In addition to Mr. Carter's excellent website and photos, I took a couple of photos yesterday when at MOT. I apologize for the lack of quality, as I forgot to bring my digital camera from home, relied on my iPhone's camera.

Still, the photos show excellent progress. Most of the old paint and corrosion has been removed, individual wooden parts are being stripped, and work is being done to conserve the structure and address some minor rot issues.

She should be a real beauty when finished!

As an aside, the streetcar in the background is St. Louis Public Service 1743, which is being restored to operation. She is coming along nicely as well.

Thanks for posting the photos.

From the cab pictures it looks like the throttle lever is missing.

Dave Huffman

You are correct in noting that there is no throttle lever in the cab now. Also missing are the steam pressure gauge and steam brake valve assembly. There were removed as part of the work on the engine seen in photos in the early 1950s and not returned. This is an unfortunately common problem. The locomotive looks like it lost its safety valve, whistle, and builder's plate, which was nickel plated, before being moved to St. Louis, probably long before.

Ron,

How was Black Diamond moved to the shop?

Wesley

It was just towed using a GE 25-ton loco. If you look at the Gordon Carter site and go to the end of the photos, or the last part of the next to last page, you will see it being moved. Although it hadn't moved since the mid-1960s there was no problem and everything moved just fine. Everything we could get to was lubricated first. Then done again to the cylinder and valve rods as more of them was exposed. Of course we just went an inch or so at first over and over until we saw that everything rotated ok and it was pulled out from under the small shed. Then it was just moved very slowly to the shop. A slight chuffing was heard from the cylinder cocks at times.

Is there a plan to replicate some of the missing hardware such as the builders plate?

Thanks, Taylor

Not decided upon as of now. According to the Baldwin specification form it was a small round one that was nickel plated and mounted ion the front panel inside the cab where it would be hard for visitors to see.

Any photos taken of the Black Diamond while at the museum would be of great interest to us for this project as we are also trying to learn about its movements around the grounds between 1949 and 1968 and work done to it. From photos we have on hand and some at the Hagley Library and similar sources we know it was under tarps at least twice, but for how long? We know it was striped down to bare metal and repainted without markings in 1950, then a wooden framed shed was built around it about 1953 and it was under tarps at the time. Work was done to it when under that shed but the scope is unknown except that there are photos of it with all its windows removed. (Of course there were no records kept and many photos are we have are not dated. We can roughly date them based on what other exhibits are seen and knowing when they arrived.) It stayed under that shed until about 1958 when there was a major rearrangement of exhibits to prepare for the laying of more track. It was seen under the shed with the iron pipe frame in a mid-1968 photo but we don't know when the shed was built. A 1961-62 photo shows it uncovered on the same track but it was moved about its own length by 1968 and stayed there under the shed until 2011. Some photos only have it in the background or next to the subject of the photo and these were very helpful. It was next to the B&O Camel 4-6-0 on two tracks and next to the MKT 4-4-0 on one side and the NKP 4-6-4 on the other side for many years.

Work on this locomotive is proceeding along quickly. One thing missing is the valve for the steam jam brakes in the cab. If anyone has such a valve assembly that could be made available please contact me via PM.

We could also use some guidance on what shade of red to use on the pilot and wheels, one appropriate to an 1889 construction date. The folks at the B&O Museum have been contacted but haven't been responsive. The red stripes on the tender from the Henry Ford museum might be a candidate, but just what shade of red is it? If anyone has expertise in this area please contact me by PM. I was in the pit under the locomotive again today and we've been able to lubricate the valve gear enough to move it from full forward to the center of the quadrant. And we found a large chunk of anthricite in the firebox.

"I was in the pit under the locomotive again today and we've been able to lubricate the valve gear enough to move it from full forward to the center of the quadrant. And we found a large chunk of anthricite in the firebox."--Ron Goldfeder

Gee, she almost sounds close to operational! :-)

Wonder what it was like to ride in such a beast?

And with what seemed like quite a bit of further adieu -

The restored Reading "Black Diamond"!

Finally got a chance to return to St Louis in late July to catch up with one of
my favorite displays. Looks as if they moved her into the shops just after
my visit in 2011 (Before pic within this thread) and have wrapped up a very
impressive restoration in the Spring of 2012. Surprised no one had posted
pics on RYPN, though it appears to have slipped into the April 2012's issue
with a pic of the loco out in the open though prior to restoration.

It is currently on display outside under the canopy.

Great job!

/Mitch

Mitch,

I am glad you enjoyed your trip to the Museum of Transporation in St. Louis. I enjoyed my time there, as I volunteered there a lot during my nine years in St. Louis. I do miss the place and am glad to see a positive visit.

Y'know, the one recurring issue I find at the Museum is that when I get home, often after making an attempt to photograph EVERY steam engine at the Museum, I find one I missed.

Sometimes I suppose they are in the restoration shop, yet other times, they defy location and I'll admit being guilty on earlier visits that I did not recognize the significance of certain locomotives - such as one of only two surviving Missouri Pacific engines that I didn't recognize due to it's current livery and others that have no livery at all - and seemingly a few missing plaques.

They should have a few posted "you are here" maps along with "this is what's here".

It would also be awesome to see some equipment moved and displays changed time to time for photographers. Some engines are impossible to photograph, and to some extent, full appreciate when displayed for years in the same tight or unlit location. I wonder how many museums other then the IRM actually move equipment for the enjoyment of it's patrons on scheduled dates.

/Mitch