Steam & Excursion > Heber Valley Steam Restoration Status?

The Heber Valley's Facebook page is rather quiet on the subject, so I figured I'd ask here. How far along are the restorations of UP #618 and GW #75 at Heber Valley? Will either of them be ready to go for the 2015 operating season?

Jim Lipnitz
Morrisville, PA
Big Jim Video Productions

From what I hear, it seems plausible that 618 will run in 2015. 75 will be later.

Posted from iPhone

Jim,

I visited the Heber Valley Railroad last July.

Got a few photos of the way things looked at that time.

Sorry for the quality of some of the photos.

First photo is of #75's boiler, firebox upward, 618's stack visible in the back.

Second photo #75 smoke box, 618 in the background.

Third photo 618 front end.

Had permission of the employee in the shop to shoot the photos.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/14 19:02 by up421.

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More photos from July.

618 firebox and rear portion of the boiler.

618's tender outside the shop.

Hope this is of some help with your questions.

Thats all I have for photos of the 618 and 75.

Bob

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Except the tender shown is no longer 618's tender....

Txhighballer Wrote:
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> Except the tender shown is no longer 618's
> tender....

Why not?

HotWater Wrote:
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> Why not?


http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,3513918

johnacraft Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why not?
>
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,
> 3513918

John,

I really didn't see anything in that lengthy thread, that stated that 618 would NOT be retaining her ORIGINAL tender. Latest info from Heber Valley is that some components from that OTHER tender, from Texas, will be used on 618s tender.

Txhighballer Wrote:
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> Except the tender shown is no longer 618's
> tender....

Please don't spread lies. 618 will be keeping its current tender. 982's tender is only being used for parts in the oil conversion. I asked the CMO about this myself.
And to answer the original question - yes. 618 isn't too far off from being ready. The railroad still hasn't set any sort of date yet, but expect it sometime in 2015. #75 has sort of been sidelined so that work can focus on 618. On top of the years of work that has already gone into it, 75 is having a total rebuild of its firebox. Once 618 is done work should resume on 75 which will need another year or two of work before being finished.
Please note that I am not a representative of the Heber Valley Railroad. I merely volunteer there a couple times per week working on 618, so the information that I've presented here is merely my own current understanding.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/14 00:51 by pkwlsn.