Steam & Excursion > OR&N 197

Has anyone heard anything about the progress on the OR&N 197? The web site; www.orn197.org hasn't been updated for quite awhile. Any progress there? Any guess as to when it might run again? It was built in 1905. Once it's running again, where will it stand as far as operational steam locomotives in the US? That is; how many operational locomotives are older than OR&N 197? Any recent pictures?

Thanks!

These photos are from September of 2007, they are the not-so-recent recent photos. Chris Fussell painting the drivers; Bob and Doyle working on the tender. Now the painting is done, and the side sheet on the tender has been installed.

- Chris

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I hope to get out there one day. Wish I could have known Chris Fussel.

They seem to be doing a very fine job on this engine. Congratulations for progress to date.

> Wish I could have known Chris Fussel.

What do you mean? You speak like he is deceased.

Digger, I hope I'm making a bad mistake and am terribly sorry if I am, but I'm fearful I'm correct. I believe this news was reported in a recent newsletter.

John

I just made a phone call to Holiday Express headquarters in Oaks Park where the 4449 is operating this weekend because my wife got very upset after hearing the news. From what I was told, the good news is that the next-of-kin will get a discount on cremation since the locomotive's firebox is already hot.

~ Chris

So what is the real story here? What's this about Chris?

jdc3751 Wrote:
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> So what is the real story here? What's this about
> Chris?


Have no idea.

Still breathin'! :)

jdc3751 Wrote:
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> So what is the real story here? What's this about
> Chris?

I saw Chris today. He had a pulse. He was able to enhale and exhale. He showed all the symptoms of being alive.
The OR&N 197 project is also showing symptoms of being alive. The big empty space on the tender in Digger's pic has been filled in with a side sheet of 1/4" plate steel. The fuel tank has been painted and replacement parts made. The drivers that Chris F was painting are done and side rods have been installed on the camera--I mean engineer's side. And best of all, the new cab that we all thought we would have to do without, has been donated by a firm in Eugene through one of Brooklyn Roundhouse's generous and energetic volunteers. I've gone down into the cyber dungeon to wake up the webmaster and soon there will be current photos. "That's nice, but when will it pull an excursion." Somewhere on these pages was written that for a volunteer project such as this, the answer is always "Another two or three years." Sounds about right. Maybe sooner. The OR&N 197 project is showing symptoms of being alive.

I APOLOGIZE, to Chris and all. I'm horrible with names and should have checked before writing a thing. Chris, if you read this, sorry man!

John