Steam & Excursion > Where does it start?

OK, I've been reading with interest in the last post I made about what steam locomotive on display would be most fitting for bringing back to service and Hotwater did touch on something. He made a point of who would do the work, where would the funding come from and where would you run it?  The real question is when a particular steam locomotive is selected to be rebuilt for operation.... how do you form a group and what is the first things that need to be addressed first before it's pulled from a park or museum? That's something I've also wanted to know.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/15 17:38 by apollo17.

Good luck talking the BNSF into restoring an O-5, 4-8-4. Several of them are around the area out here.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Well, to take it from the "dream world" to what to consider, takes the points that HotWater raised.    

  In today's world, the restoration object would either be built for captive service,  or it would roam.  
Captive environment would mean it'd stay on one railroad for its service life.  

A Roamer would have to be really road-worthy, and that means that the crew would have the confidence of the host RR --- typically ONE top corporate officer  who feels that he'll take a career risk and commit the RR's resources behind the the crew that says they want to do it.

Another key area is a team that handles the finances ---- must be squeaky clean, have a large reservoir of cash available to the eyes of the mainline carriers concerned $$$ officers.
Another HUGE obstacle is the funds to cover a RR's liability insurance 'deductible'.  
What will kill your dream right away, is the insurance issue.

Skilled personnel.  Do you have a way to assemble such a capable crew?   Money helps--- gobs of it.   
 So, now you get to 'begin with the end in mind'.  
 An engine that is captive is do-able for non-roller-bearing axles power  (all RB means driver axles, too). 

An engine for mainline use will need to be equipped with state of the art, Positive Train Separation      web-connected,  technology.  Right now there is NO one, single, scheme that is nation-wide.  
So, you need to have a piece of motive power that is fully capable of mainline performance.  

That's a tall order.  It means that both the loco and the crew is seasoned, fully capable of handling any train, any time, any where --- AND, the commitment to: "we will make you proud, Mr. RR President".

There are professional folks that can make it happen ---- but, you must pay them ( professional compensation for their efforts) to come in at the appropriate times during the rebuilding and the operational phases.  

There are many figures associated with total restoration costs ---- involving millions-- but with wise resource management those figures can be really reduced.  A tight team of financial guys will be able to keep you on track --- you want to target a reasonable cost for the restoration.  

A good loco to consider is neither too small, or too massive to go ANYWHERE  I would eliminate that Allegheny-like locos, they would be out!  They're too heavy, too powerful and are meant for monstrous loads behind the draw bar--- for proper drafting of that capable a fire bed.  

Mountains, Berks, Northerns, (roller bearing  Mikes might do, also).
etc., are good, capable engines that are all the power you need.    

You want a fully capable loco to avoid mainline embarrassments .  
Hope this helps you set priorities for any 'project' engine.

Wes C. 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 09:06 by wcamp1472.

Wes, very well spoken. The restoration of a mainline-capable locomotive is not impossible but is surely a daunting task in today's modern railroading era where everything is run on thin margins with zero tolerance for any kind of failure. What would the response be today if a mainline steam engine had a drawbar failure like 4449 had back in 84 on the New Orleans trip?

An all-roller bearing engine is almost a must if you don't want to be totally captive to one shortline or regional railroad though not impossible without. Also, a Burlington O-5 would be a great candidate. Kinda wish in a selfish way that either Steve Sandberg or SLSTA had chosen an O-5 for restoration at some point after their initial efforts. After all, it was an O-5 that helped usher in the modern mainline excursion era back in the 60s. Let's keep the conversation going.

TrackGuy

Posted from Android

What you should want is for Mr. JJ to go at the B&O rust pit for the procurement of 2101, with Mr. RR's blessing or course. I don't think anyone would object to that.

-Froggie

Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good luck talking the BNSF into restoring an O-5,
> 4-8-4. Several of them are around the area out
> here.

Amen.  There are fewer folks competent in those skills at BNSF than at railroads which have steam programs.  Lots of choices for spending big bucks these days before that would be considered.

To get back to Apollo17's question:  to find out, I suggest joining and getting active in one of the groups running mainline steam today:  FWRHS in Ft. Wayne, or the Friends of the 4449, for example.  Or the group restoring the 2926.  Volunteer with whatever you can contribute:  turning a wrench, or with the web site, etc.  That way you will learn what it takes to keep one of these groups going today.

Before I get into how to get started today, some words of caution:  pulling ol' 9999 from the park and getting her running today will be much, much more difficult than what the earlier groups went through:  for example, when the FWRHS started in the 1974 timeframe, they had an engine that was stored serviceable in the early 1960s.  Imagine in 2015 restoring a park engine that was still operable and in good shape in 2003, vs. the current scenario of restoring an engine that has been exposed in the elements for 60 years or so.  And in the 1970s there were still roundhouses all over the place, and the host railroads had operating people that knew how to handle steam engines and passenger trains.  And tastes and hobbies are changing:  there simply isn't the interest in restoring this stuff that there was even 20 years ago.

If that hasn't scared you off, here's where to start:  find your local Chapter or club that is interested in railroad preservation:  a NRHS chapter, for example (before they cease to exist), or possibly a group that meets at a local depot.  And talk up what you want to do.  Try to get the local political players behind you.  Then, join groups such as RPCA that have people doing actual preservation in them, and liberally use them as resources.  It can be done, but to see the level of effort it will take, I suggest taking a trip to New Mexico and see what is being done to 2926.

Chris.

It would seem that BNSF has been very kind to the AT&SF 2926 group, with the BNSF foundation providing grant money, moving the engine, bringing locos to their open houses etc. Certainly she is the pinnacle of steam power development with roller bearing axles, rods and tender bearings. The group has made safety and professionalism of paramount importance, which will serve them favorably when they approach railroad officials. It can't hurt that they have Amtrak certified engineers as members also. If you want a place to start from, having all these ducks in a row is a very good start.

Posted from iPhone

SLSTA made a great pitch to the city of Tulsa for the Frisco 4500 but got stonewalled.  At the time, she was sitting in the weeds stripped of everything and would have been a great candidate.  She could have been the "Big Blue" engine today.
We also were going to approach the group with the SSW 819 but were told not to waste our time.
Just a couple of things that coulda been.