the engine sit. If restored the engine would have more or less been back-up power anyway, hence the decision to cut bait on the project.

Dave Crosby

bing@epix.net

> But if I ever won the lottery (like the big
> time about 50 million) I'd be going back up
> north and trying to get all of those VBR
> engines back down here.

Hey Ben - Is there any railfanning to be done of the remains of the VBR? I've passed the road to Piney River many times on Rt 29 and wondered if it was worth a side trip to explore.

Thanks - Mike in BV

PS how's the Climax coming along?

Yenko117@yahoo.com

The MT did indeed have three of the 0-6-0s that they converted to 2-6-0s, Nos. 64,65 and 66. I think two were Alcos and one was a Lima. They were used extensively in the line's last years. They also had a few others that were never converted. All went to the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt line in Virginia when the MT was abandoned, but I don't know if the 2-6-0s were ever used there afterward.

> Actually VBR 7 was parted out and scrapped
> before 1975 by one of the managements of the
> NH&I, before the "New Hope Steam
> RR" was formed.

> USA 4023/VBR 9/NHIR 9 was a good steamer
> that rode acceptably backwards and had good
> visibility backwards. I understand the
> tender drawbar arrangement leads this engine
> while running backwards. Ride forwards was
> not so good.

> It was my understanding Col. Hill had
> designed a lead truck for the USA 0-6-0, and
> I further understand Midland Terminal and a
> terminal road in Portsmouth VA had 2-6-0
> versions of the engine.


MT 2-6-0s, 1949
ryarger@rypn.org

The 1533 was sweet little locomotive. I have some pictures of her decked out in CNR colors, operating in the snow on the NH&I. I'd love to see this little engine restored for operation. I can't quite understand how a small branch line tourist road can operate a 4-8-4 economically, but I am probably missing something on that note. I do hope #1533 is repairable. I hate to see a half disassembled steamer sitting in the weather and rusting away.

glueck@maine.edu

> Hey Ben - Is there any railfanning to be
> done of the remains of the VBR? I've passed
> the road to Piney River many times on Rt 29
> and wondered if it was worth a side trip to
> explore.

> Thanks - Mike in BV

> PS how's the Climax coming along?

Engine house is still there in Piney river, used by a loging company, as is the depot, as for the rest of the line I really don't know, not much of it was ever acceably from the road that I know of. Now if you want to follow all the old logging lines that came off of it get your self a good topo map of the mountains above Piney river and get your hiking boots out and be prepared to spend weeks up there, most of it's all on National Forest and some of it's service roads.

As for the Climax she's slowly but surely, The tender truck is completly disassmbled, tires removed, work being done on renewing the frames, lots of fun going on in the restoration shop. Check it out at www.msrlha.org under workweekends or show up in Cass on one of our work weekends with your gloves and work close;)

Ben


btrue@vt.edu

> The MT did indeed have three of the 0-6-0s
> that they converted to 2-6-0s, Nos. 64,65
> and 66. I think two were Alcos and one was a
> Lima. They were used extensively in the
> line's last years. They also had a few
> others that were never converted. All went
> to the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt line in
> Virginia when the MT was abandoned, but I
> don't know if the 2-6-0s were ever used
> there afterward.

Bob: Thanks for that post! After some difficulty, I was finally able to pull up the Otto Perry photos of the Midland Terminal. Great stuff!! I've got to go back and look it over more closely. These are the first good photos I have ever seen of the Army 0-6-0's converted to 2-6-0's by the MT. I believe that the difference between the two builders is that Lima's engines had one large sand dome ahead of the steam dome while the Alco's had two seperate sand domes, in front and in back of the steam dome. If that is true (I'm going from memory now), then the MT had two Lima's (64 and 66) and one Alco (#65) according to what I can make out from Mr. Perry's pix.

A couple of other things I didn't know about the MT. They had some true Mikado's (what road did THEY come from?) Wow! And a Mike (#61) that looks as if it may have been converted from a 2-8-0 from the looks of the tiny trailing truck.
Sure would like to know more about this fascinating road. Know of any books about it?

Les

midlandblb@cs.com

At the time of abandonment, the VBR right-of-way from Piney River to Tye River was sold, with bridges intact, to Steve Martin, an Amherst, VA, attorney who wanted to preserve it for a hiking trail. He has since organized the Virginia Blue Ridge Trail Foundation, Inc. (P.O. Box 1318, Amherst, VA 24521) which has just received a $275,000 enhancement grant for trail construction, parking areas and a pavilion. I understand other funds have also been raised and the total project is exepected to be around $1.2 million. Details on the link below, if it works . . .

http://www.railfan.net/lists/rshsdepot- ... 00085.html

Alan Maples



VBR Trail News
AMaples@aol.com