We are running steam trains until December 30, using our 1920 Baldwin 4-6-0. Trains run every night except Mondays, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We installed the plow on the Ten-Wheeler before we started running, the day after Thanksgiving. The cars are heated by 40,000 BTU propane heaters.
Most winters don't really get bad until January, BUT last winter was the exception. We had enough problems with cold and snow that the last two weeks we ran the trains as doubleheaders, using the Ten-Wheeler and our 50Ton GE Center Cab diesel. By the way this year they are actually Mixed trains. Our East Broad Top hopper is the first car in the train - we needed someplace safe to put the generators!

Martyhuck@aol.com

Any comments about the 464? Just curious when it might be running again.

sfreer@tvrail.com

> Any comments about the 464? Just curious
> when it might be running again.

I will not venture a guess as to when she will return to service.My priority has always been to fix our track first. We have just finished a track project that included installing 4,000 ties and surfacing the entire railroad.

Yesterday we riveted the hold down brackets to the new tender tank. The rest of the work should be done on the tender next week, then we can have it blasted and painted. We have two braces to repair in the boiler, then we can install the tubes. We have been working on new parts for the spring rigging, and are going through the driving boxes to determine what work they require. John Bush will be here next week to bore the cylinders - we already have the new piston castings on hand, and can machine them once we know the finished bore sizes. The wheelsets have been ready to go for some time, with new tires and the crankpins and journal surfaces trued up.
She will run just as soon as we finish all the work on her!

Martyhuck@aol.com

As one who hasn't seen the 464 since it was derelict at Durango in the late-1960s, this sure sounds good. If you're documenting this photographicly, it would make a great article for RyPN.

I will not venture a guess as to when she
> will return to service.My priority has
> always been to fix our track first. We have
> just finished a track project that included
> installing 4,000 ties and surfacing the
> entire railroad.

> Yesterday we riveted the hold down brackets
> to the new tender tank. The rest of the work
> should be done on the tender next week, then
> we can have it blasted and painted. We have
> two braces to repair in the boiler, then we
> can install the tubes. We have been working
> on new parts for the spring rigging, and are
> going through the driving boxes to determine
> what work they require. John Bush will be
> here next week to bore the cylinders - we
> already have the new piston castings on
> hand, and can machine them once we know the
> finished bore sizes. The wheelsets have been
> ready to go for some time, with new tires
> and the crankpins and journal surfaces trued
> up.
> She will run just as soon as we finish all
> the work on her!


bobyar2001@yahoo.com