RyPN Briefs May 19, 2005

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Restoration of LIRR Steam Engine # 39 Gets Underway

It has happened! The boiler and tender of Locomotive #39 was moved on Tuesday, May 10th, by tractor-trailer equipment supplied by Bay Crane Service of Long Island, located in Hicksville, NY, from the Railroad Museum of Long Island (RMLI) Riverhead Restoration Site to the shops of Boilermatic Welding Industries located in Medford, NY. Work on these two locomotive components will proceed there.

The remaining work to be accomplished on the drive train and running gear of Engine #39 and the running gear of the tender will continue at the RMLI site located at 416 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead, NY. In the later part of this year, these restored component parts will be returned to Riverhead and lifted onto and attached to the respective running gear of the engine and tender.

Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
At 7:00 AM, workers began setting up the 120-ton capacity crane on site.  All photos courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

First to load and put on the trailer was the tender.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
By 9:30 AM the tender was secured to the flatbed tractor-trailer truck and ready to go.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

The remaining underframe of the tender.
Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Attaching the lifting slings to the boiler assembly.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Up she comes.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Boiler has been lifted from engine frame and swung towards lowboy trailer.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Set her down.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Getting closer.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Almost there. Setting the boiler down very gently on the lowboy trailer.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
By 11:00 AM the boiler was secured to the lowboy trailer and both the tractor-trailer loads were off to Medford, NY to start restoration.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Engine # 39’s frame, cylinders and wheel set.
Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Overall view of the work site at the end.

Kudos to the men of Bay Crane, with the right tools and equipment, and with great knowledge, they made the job look easy and the move was made with surprising speed.

The Railroad Museum of Long Island (the Museum), was founded in 1990. The Museum is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, and is an IRS 501(c)3 non profit organization. The Museum is run by a Board of Trustees made up of members throughout Long Island. The goal of the Museum is to preserve and display Long Island’s railroad heritage. All of the work of the Museum is done by volunteers. The Museum operates two locations; Greenport, NY on Fourth Street at the tracks and Riverhead, NY on Griffing Avenue north of the tracks.

(RMLI press release)