Steam & Excursion > 3751 progress?

Any news out of the 3751 camp on the FRA boiler check?

Just wondering

Posted from iPhone

CPRR Wrote:
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> Any news out of the 3751 camp on the FRA boiler
> check?
>
> Just wondering
>
> Posted from iPhone

Their website hasn't been updated since 2018... who knows, perhaps there is no progress?

Regards,

David

Nothing new on their Facebook site so I posted a question asking about it.....

John Acosta
Palm Springs, CA

another victim of Anderson?

"As another day draws to a close, work continues aggressively to complete @santafe3751’s boiler inspection. We have some exciting news to announce in our upcoming newsletter that only SBRHS supporters receive. Are you a member with us? If not, join today and don’t be left out!"

From their instagram account 3 weeks ago. So join and get the news in the upcoming newsletter.

As I recall, they had finished stripping and cleaning the boiler at the end of last year.  They did a nice photo essay of their work in 2018 but it no longer seems to be available. 

Since they're not fussy about who donates to the effort, you would think that they would want to keep the general public (i.e. non members) apprised of their progress.

dan Wrote:
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> another victim of Anderson?

Victim of who?

Back in April you could clearly see a grid on the boiler for measurements.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,4780937,4780943#msg-4780943

I think the original goal was to get some steam pressure back up this year. I haven't heard much of anything but I know they have been working away, as they indicated in their public instagram post 3 weeks ago.

kurt765 Wrote:
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> dan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > another victim of Anderson?
>
> Victim of who?

Richard Anderson. The current TO whipping post

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

One of the volunteers said they have installed the new flues and tubes, so reinstall of superheaters usually follows, with pressure testing, then certification, and reinstall of lagging insulation, then metal jacket. A healthy donation would assist SBRHS.org to finish this year. I hope Fullerton Railroad Days happens next spring and 3751 could display there.

Spikes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the volunteers said they have installed the
> new flues and tubes, so reinstall of superheaters
> usually follows, with pressure testing, then
> certification, and reinstall of lagging
> insulation, then metal jacket. A healthy donation
> would assist SBRHS.org to finish this year. I hope
> Fullerton Railroad Days happens next spring and
> 3751 could display there.

Spikes,

They would probably gain more interest if their social platforms and website were updated more regularly. I don't  agree the old argument of "They don't have time" as this is not some fly by night operation. Serious question though, I wonder if they will ever do anything besides get towed around a blow the whistle? Between the 765/4449/261 on the mainline and countless smaller operations around the country, I'm not sure why this group doesn't do any type of excursions.... it would make me think twice before giving them money.

Regards,

David

dbesade Wrote:

> They would probably gain more interest if their
> social platforms and website were updated more
> regularly. I don't  agree the old argument of
> "They don't have time" as this is not some fly by
> night operation. Serious question though, I wonder
> if they will ever do anything besides get towed
> around a blow the whistle? Between the
> 765/4449/261 on the mainline and countless smaller
> operations around the country, I'm not sure why
> this group doesn't do any type of excursions....

Mainly because BNSF management will no longer let them "do excursions". There is so much traffic in the LA area, which limits where 3751 COULD operate excursions. They have operated a number of excursions from LA to San Diego, but how many times can a sponsoring organization sell tickets for a fully enclosed air conditioned train, with a pretty lengthy "turn-around" in San Diego?

> it would make me think twice before giving them
> money.
>
> Regards,
>
> David

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dbesade Wrote:
>
> > They would probably gain more interest if their
> > social platforms and website were updated more
> > regularly. I don't  agree the old argument of
> > "They don't have time" as this is not some fly
> by
> > night operation. Serious question though, I
> wonder
> > if they will ever do anything besides get towed
> > around a blow the whistle? Between the
> > 765/4449/261 on the mainline and countless
> smaller
> > operations around the country, I'm not sure why
> > this group doesn't do any type of
> excursions....
>
> Mainly because BNSF management will no longer let
> them "do excursions". There is so much traffic in
> the LA area, which limits where 3751 COULD operate
> excursions. They have operated a number of
> excursions from LA to San Diego, but how many
> times can a sponsoring organization sell tickets
> for a fully enclosed air conditioned train, with a
> pretty lengthy "turn-around" in San Diego?
>
> > it would make me think twice before giving them
> > money.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > David
Jack,

Great points, I don't think I disagree with any of them. My next question would be, whats the point of spending the money on the recertification? Its almost a waste if its only going to be hot being towed around station to station to be put on display once or twice a year. I know this is likely to stir some strong feelings, but I'm really just curious of the point. I'll note that the organization your affiliated with (officially or unofficially) has seemed to keep a good relationship with the surrounding railroads (including BNSF)... while not common there are excursions as well as the "Holiday Express".

