FMW Solutions is Scott Lindsey, correct? The group who restored FEC148? I saw their post on instagram with the simple hashtags “#prr#prr1361” earlier.

On another note, I found a youtube video from around a month ago. The ‘61’s boiler is now on jack’s and there are holes cut in the side sheets and staybolt caps removed. The roundhouse is also roped off now. Time stamp ~46:00

https://youtu.be/-m-sUdZgM5o

time will tell.

FMW is not Scott’s company. FMW is potentially getting busier with the probable addition at US Sugar of ACL 1504 and the ongoing work on NC&StL 576.

Once again folks just relax knowing this project ( and the Altoona RR Museum) are now in very capable hands and will be professionally managed after years of incompetence.

They will make public announcements when they deem it appropriate.

FMW is an outfit headed up by PE Wolfgang Fengler. They have been hired to do the Form 4 on the 1361 and are actively pursuing that.

FMW was brought in to finish the 148 project when US Sugar and Scott Lindsay agreed to part company several years back. Scott's long time company is called Steam Operations Corp.

All is well. Ross Rowland

Out of curiosity...

Does a Form 4 need to be completed by a PE or is this just a coincidence that Mr. Fengler is a PE?

Any idea what discipline Mr. Fengler has his PE in?

I'm guessing Thermal and Fluid Systems License would be the most applicable license when it comes to boilers, but Machine Design and Materials would be most applicable for the rest of the locomotive.

FYI descriptions for license can be found here for those who are interested: https://ncees.org/engineering/pe/mechanical/

PE's are only legally allowed to seal designs that they are licensed in. Not sure if anything in a restoration needs to be sealed(?) Possibly a new boiler or welds to an existing? Ross, would you be able to expand on this?

You can learn more about FMW's team and their qualifications and background here: https://www.fmwsolutions.com/our-experts

It does not.

Slight deviation from the topic for a second

Seems like the prime historic “basket cases” for just so many years are almost all being taken care of now with real support just in the past couple of years. The EBT, 1361, B&LE 643, FEC 148, and so on. Obviously this excludes the “impossible” projects that have also been done recently but those don’t need to be gone over again.

Might need a new list of “prime basket case” locomotives and rolling stock to give capable people good ideas. All the juicy ones rail preservation has had for so many years, even decades are in good hands now.

Back on topic. The Altoona Railroaders Museum also very recently posted some pictures of the 1949 Broadway Limited Observation car they have, Mountain View, being cosmetically restored. Looks very sharp, and I hope some of the rest of the equipment they have can also get fixed up to be presentable as well. I’d happily donate to see the GG1 they have be spruced up a bit.

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There is open litigation against the manufacturer of a boiler and their successor that I am working with; after an exhaustive third-party examination of what initially appeared to be erosion of welded stays at the firebox sheet, the real issue was reverse-calculated to be that the boiler was build under the pressure vessel code, not the fired boiler code, and as a result of that, an ASME code investigation condemned two newly constructed boilers as not meeting code due to this and a variety of issues. That much is fact as stated by ASME.

The outcome of this is not yet known. Yet the original manufacturer had a PE do the calculations and designs are stamped and sealed; reportedly an electrical PE and now deceased, but as Kelly says, if you don't understand what you're working with from experience, the right answer under the wrong code is still the wrong answer.

As you can imagine with even no technical background, the factors for thermal expansion and contraction on a fired boiler are different from a straight pressure vessel.

Meanwhile, another 'new boiler' built by a different company is proving to be just stellar after years of service, built during the same era, but that company is no longer in business.

The more I work with this 'old stuff' using 100-year old designs the more respect I have for the guys that figured it out, sometimes through empirical analysis - the reason this dimension is 3/8" is because the ones at 1/4" broke.... so it's 3/8 and deal with it. If a modern computer analysis says 5/16 will work.... stay with 3/8.

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Guess no big press release today after all ?

The Museum’s Facebook page just posted that something will be announced shortly.

If you want to know FMW's qualifications use the link above a read the CV's of the principles.

As to announcements they'll come in good time. Relax and enjoy the ride knowing it's now in the hands of proven professionals who know how to get it done.

Ross Rowland

If Davidson Ward is involved, you know that the work will be top notch.