Hello All,

It is with great pleasure that I announce the purchase by the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona of the 105' former RF&P turntable from the VA Central Railroad in Staunton VA. This table will soon be transported from its storage location in Orange, VA to its new home in Altoona and will then undergo necessary repairs and refurbishment before being place in operation as part of the Quarter-Roundhouse project in the Museum yard. The Museum also purchased a drop table to be installed in the bay that will primarily house and service K4s #1361 upon its return. I want to thank Jack Showalter and his daughter Sally for their cooperation in finalizing the transfer of this equipment and we look forward to many years of service from it in Altoona.

The locomotive project is going very well with a great deal of work having been completed on what is now an almost newly constructed tender. Special thanks to Bill Frederickson, Joe Cooper, Mike Tillger and a number of other part-time folks and volunteers for nearly rebuilding a Pennsy tender from scratch.

All of the steam dome patch work has been completed and passed inspection. All of the mud ring work is done with metal for the side sheets and firebox ready to be put in place upon receipt of FRA paperwork. At that time, the backhead will be reaffixed.

The drivers are back at Steamtown after stops in TN and Strasburg. The fine shop at Strasburg is currently working on the rebuild of the driving boxes. Much work continues to be done each day with a crew of 4 full-time and a number of part-time people laboring to get #1361 finished and back to Altoona.

Scott Cessna
Executive Director
Railroaders Memorial Museum
Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark

thanks for the updates, I can't wait to see 1361 steam into Altoona.

Scott,

Does this mean you will not persue the LNE table at Pen Argyl?

Rob Davis

It is my understanding that Strasburg purchased the table in Pen Argyl. We had a verbal agreement to do so but I was told their check beat ours there. Happy it did actually. This table will work much better for us.

Thanks

Scott

What is a garden variety 100' turntable going for now days (generally speaking)?

Thanks,
Gerald

I'm not real fond of making the terms of our deal with the VA Central public but I can share with you the general results of our search. With the varying states of disrepair of this equipment, our research shows prices running from $5,000 for pieces needing upwards of $80-$100,000 worth of work to around $100,000 for tables that are much more ready to go into the ground. It's a sellers market and no matter what anyone pays for an existing table, it will be cheaper than fabricating a new one. Our inquiries show that new fabrication comes with a 7-digit price tag.

It took $30,000 to get the attention of the property owner of the former PM New Buffalo roundhouse and induce them to sell us the turntable bridge. I don't have the numbers handy, but it cost more than that to remove it and truck it to Owosso, with volunteers doing the labor of de-erection. Then there was light repair to corroded braces and lengthening by 10 feet by a bridge firm, sandblasting and painting, then finally the real cost: foundations for the center bearing, ring rail and retaining wall. Then finally the drainage, motor rebuilding, wiring and operator's shed. I don't think the total was much under $500,000.

I think the estimate from Whiting for a new bridge alone was $600,000, at which point the $30,000 sounded like a steal.

All of this was worth it when we saw the 1225 on the table under steam for the first time. Under floodlights at night, it is a real trip into the past. Seeing the 1361 in a similar setting will be a treat.