Why was Reading 2101 renumbered to simply “1” for the AFT?

tweetsie12 · **Joined:** Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:09 am **Posts:** 170

Hey there everyone. You know, with Reading T1 2100 and 2102 getting all the attention and 2124 living a sound retirement at Steamtown, it's easy to overlook the OTHER T Hog, 2101 who is currently is shoved outside the B&O Railroad Museum in a really sad state, and needs at the very least a cosmetic restoration, or maybe a return to operation, but that's just me. :P Anyhow, on to the question at hand. 2101 is currently on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in it's third livery that it wore while pulling the American Freedom Train. (AFT) While pulling the AFT, the 2101 simply wore the number 1 instead of it's full number. What's stranger, the other 2 locomotives that pulled the AFT (Southern Pacific 4449 and Texas & Pacific 610) retained their original numbers while pulling the train. This has confused me a whole lot. Would someone be willing to clear up this question for me?

filmteknik · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:03 pm

I suppose the better question was why AFT 4449 didn't become AFT 2. I raised this question on TO 11 years ago. As of yet there is no answer.

co614 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:30 am

Friends, It's not complicated. I purchased the 2101 and her sister the 2100 from scrap dealer Ed Striegel so that the AFT could have a steam engine that would be able to operate in the restrictive clearances of the Northeast where the 4449 was too tall to go.

Thanks to a herculean effort led by Bill Benson and a paid crew of 51 men ( plus about 200 volunteers from across the nation) we were able to restore her to service in 30 days working 24 hours a day.

I liked the number 1 as I thought it represented the fact that thanks to 200 years of participatory democracy America had grow into the # 1 nation in the world.

That's the long and short of it.

Thanks for asking, Ross Rowland

tweetsie12 · **Joined:** Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:09 am **Posts:** 170

co614 wrote:

Friends, It's not complicated. I purchased the 2101 and her sister the 2100 from scrap dealer Ed Striegel so that the AFT could have a steam engine that would be able to operate in the restrictive clearances of the Northeast where the 4449 was too tall to go.

Thanks to a herculean effort led by Bill Benson and a paid crew of 51 men ( plus about 200 volunteers from across the nation) we were able to restore her to service in 30 days working 24 hours a day.

I liked the number 1 as I thought it represented the fact that thanks to 200 years of participatory democracy America had grow into the # 1 nation in the world.

That's the long and short of it.

Thanks for asking, Ross Rowland

Thank You Mr. Rowland.

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 965

Ross, I like your thinking all these years later. Interesting Q & A

Regards, John.

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2018 2:11 pm

I had read years ago why Ross number 2101 to AFT #1 and I think I might have read somewhere why 4449 stayed her original road number, but if I have, I have forgotten the reason.
There's an excellent website for the Freedom train but it doesn't mention the locomotive numbering situation: http://freedomtrain.org/american-freedo ... -today.htm

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1083

there you go Ross....clouding the story with facts.....Thanks for sharing the "Rest of the Story"

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:05 am

13 1/2 was taken.