I understand that 1218's innards are stored inside her boiler, disassembled, but for the most part, together as a pile. I was recently confronted with a rumor that in moving the locomotive to VMT, NS shops cut her pistons with torches rather than remove the rods. I know this happened with UP locomotives such as 5511 and 4018 at the close of steam in the 50's. Can anyone confirm or firmly kill the cut piston story regarding 1218?

Can't really tell from this image, but she looks pretty good!
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=90607

No cut pistons on this engine. Side sheets are tack welded in place. The superheaters got scrapped but those could be replaced. Jim

The rumor probably got started because the pistons have been removed from the back engine, giving the impression on a quick glance that they have been cut. Not so, just removed. Grates have also been removed and may be stored in the tender. Can't access the cab, so there's no way to tell. The rest of 1218's parts are stored somewhere at or near VMT. There are people on this forum that live in Roanoke and may be able to elaborate. I just visit there a couple days a month.

Were the superheaters scrapped because they needed to be scrapped, or scrapped out of a point of view that "these will never be needed again"?
What a relief to know she hasn't been permanently decommissioned, particularly after so much money and ingenuity went into reviveing and raising her from the dead.

I'd take the word of Mr Wrinn as the final word on the subject, given the extensivness of the book he wrote on the NS steam program (GREAT book, BTW, Jim, wrote a good review of it over on amazon.com...)

All you needed to know, but were really afraid to ask
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/bharper/nwrwy/1218.html

The Super heaters were scheduled for replacements, the new units (balls and necks) were sold and are currently in the Ohio Central 6325.

I spent a few hundred hours helping then-VMT employee Chris McBride get 1218 ready for display in fall 2002 and spring 2003, along with NS retirees Jim Overholser and S.R. Winegard. We worked in the old paint shop at East End Shops where 1218 had been stored. Scott Lindsay came up in November and helped us replace rods and other running gear components. The grates were not installed back in the locomotive, they are in the tender. There is no "pile of guts" inside the boiler, just a straight shot between the new front & back tube sheets. As per the Steve Lee report, the new firebox is in place, but not stayed. Because of time constraints, we focused on what we could do to get her looking good with the time, manpower, and tools available. There were a number of new and used components in 1218's "boxcar" including pistons w/rods, bearings, valves, piping, old superheater components, etc. We did not install the pistons or all of the brake piping. Instead we focused on a very good paint job, the cab interior, and other things easily seen. The engine was to "debut" at the Shop's "open house" Saturday in mid June, then be moved to the Museum for dedication of the new pavilion the following weekend. I took vacation most of the last week of work. We had to paint outside, so 1218 was moved in and out with a trackmobile. We finished painting at midnight on Thursday and 1218 was moved to the Erecting Shop on Friday. It was the intention of both the volunteers and Chris to continue working on 1218 in the museum, installing more components and detailing her more. Unfortunately, shortly after the dedication the Museum had a management change. The new Executive Director was anti-railroad, anti-volunteer, and very hard on the staff, most of whom left for greener pastures. By April of 2004, we had all pretty well severed ties with VMT, and the NRHS closed it's gift shop there at the end of 2004 after 28 years. I am not even certain what happened to the boxcar with 1218's spares. The last I heard, it was still stored on NS property. As was discussed in a recent thread, VMT has again changed management. I have high hopes for the current Executive Director, who is a former long time Board member. However, the Museum's credibility has suffered a great deal of damage over the past 2 1/2 years. (at least locally) Time will tell.

What are some good links, flimsies, etc. about the VMT troubles?

Steven, If you are on flat view, I just floated a couple of previous posts pertinent to VMT to the top. If you would like to discuss this further, feel free to PM me. Speaking as a former VMT staffer and Board member, my comments on certain aspects of it's past management would certainly fall into the same category as Ross's opinion of Steamtown, or worse. .... :)

Stupid question I realize, but IYHO, is the damage irreversable?

Next question; do they have Curators at VMT?

;-)


TJ Gaffney

Not a stupid question at all. Second question; Has the boxcar of parts been secured so they might be reinstalled when the A eventually runs once more?

TJ, Good question about the damage. Bev Fitzpatrick is a good man, with good intentions for the Museum. However, he still has a Board to report to. And, in many cases staff problems are a reflection of deeper problems at the Board level. Bev is a capable fundraiser, having done development for both a college and a public TV station. He is working against a local perception (well justified) that VMT is ineffective at completing projects, arrogant and uncooperative with other organizations, uncaring of it's collection, and unfriendly to volunteers. Other organizations in the area, such as NRHS, the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation, and the History Museum and Historical Society (owners of the O. Winston Link Museum) have a strong reputation for co-operating on projects. I think two critical areas are changing the attitude towards volunteers and making them feel part of the management as well as free labor (as the Link Museum has done very sucessfully), and becoming a team player with other organizations in the area. The construction of the Link Museum, and the new Art Museum shows that if you have a credible vision, people in this area will support it, financially and otherwise. There are a lot of people in the Roanoke area that care about the Museum and want it to suceed, but had no use for the way it was managed. Richard, I like your positive attitude, but have no clue about the fate of the boxcar. It was still stored at East End Shops when FreightCar America took over the car shops. I'll make a few inquiries.

I recently visited the museum and met with the new Director and would second Garys comments above. My impression is that Bev has his work cut out for him in changing the institutions approach to the community in general and the other historical outfits in particular and that he's very aware of this and committed to getting it done.
Other than the missing pistons/rods on the #2 engine, I found the 1218 to be in excellent exterior appearance. There were lots of cars/engines stored in the "back lot" and hopefully the box car with the 1218's missing parts is among them?
Ross Rowland