That good relationship is likely why you see the 4449 being filmed on the BNSF and not the 3751, but I'm merely speculating at this point.

Regards,

David

The 3751 Group might have better luck if they were in Wenatchee, they're currently at the mercy of the bedlam
that is LA. Your home locale is an issue a bit hard to resolve.

Out

dbesade Wrote:

> Great points, I don't think I disagree with any of
> them. My next question would be, whats the point
> of spending the money on the recertification? Its
> almost a waste if its only going to be hot being
> towed around station to station to be put on
> display once or twice a year. I know this is
> likely to stir some strong feelings, but I'm
> really just curious of the point. I'll note that
> the organization your affiliated with (officially
> or unofficially) has seemed to keep a good
> relationship with the surrounding railroads
> (including BNSF)... while not common there are
> excursions as well as the "Holiday Express".
>
> That good relationship is likely why you see the
> 4449 being filmed on the BNSF and not the 3751,
> but I'm merely speculating at this point.
>
> Regards,
>
> David

3751 repeatedly was able to get out and do excursions to San Bernardino and back on Metrolink, which were really great to photograph and ride along with 3751 going dead center down the middle of the 10 freeway. I recall this stopped at least for awhile due to some long construction at the San Bernardino Metrolink station which maybe is now complete? I don't remember the details of what was happening with it other than it made those trips impossible while it was going on. Perhaps those trips could happen again once she's done getting serviced. At any rate there's no reason to throw in the towel on an operational locomotive just because things are difficult right now. The same "where will it run?" questions come up for almost every other locomotive and if everyone focused on solving that problem first then very few projects would probably proceed. I think it's probably easier to plan a trip when you have an operational locomotive vs just the promise that you will have one. I look forward to seeing 3751 under steam again. That group gets donations from me every year. I wish I had enough time to go physically help out.

---

kurt765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dbesade Wrote:
>
> > Great points, I don't think I disagree with any
> of
> > them. My next question would be, whats the
> point
> > of spending the money on the recertification?
> Its
> > almost a waste if its only going to be hot
> being
> > towed around station to station to be put on
> > display once or twice a year. I know this is
> > likely to stir some strong feelings, but I'm
> > really just curious of the point. I'll note
> that
> > the organization your affiliated with
> (officially
> > or unofficially) has seemed to keep a good
> > relationship with the surrounding railroads
> > (including BNSF)... while not common there are
> > excursions as well as the "Holiday Express".
> >
> > That good relationship is likely why you see
> the
> > 4449 being filmed on the BNSF and not the 3751,
> > but I'm merely speculating at this point.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > David
>
> 3751 repeatedly was able to get out and do
> excursions to San Bernardino and back on
> Metrolink, which were really great to photograph
> and ride along with 3751 going dead center down
> the middle of the 10 freeway. I recall this
> stopped at least for awhile due to some long
> construction at the San Bernardino Metrolink
> station which maybe is now complete? I don't
> remember the details of what was happening with it
> other than it made those trips impossible while it
> was going on. Perhaps those trips could happen
> again once she's done getting serviced. At any
> rate there's no reason to throw in the towel on an
> operational locomotive just because things are
> difficult right now. The same "where will it run?"
> questions come up for almost every other
> locomotive and if everyone focused on solving that
> problem first then very few projects would
> probably proceed. I think it's probably easier to
> plan a trip when you have an operational
> locomotive vs just the promise that you will have
> one. I look forward to seeing 3751 under steam
> again. That group gets donations from me every
> year. I wish I had enough time to go physically
> help out.

My understanding is that once all the rehabilitation is done around San Pedro and such there should be opportunities for events there like the one in the past.

After doing some googling it seems like the project was completed?
https://www.rtands.com/passenger/commuter-regional/downtown-san-bernardino-rail-extension-complete/"The Downtown San Bernardino Passenger Rail Project has officially been concluded"  as of December 2017.

Of course this was too late for any additional trips before 3751 went down for boiler inspection which has lasted 2018-19. So, I sure hope we can see another one of those trips again soon.

Ok, here is excursion the 3751 could do: LA to San Berdoo, then to Redlands to christen the new line they are building. Run backwards to San Berdoo, then turn the loco, then back to LA all on Metrolink track

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Richard Anderson. The current TO whipping post

On a more serious note, I'm sure you are aware that Bill Stetler, who has been the engineer for the 3751 on past trips, is an Amtrak manager, right? Don't know if he still is, or if his involvement is "restrained" due to Amtrak no longer providing insurance for excursions, but dan's question might not be just a "whipping post" when you consider those circumstances?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/19 23:33 by cchan006.