Heat rises, metal does not burn. A fire in the firebox the heat can be as hot to melt metal yet is the boiler water preventing that.

The Shay at Hesston was in a fire that destroyed passenger equipment and so on, but, however, over time, test checks, inspections, they restored the shay to operation.

Never say never for 2101, but we have other engines like her that operate or restorable, if they desire the engine as cosmetic restoration, I'm cool with it.

But again, it will take serious boiler inspection, safe always.

Gary, I think you're right on target. The decision to swap the 2101 for the 614 had a lot more to do with upgrading to a much more modern machine than it did with the amount of damage done to the T-1.

My crew was real tired of fighting constant issues with the T-1's main axle Hennessy lubricator issues and the prospect of getting an all roller-bearing machine was EXTREMELY appealing. Besides the 614 being the last commercially built 4-8-4 had a lot of marketing appeal.

As I've shared in the past, the difference between an all roller bearing machine and a friction bearing machine is beyond night and day it's a different universe. Now that I've been privileged to operate an all roller bearing engine I can not imagine ever going back.

Ross Rowland

I'm really enjoying reading this thread especially the last few posts about 2101 which has answered the questions I always had about it since I was a kid.
Thanks
Eric

It's clear that being in a fire is not the end of a locomotive. Just look at Knox and Kane 58, currently running as Valley Railroad's 3025.

It would be very interesting to hear J. David's take on the effort to restore that locomotive.

Never said it was an easy restoration. I'd be amazed if it was. Just saying that being in a fire does not automatically condemn an engine to the scrap heap.

Fire certainly was the death blow to the Salem and Hillsborough relegating their engines to static display

Definitely for CP 4-4-0 #29, which is now stuffed and mounted at CP's Calgary HQ. She was inside and badly burned.

Definitely for the RS-1's, #8208/ 208 and parts unit #8209. Both were inside, badly burned, and subsequently scrapped.

Not so for CN #8245, which was outside... not so (directly) for CN 4-6-0 #1009, which was outside with only light scorching on the rear of the tender, with nothing to render her inoperable.

However, the loss of the shop complex, all tools, and a huge parts inventory played a big part in the loss of the railroad.

Steve Hunter

Or look at the (IIRC) six locomotives which burnt in the 1989 Durango roundhouse fire.


Mike

I agree with you completely. I just think it'd be interesting to know what was involved with this post-fire restoration compared to a normal restoration.

With 2101 and 2124 in the care of museums, and 2102 privately owned and I presume stored in an enginehouse, the real effort should be going into bringing 2100 back East. I don't know who can do this, how to do it, or what it will cost, but isn't 2100's continued survival questionable?

2100 was significantly damaged when she was "converted" to oil. You need some deep pockets just to get her back East. Then you need even deeper pockets to get her running again. Oh, and wait, where is she going to run again?

2100 is, at the end of the day, a poor business decision. And you have several other T1s preserved, one of which will most likely see steam before I die. So again, where is the urgency here?

ANY steam locomotive is a bad business decision, but wasn't there a lien or some other legal action against the 2100's owners that may not end well for the locomotive? I would hate to see it end up like B&LE 634, another big engine with an uncertain future.

Describe the 'damage' done with the not too well thought conversion to oil firing. If its a matter of grates, grate bearers and ashpan, that can all be replicated. There are three sister engines that those parts can be reverse engineered from.

As far as the money to move and repair it, and where to run it, anybody's guess is as good as mine. One thing to consider, though, is that it was last shopped and operated much more recently that 2101, 2102 and by far 2124. That should make it a more viable candidate for restoration, at least ahead of 2101 and 2124. And isn't the topic of discussion here restoring a Reading T1?

I was more suprised to hear 2100 restored to operation, thats 4 Reading operational engines from time to time. 2100 maybe the better candidate for some dreamers operationality somewhere sometime, just fixup some of the issues at hand.

Off the top of my head... I think they poured concrete in the floor of the firebox (not sure if the grates were removed or still there, under the concrete) and the side walls and syphons have heat damage from the way the oil burner was configured. Also something about using hardware from home depot on the boiler. Supposedly it was a real hack job.