Steam (returning or being restored) in 2019

o anderson · **Posted:** Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:54 am

Mike Thidemann had a very good list of operating park trains, though it may need some updating:
http://members.trainorders.com/mthidemann/

Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri is a Crown 36" gauge operation.
Missouri also has the Silver Dollar City operation in Branson, and then there is the almost historic Wabash, Frisco and Pacific in Glencoe. I believe there is a huge 15" gauge private railroad in this state, but was put up for sale after the owner past away.

Montana used to have an operating steamer at Alder Gulch, but I believe it is in storage.

The Railroad Museum of Minot, ND has a 24" gauge scale steamer

The zoo railroad in Omaha, NE is a fine operation with a Crown and an imported locomotive.

Dry Gulch USA in Adair, OK is 36" gauge with several engines as I recall

I don't see any park trains in AR with steam, but perhaps there is something.

mrwalsh85 · **Joined:** Sat Feb 02, 2013 3:55 pm **Posts:** 100

WF&P operates every Sunday, from the first weekend in May, to the last weekend in October.

There is also a 36" Crown in St. Louis, MO at Six Flags, running on a regular basis.

ATT&NW is not operational at this time. No one knows what the future holds for the railroad, now that it is up for sale.

Silver Dollar City has made phenomenal progress on their motive power fleet. They have introduced two new (to them), completely overhauled steam locomotives to their fleet, and their railroad is quite something to see. Some major grades and twists and turns. You would be surprised if you realized what you were looking at. Their CMO has done a wonderful job leading his team in the overhauls and operation of the railroad.

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1799

http://www.trainchasers.com/theme-park-steam.html

Has a pretty comprehensive list of theme park steam. Some pretty cool engines out there.

SteamEnthusiast4000 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 02, 2019 6:10 pm

Brian Norden wrote:

Robert J wrote:

Does anyone know the status of Nevada Northern 2-8-0 #81 which is undergoing an operational restoration? I heard *rumors* it may be under steam by fall 2019. Asking as I haven't seen 81 mentioned on this thread yet.

Post yesterday (Jan. 23rd) to the Nevada Northern Facebook page says:

Quote:

Work is also continuing on Locomotive 81 too. The entire running gear has been disassembled. Parts of it will be shipped to Salt Lake City for machining in the near future.

Here's a new story about additional funds being raised to aid in #81's restoration. I can't wait to see how good she will look when she is finished and running again.

https://www.elynews.com/2019/02/01/mine ... Yyuzxp3WLI

SteamEnthusiast4000 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 02, 2019 6:15 pm

Here is the newest update from the UP regarding #4014's restoration. The king is almost here!

https://www.up.com/aboutup/community/in ... Gr-_gJRAI0

Also, the UP steam team started hydro-testing #4014's boiler yesterday. It is also covered in this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43002

Phil Raynes · **Posted:** Sun Feb 03, 2019 12:55 am

The 3' gauge railroad at Dry Gulch USA in Adair OK is mentioned above. The railroad is now closed and has been sold. It is being moved, & hopefully an announcement can be made in a year or so about future operations in a new location. I believe it will be exciting news!

NS6770fan · **Joined:** Sat May 19, 2018 10:03 am **Posts:** 195

PRR 1361 May finally have a new lease on life after being silenced for decades. Bennet Levin has announced the planning for a new boiler for her. Hopefully she will finally be able to hit the high iron again and possibly double head with 5550!

Mgoldman · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:16 pm

Mgoldman wrote:

Refresh our memory regarding operational (or even under restoration) steam in these states:

...Montana

/Mitch

This was noted today by "fbe" on Trainorders.com in regards to J. Neils Lumber Co. 37-ton Shay No. 4 in Libby, MT:

"The rebuild of the Shay got a partial state grant to finish firebox work. The rebuild had been an ongoing project for a decade or more in Libby. It is a 1906 Lima product with 2 trucks and was largely the mill switcher.

Nice reporting by the newspaper."

https://flatheadbeacon.com

/Mitch

10stewi · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:48 am

Quote:

Refresh our memory regarding operational (or even under restoration) steam in these states:

Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Arkansas

/Mitch

I believe its either Missouri, Oklahoma, or Arkansas that has the operating Santa Fe pacific, but could be wrong on that one.

NS6770fan · **Joined:** Sat May 19, 2018 10:03 am **Posts:** 195

10stewi wrote:

Quote:

Refresh our memory regarding operational (or even under restoration) steam in these states:

Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Arkansas

/Mitch

I believe its either Missouri, Oklahoma, or Arkansas that has the operating Santa Fe pacific, but could be wrong on that one.

