Not sure if they will really gallop again, but I guess the reporter just couldn't resist the cliche'.

http://www.times-news.com/homepage/loca ... 93602.html

With 30 MPH track speed on the WVC it'll be interesting to see what those little drivers will do!

Having inspected those locomotives for a prospective purchaser several years ago, I wasn't sure whether the hardest job woulod be getting them out of where they were or potentially making them operable. I have seen few more used up in service than those.

The first major hurdle has been taken care of, best wishes to the group in their quest to make one run on its own steam.

dave

If you want to a progress report on them so far 9 has passed an ultrasound with flying colors.
When my father and I were up there freeing them up, Don Leap told us that "I wouldn't be a bit afraid to steam it up and run it right out to the road"! At first we thought it was wishful thinking, but so far it looks like if you've have take the time to wash the boiler out, (it was full several stay bolts high of squirrel nest) some one brave enough might just have done what he said....

Now the 8......

That's good news - given the asbestos and old cinders left on the grate, i assumed costly boiler repairs for the benefit of my client, in absence of other data and given the condition of the running gear. It seemed most likely at the time. Sometimes it is nice to be proven wrong.

Are you going to replace the cracked and clamped together saddle with the NOS one that was half buried in the mud? That will be an interesting job.

dave

I seem to recall reading an old article about the Preston Railroad (in TRAINS MAGAZINE perhaps?) that one of these two had a newer boiler furnished by Baldwin due to an earlier boiler explosion when it was in service on the West Virginia Northern. So although the two engines were built in 1904 and 1906 respectivelly, one of the boilers "only" dates back to the mid-1920's or so. Is this the locomotive that they are looking to restore to service?

Les

As far as I know neither 8 nor 9 was involved in a boiler explosion, I could be wrong though....

9 was involved in a very nasty role over accident. While most engine just shake off such and exprince, 9 has had it follow it around some. It bears a few scars, but mostly things like an extra cylinder saddle and a few other things. On the not so great side, apprently one set of main rods was distroyed in the accident and they never did replace those. They had a set fabricated for the engine that wasn't going any to far to use to get it around, but swapped the rods as needed.......

Yeah go figure...

The decision to restore 9 first was pretty simple, it had been covered for a great many years and there for was in much better shape, 8 while not as worn as 9, has suffered the effects of weather....it's quite a shocking comparison!