I remember riding the cab of 148 on a trip from Ringos to Lambertville. She was a good engine and I'm glad that she's back home with people that will take care of her.
Alan

I had the pleasure of attending today's "Welcome Home Engine #148" ceremony in Clewiston. I met several of the people who were involved in her acquisition and her upcoming restoration. All first class people committed to doing the job right. The contractor they have hired is well known and regarded in the preservation community. The 148 is in excellent hands, and I am looking forward to seeing her under steam.

#148 has been unloaded and moved into U.S. Sugar's shop. Scott Lindsey and his Steam Operations Co. crew, along with USSC mechanics will start evaluating the locomotive this week.

This really IS fantastic news !!! I need to visit Florida to learn more about where my little engine spent her working life, NOW I have a solid gold excuse !!!

The question regarding whether or not Pacific type engines were suitable for cane gathering has not been addressed. If I may offer an opinion based on my time spent with the FFCC Mexicano del Pacifico, it would be that Pacifics ought to work great in this application. Of course, level track helps, and well maintained track helps even more. But the MdelP had used second hand passenger 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 types with considerable success around WWI when train speeds were higher and the average haul was longer. Cane needs to be milled within a day of being cut, the sooner the better.

Scott's the man! She's in good hands now.

I'm trying to trace the history of the FEC 148, and I get that she did a stint on the BRW and the Valley Railroad, then ended up in Michigan, then Colorado for a failed tourist operation that never got off the ground. Either I'm searching for the wrong terms or I missed something. Could some one please point me in the right direction so I can assemble a credible timeline of the FEC 148 before its move back to Florida?

-otto-

Otto: call me and I shall fill you in. The computer just ate my post about 148.

Howard P.

I don't remember the dates, but 148, while owned by Sam Freeman, spent some time on the Morristown and Erie RR in New Jersey after its time on the BR&W. It was lettered unfortunately as the "Whippany Toonerville!"

Not to doubt the skills of the men that will be rebuilding this gem but how many of them have actually partaken in a steam locomotive restoration? Working with stationary boilers running heating vats, etc helps, but saying that if they can do that they can restore a steam locomotive is like saying "because I rewired a classic car I can tear one completely down and rebuild it". They probably are very competent and can do the job very well, but I had to bring it up.

^ If Scott Lindsey and crew are there to cover the critical tasks and to direct the US Sugar crew performing the less-critical ones, this overhaul should go quickly and smoothly.

Im glad to hear that. I can rest assured now that the old gal has experienced hands working on her.

Merry Christmas

Fantastic news from Florida today, straight from the dedicated Facebook page for restoration updates:

"The progress is going as planned. The big news is that we have completed the ultrasound testing and determined that the boiler is repairable."

https://www.facebook.com/EngineNo148/