Hi Everyone. I'm interested in the whereabouts of a one-off park steam locomotive/coach that operated at Flying Point Park in Edgewood, MD for some time... perhaps up until the late 80's?

For reference, here is the location... some of the roadbed is still visible:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4411411 ... a=!3m1!1e3

I've tried searching google, rypn itself and locomotive.com and can't seem to find this engine. I believe it was either a 12" or 15" gauge home-built by someone in Churchville, MD. Very curious to know where it went after the railroad closed up shop at the park.

Thanks very much,
Joe

Wow, I was stationed at Aberdeen when the Ordnance Center was still there (in the late 90s) and spent time at Edgewood Arsenal in training, and I'd never heard of that until just now.
I'd love to know more about this!

You owe this ID to the Md. Rail Heritage Library, which has a dozen or so photos of this loco by the late Walter Merkle taken in September 1977. Builder's plate was on the side of the cab, as seen in the overall photo.

PM/e-mail me if you want more.

PM sent. Thanks very much for the reply!

I recall it being an unusual wheel arrangement for a park loco... not just the typical Cagney/Ottaway 4-4-0. Super interesting.

Any clue where it might have gone?

Thanks again,
Joe

Looks like Southern or Young valve gear. I'm no expert on how to ID either of these but this looks like it could be one of them. Wheel arrangement appears to be that of a 2-6-2.

Rob Gardner

More info here.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Tp3IaVYwzaUC&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=%22flying+point+park%22+train&source=bl&ots=8h_WSIOa8i&sig=ACfU3U09cCRoEtaUZFBsQNh5bt5_chfxLA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiA1bHYm5fkAhVLq1kKHXemDrYQ6AEwFHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22flying%20point%20park%22%20train&f=false

The train was sold by the County between 1995 and 2002.

Ah! Thanks very much! It must have been 1984/85 when I rode it. I was a kid at the time.

Humm... I'm sure Harford county still has the sale records, now, if I could just figure out who to talk to. ;) Thanks again for the info.

-Joe

Richard Herbig at the Harford county historical society. He was or is a county attorney, preservationist and helped save the b and o station in Aberdeen

Why does the builder plate say "1985"?

It doesn't. A stray spot of paint, corrosion, or dirt makes it possibly LOOK like "1985," but this loco was built in 1965 and the photos taken in 1977.

Thank you Bobulltech, I'll try to find Richard Herbig and reach out.

I contacted the Harford county parks and rec director on Friday. She was very nice, and offered to forward my question to someone else in their office who might now.

Thanks again for your help, everyone.

-Joe

Hi all
The locomotive valve gear is known as a Hackworth type valve gear.
Hackworth valve gear
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Hackworth valve gear on steam locomotive 'Lydia' at the Perrygrove Railway.
Hackworth valve gear on Tal-y-Llyn Railway 'Edward Thomas'

The Hackworth valve gear is a design of valve gear used to regulate the flow of steam to the pistons in steam engines. It is a radial gear, with an actuating lever driven from the crank. The drive may be taken directly from the crank (top picture) or indirectly via a return crank (lower picture). The other end of the actuating lever is attached to a die block which slides in a slotted link. When the link is vertical, the engine is in mid-gear. Forward, reverse and cut-off adjustments are made by moving the link away from the vertical. The valve rod is pivoted to a point on the actuating lever.[1]

Bringing this thread back from the dead. :)

I ended up speaking with some of the Duncan family (via Facebook) about 7 years ago asking where the engine had ended up.

The most info I had found is that it had gone to a "private estate railroad in Western Pa".

This mystery still pops up in my head every once and awhile... does anyone know of any private railroad that might fit this description?

I don't know the exact gauge, but I'm thinking somewhere from 12" to 16"

Thanks,
Joe

Bucksgahuda & Western, maybe?

I'll reach out to those folks and see what I can find. Based on searching for that railroad, there was also one called the Teaberry and Southern nearby? That might be a good lead too. I'll post my findings. :)