B&LE 643 loaded onto flatcars for Ohio move

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:31 am

ANother win for the good guys. Thanks, Age of Steam Roundhouse!

jrevans · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2024 9:09 pm

Today, my "google alert" for Age of Steam showed me this link from the crane company that loaded the 643 onto the flatcars. They have a few pictures and the information about the cranes that were used. Interesting information for those of you who load rail equipment.

https://www.maximcrane.com/case-studies ... gine-lift/

Quote:

For this project, Maxim analyzed the problem and recommended a tandem lift using a Tadano AC 7.450.1 500-ton All-Terrain Crane with 176,400 pounds of counterweight and a Liebherr LTM 1400 500-ton All-Terrain Crane with 132,000 pounds of counterweight.

SteelGrinder · **Joined:** Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:30 pm **Posts:** 16

Thank you Jim Evans for the posted link.

For those that are interested: based on the lift information in the link, the depressed flat car carrying the boiler (90 ton) had a gross weight of just under 200 tons with an average axle loading of just under 25 tons per axle (suspect some axles may have had more load given the boiler was on one end of the car more than the other).

This was well below the load limits of the KRL 152 depressed flat car although the distribution of weight may have been a consideration.

http://kasgro.com/car_sketch_revisions_2022/A19602-C.pdf

Sidenote: to replace that leading axle on the flat car (as mentioned by others earlier in the thread) they had to use at least two 50 ton jacks? (maybe less since the trucks didn't need to be lifted)

The frame and wheel base were reported in the link at about a 160 ton lift. The load limit of KRL 127007 is ~247 tons with a light weight of ~83 tons. But with a load weight of 160 tons the total gross weight was ~243 tons or about 20 tons per axle (12 axles on the flat car).

http://kasgro.com/car_sketch_revisions_2022/A19650-B.pdf <-load spec/drawing for the flat car design that includes KRL 127007

Overall, it would seem if the loads were fairly well distributed that the load per axle was well below 37 tons/axle. Not sure if the railroads insisted on that for their track or if it was just the way things worked out.

bbunge · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2024 9:20 pm

Photo of a stunningly finished, or nearly finished, 643 in the backshop posted on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/136509316364426

Bob

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2024 11:07 pm

bbunge wrote:

Photo of a stunningly finished, or nearly finished, 643 in the backshop posted on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/136509316364426

Private FB group, members only.

FormD1282 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:07 am **Posts:** 17

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

bbunge wrote:

Photo of a stunningly finished, or nearly finished, 643 in the backshop posted on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/136509316364426

Private FB group, members only.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2876

Wow is all I can say.

Wowak · **Posted:** Sat Nov 23, 2024 8:36 am

That result in less than a year is nothing short of amazing.

southern154 · **Joined:** Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:54 pm **Posts:** 320

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xClGOdkJji4&t=233s

Here is a video of it operating briefly in the 90's. My understanding is that it was returned to service to then never really run. This video seems to show that it was fired up and run briefly.

Congrats to the Age of Steam Roundhouse for saving and restoring this beautiful locomotive.

mldeets · **Joined:** Thu Aug 05, 2010 2:06 am **Posts:** 411

southern154 wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xClGOdkJji4&t=233s

... This video seems to show that it was fired up and run briefly.

Congrats to the Age of Steam Roundhouse for saving and restoring this beautiful locomotive.

Sadly you are mistaken. That was a run on compressed air..............mld

Becky Morgan · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm **Posts:** 495

I’m still glad they managed to get her out of the bad spot she was in, despite everything that cropped up along the way. Not surprised, really—when they say they’ll manage, they do—but suitably impressed.

By the way, AOSR’s regular tour weekends ended 11/18, but Santa will be at the roundhouse next month if anyone wants to visit the engines and amuse any small people at the same time.

elauterbach · **Posted:** Tue Nov 26, 2024 1:54 pm

This was a locomotive that I wondered if I would ever see it on display in my lifetime given all the troubles. There are so many locomotives that have been apart or off display, you wonder if that will ever change. 290 and 722 are great examples. So glad 643 has beaten the odds.

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 635

https://ageofsteamroundhouse.org/news/r ... 4zspymZb9Q

A happy ending to the tumultuous history of this locomotive.

The article picture on Facebook has a better view of the picture in the posted link with 643 on the turntable.

o anderson · **Posted:** Wed Feb 19, 2025 11:03 pm

The background image on that post is quite nice:

https://ageofsteamroundhouse.org/news/roundhouse-news/ble-2-10-4-643-debuts-at-age-of-steam-roundhouse-museum

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Thu Feb 20, 2025 7:36 am

I got to see it in person two Saturdays ago at the Founder's Day Dinner reception at the roundhouse. Impressive is not a satisfactory word to describe a first impression. Tim and his crew did a wonderful job in eight months. Even the cab interior is very complete as well. It really is a shame that Jerry never got to see his dream of owning "The King" come to pass. I had the chance to stand next to him in the Greenville roundhouse over 40 years ago late one Saturday night admiring it on a clandestine visit, and I know I'm not the only friend he did that with over a period of years.