An Operating 0-6-0F

TimReynolds · **Joined:** Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:11 pm **Posts:** 287

p51 wrote:

North American Rayon at Elizabethton, TN had a 1936 Porter 0-6-0 fireless working until the late 80s. I think it was runnable until the early 90s, I think it was left out in freezing temps one night without draining and it caused damages. Thankfully, she was cosmetically restored and is on display near where she ran. Sadly, both the massive rayon mils in town were torn down and no sign of them exist today, along with all signs of RR tracks in the town anywhere.
I was lucky enough to see her under steam several times and even got into the cab once while under steam (I have photos of me in cab, around here somewhere).
My understanding is that was the last place in America where steam ran in interchange with steam from another company, until 1967 when the ET&WNC gave up the engines now better known as SRR 630 and 722...

And here is ET&WNC 208 (a.k.a.SRR 722) and the fireless 0-6-0
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=304251&nseq=3

whodom · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2014 2:13 pm

Jeff Lisowski wrote:

There's some interesting information on that site.

Most definitely.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:25 pm

One other point to add to this discussion:

At least one, if not two, other Porter 0-6-0F steamers operated into the 1988-1989 time frame, at Pennsylvania Power & Light's Sunbury Steam Electric Station in Shamokin Dam, Pa. The steamers, built in 1949, were later supplemented by an Alco switcher brought in in 1972-73 after the flood shutdown of the PP&L owned West Pittston-Exeter RR. The diesel became the workhorse later, but the crews would need a second loco in winter to switch the thawing sheds while the diesel worked the rotary dumper. That Alco died for good around 1987, and the plant was forced to use the steamers exclusively until a replacement ex-SP SW8, numbered 1088 for its order date, arrived in late 1988/early 1989.

Attachment:

64-PP&L Steamers May 1987.jpg [ 209.73 KiB | Viewed 5075 times ]

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

Anyone know what the original SP number of the abovementioned SW-8 was? They were often used on ex-Pacific Electric lines in the 1950s and 60s.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:23 am

Give me a while; I have the SP #, EMD c/n, etc. buried in my documentation. It was quite brazenly an ex-SP loco because the loco still retained at least some of the spectacular SP number boards, extra headlight assemblies, class lights, etc.

Okay, meanwhile this website corrects me: SW900 4627:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=454020

"This engine rolled out of EMD's factory in suburban Chicago in June 1954 as Southern Pacific SW900 4627, wearing the attractive "zebra stripe" orange, silver and black paint scheme. In 1965 SP renumbered it to 1173, and rebuilt it to an SW900R in October 1974, which also warranted a new number: SP 1194. The mighty SP retired this engine in December 1986, and ten months later sold it to Levin Metals in Richmond, CA. Levin in turn sold it to National Railway Equipment Corporation, who sold it in 1990 to Pennsylvania Power & Light Company, who numbered it 1088. Along with new paint, of course, other modifications to this engine by its new owners include the addition of a snowplow on each end, spark arrestors and a rebuilt cab roof in order to clear the power plant's equipment - But the old SP light package and hood-mounted numberboards remain!"

Earlier view in as-delivered paint:
www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=101866

GaryPBensman · **Joined:** Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:12 pm **Posts:** 18

Although these engines were often referred to as "Steam Storage Locomotives" - in fact they were charged with high temperature, high pressure water - not Steam.
In the photo of the German Lokie, it is loading water - not steam.
They then used some of the head of steam from this water and the auto-evaporative effect kept them generating ever-lowering pressures of steam until they were run nearly out and needed another charge. I understand some could run almost 8 hours on a charge.
Those Pennsylvania Power and Light 0-6-0's had a vessel rolled from 2" plate for 600 PSI operation I think. They had about 4" of "industrial insulation" around the vessel - 12" on each end head.
These are truly a "Heat Engine".