Steam & Excursion > Steamtown Boston & Maine?

I don’t view the steam forum often so forgive me in case this is an active discussion

What’s the status of the restoration of the Boston and Maine Constitution being done at Steamtown?

Any insight when this will be road worthy?

Thanks Bill

Posted from iPhone

That project has stalled with no signs of it being restarted. 

Thanks

Sad they can’t do things at Steamtown like they can at many other shops

Government operation I guess

Posted from iPhone

The project stopped even before covid.  It appears that the park superintendant had issues with the project (not sure if was the project, the partnership with the NRHS chapter raising the money or something else).  Recently there has been a change in Nation Park Service leadership at Steamtown.  Based on they level of cooperation they showed in the recent display of the Alco PA, I think there is hope the prject will get back on track (pun intended).

Whatever has (or hasn't) happened to ex-B&M #3713 certainly serves as a reference point for how much better so many other steam locomotives have fared over the past half century.

When I started chasing preserved steam in the early 70's, for better or worse many steam locomotives were returned to operation on relatively small budgets and most were able to access suitable railroads to run on. By 1995 when Steamtown had its Grand Opening, ex-Milwaukee Road #261 and several other locomotives demonstrated just how much potential was there for operating big steam even while the status of mainline steam excursions was still relatively healthy. That same year a partnership (Project3713) between Steamtown and the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway Historical Society was formed to see #3713 returned to service. In the years that followed some of the best contractors in the steam preservation industry would assist the Steamtown staff and volunteer workers to reach that goal. Whenever it was ready, it would seem that an operating venue and other logistics should not be an issue.

In that same time period and even as opportunities to operate diminished, dozens of steam locomotives nationwide have either been restored to service for the very first time or had more than one 1472 day inspection completed. Some privately owned and funded, others by non-profit groups or museums, a few by regional lines and even a couple by Class 1 railroads that supported steam restorations and operations. 

When I saw #3713 at Bellows Falls in 1978 the future of all the Steamtown collection was uncertain. The move to Scranton and Project3713 should have given #3713 a sure path to a successful
restoration that now decades later still has no end in sight. One has to wonder if with as much interest as has been shown in #3713 if it might have done better at another location absent the stifling atmosphere present at Steamtown where everything moves at a glacial pace. Witness the Baldwin 0-6-0 restoration or more recently the need to close much of the facility due to the inability to repair or replace their HVAC system in a reasonable time frame. I know big government is a special case and thus normal expectations require adjustment but Steamtown hasn't served its intended purpose for years and its dysfunctional nature has now stopped progress on a project that deserves to be completed. Yes, extensive discussions on this and other forums have made me aware of some of the reasons for the failure of Steamtown but in most instances they cannot excuse such poor performance.

In spite of having some good fortune after leaving Vermont I'd say when recent events are considered #3713 makes another certain large 4-6-2 in Pennsylvania look like an absolute lottery winner.      
    

Supposedly they restarted work on the engine when the operating season started and much of the work had stopped due to getting the 26 and other rolling stock operating this year.

I agree with grizzledgary...
However, that "other 4-6-2" had just as bad luck as 3713..
at the hands of its owners.

As I recall, the folks associated with 1361 had burned-through
$2 million or more dollars, including State money.  It also
spent time up in Scranton, as the butcher-job continued,
under Chris Ahrens. They really made 'Swiss-cheese" out of tte original firebox.
And they spent all that time and money wasting it on trying to save
a condemned firebox.  There's no way it's ultrasound readings 
would have produced numbers that passed the 4:1 designed-pressure
requirement.   'Design-pressure' is used for calculations only  & 
to substantiate the allowed "working pressure".

So, now with the financial backing of experienced folks, finally
1361 has found competent workers and engineering support 
to be able to bring the restoration to a successful conclusion.

But, the new effort is still gonna consume another $2.5 million dollars...
on top of what was spent earlier...

For all of that, the total money spent could have restored the 3750 to
operation, along with 1361.   Pennsy used to double-head K4s regularly..
That woulda' been fun!  However,it's doubtful Pennsylvania state would 
go along with restoring any of its collection to operation..

Its just that 'economically' it would be better to do the 2 restorations simultaneously,
You get the benefit of combined expenses...And. all the work could be done right across
the street!

That all coulda' been done, for the same amount money that was 'poured down a rat-hole'*

My presumption is that B&M 3713 was in much better overall condition, than the
K4 loco, as well as being 30+ years newer...

​W.

( * A cleaned up version of a long-time colloquialism)

Strasburg's mechanical team offers some of their boiler work on 3713 as a case study.

https://mechanical.strasburgrailroad.com/blog/case-studies/locomotive-3713/