For anyone interested if and how a professional steam locomotive shop in the 2000s work.
Look here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cxHBzVQ64ww

The video is doubled, 00:00-09:45 in german, 09:45-19:33 same in english.
Enjoy.p

The RAW Meiningen is a subsidiary of the German Federal Railways (DB) and do
maintenance, repair, rebuilt and even new construction of Steam locomotives for
almost any steamer operating in europe.

Impressive and typically German- meticulously done. Pricey too I will bet.

I think this is it: https://www.google.com/maps/place/98617 ... 10.4190129
Note the large roundhouse and turntable just slightly to the north.

No it is not. This roundhouse is just the old operating facility opposite the railway station.
The actual usage? I do not know.

You have to go a kilometer more to the north. This is the facility. The whole complex.
https://www.google.com/maps?ll=50.58194 ... n&t=h&z=15

Here in wiki they have a nice shot:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiningen ... tive_Works

Pricey?
You never know. All contractual terms are confidential.
Also the pricing of the few US steam (Strasburg, Cass, Mineral, Tillamook) railroad shops
are not public. But I have a gutt feeling when I hear from time to time what the people
in Eureka send to Strasburg every time they have funds available for a little advance
work on Hammond Lumber 2-8-2T then IMHO it is about half the US price.

The complete restoration I know of was a 2-6-2T from park engine to full original operating
condition performed in the 1990s. Time frame was 4 months including new welded boiler
with all paperwork/licenses for operating on DB track. Price was in the mid 6-figure range
Deutsche Mark before we get the Euro currency.
The exchange rate then was 2:1 between Mark and Dollar. So you can figure out yourself.

The problem is the overseas shipping. Every engine you can break down to fit in
containers (Geared Steam, Industrial Steam, Narrow Gauge...) it could be a bargain.

I just reviewed the video because I thought there is some price mentioned. Yes.
At 15:10 they say the average main service price (compare to an 1472-day overhaul) is
300.000€. (Have to be done every 3-4 years regardless of usage. Lawfull certificates are for
3 years with the possibility of 1 year extension when certified inspector accept.)

The euro is now something like 1.09 to the dollar, so 300,000 euros is I suppose kind of a bargain for a 1472 day overhaul. Maybe Kelly could comment.
I spent 4 years in Germany (Wiley Barracks, Neu Ulm, and Ludendorff Kaserne, Ludwigsburg) in the Army and absolutely loved most of it. Wonderful, welcoming people and a great experience.
Ned

No rebuilder has a perfect track record today. Might want to check with our brothers down under before sending your locomotive over there.

While the auzies did have problems with the new boiler for 3801, I think it speaks volumes that the A1 trust/P2 mikado new build in the UK has trusted them with the construction of 2 new boilers. Those boilers are in addition to all of the new and restoration work Meining kept doing between the mid 2000's to the boiler contract in 2018. If there was still a quality problem, I am sure it would have been reported by now. They might have had problems in the past, but those issues seem to have been dealt with.

Also, from my understanding, the Aus boiler code is stricter than the boiler codes in Europe so that might created communication and manufacturing issues that played into the ultimate rejection of the new boiler.

Yes, and the Australian project was being managed by remote control by a committee of non-mechanical people..... but it could demonstrate a problem when dealing with other than European practice.

There are several more videos of work being done on a Pacific. Fascinating although I'm not sure precisely what they are doing! Lots and lots of skilled, exacting manual labor.

Here is one of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgjaLsn47dQ

Another with a funny little shop switcher moving the Pacific out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta3XCfN-cro

The tool in the Smoke Box is maybe a "Prosser"? The Rod certainly fits nice; push it on with your finger!!

Didn't UK's Peppercorn 'Tornado' 4-6-2 have serious issues with a Meiningen-built boiler which had to go back for a lot of work?
Not talking smack about anyone, I just think I remember hearing about that.

I have no great desire to re-ignite the 3801 boiler debate, but I note that quite some time after this whole episode came to a sad end, there has been no official explanation of what went wrong, not that I'm surprised about that.
However, the feelings around the preservation movement here are that the problem started with incorrect translations of measurements converted from imperial to metric on the drawings supplied from Australia.
It's good to know that 3801 is back in service with an old 38 boiler that was overhauled in New South Wales and is providing excellent service.