I believe you are referencing the 3415 at the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad. She has been running since 2008.

gcrr · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:02 am

o anderson wrote:

The Railroad Museum of Minot, ND has a 24" gauge scale steamer

I'm not familiar with the 2ft. gauge locomotive in Minot. I searched steamlocomotive.com, steamlocomotive.info, and some basic "googling" without any results. Can you tell us more about it?

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:39 pm

Like so many small (and some large) railroad museums, a miniature train ride provides the effect of a rail experience, rather than full size equipment operation. The Railroad Museum of Minot runs this "2/5" scale version of GN #1177, a 2-8-0 F-8 class steam locomotive, at Roosevelt Park, a location separate from the rest of the collection. I had been under the impression this was a live steam locomotive, but reading the article, it may be a steam outline. Unfortunately, their website is down, perhaps someone from the museum or who has visited can comment? I don't have other information and have not seen it myself. It looks like the passenger car trucks are substantial, very similar to that built by Keystone Light Railway for their park trains. What I have found is here:
http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2013/07/magic-city-express-ready-to-roll/
https://www.gnrhs.org/minot4.htm
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/roosevelt-park-train-misty-hester.html

Above photos from:
https://activerain.com/blogsview/633908/pictorial-tour-of-roosevelt-park--minot-nd

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:06 pm

Official statement on steam on the Heber Valley.

Trains Magazine wrote:

HEBER CITY, Utah — When fans gather in Utah in May to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad, one iconic steam locomotive will be conspicuously absent: Heber Valley Railroad’s Union Pacific 2-8-0 No. 618.

“We really wanted it to be in service in May,” the railroad’s executive director, Mark Nelson, says in a phone interview with Trains Newswire. “It’s the most asked question I get these days.”

Thousands of enthusiasts will be in nearby Ogden and Salt Lake City for the sesquicentennial of the Golden Spike on May 10 at Promontory Summit. The National Railway Historical Society, the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, and the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific affinity groups are chartering a train at Heber on May 11 that will be diesel-powered. Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 and Big Boy No. 4014 will be under steam at Ogden Union Station that day, and the National Park Service’s replica’s replicas of Central Pacific No. 63 Jupiter and Union Pacific No. 119 will be running at Promontory for the re-enactment. A 1907 Baldwin product that first steamed at Heber in 1971 and last ran in 2010, No. 618 will be in the shop at Heber City.

No. 618 is nearing the end of an extensive multi-year restoration and 1,472-day inspection that includes converting the locomotive from coal to used motor oil for fuel, Nelson says. Work in the last six months has focused on the tender, reworking the trucks, and patching the sides. Besides installing the oil tank, the tender is ready for paint.

As for the locomotive, Chief Mechanical Officer Mike Manwiller has completed running gear work, and has tubes ready for installation, Nelson says. A new fire door has been cast. “It’s really a labor thing for us,” Nelson says, citing heavy patronage and the acquisition of three GP9 locomotives to pull the trains. The railroad has increased ridership to 110,000 over the last five years with 40,000 of those passengers coming during the holiday season on 81 North Pole Express trains. Running and maintaining those trains have taken people away from repairing and reassembling the steam locomotive.

No. 618 will get done. “It remains our highest restoration priority,” Nelson says. “We really wanted it this year, but it’s more realistic to think of having it back in May 2020.”

SteamEnthusiast4000 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2019 10:15 pm

NS6770fan wrote:

10stewi wrote:

Quote:

Refresh our memory regarding operational (or even under restoration) steam in these states:

Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Arkansas

/Mitch

I believe its either Missouri, Oklahoma, or Arkansas that has the operating Santa Fe pacific, but could be wrong on that one.

I believe you are referencing the 3415 at the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad. She has been running since 2008.

AT&SF 4-6-2 #3415 runs in Kansas. If I'm not mistaken, she runs between Abilene & Enterprise, KS.

SteamEnthusiast4000 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:10 am

Just in case anybody missed the news, Big Boy #4014 has passed his hydrostatic test. This is excellent news for the UP! They are now one step even closer to having a Big Boy run under his own power again since 1959. I, personally, won't be able to attend his big debut, but if/when he makes his way to St. Louis, I won't be able to stay calm when I'm standing right next to "The King of Steam" and all his glory.

http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archiv ... Lvp-OU7mR0

Also, I remembered that there is another locomotive being restored in 2019. Does anyone have any specifics on how the restoration of Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. 2-6-6-2T No. 108 is going over at the Black Hills Central Railroad?