Steam & Excursion > B & LE 643 arrives at Age of Steam Roundhouse

Bessemer & Lake Erie 643, a 2-10-4, arrived today at tje Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio after being stored for years in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.  It will be restored for display.  A few more details are in this Railfan & Railroad Magazine article:

https://railfan.com/ble-643-arrives-at-age-of-steam-roundhouse/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/24 17:18 by RuleG.

In 1968, or maybe '69, when HICO was working on the NKP 759,
in Conneaut, Ohio, several of us. put on our railfan gear, and visited
B&LE roundhouse, Greenville, Pa.

Inside, safe, and stored we found 3 big Steamers: 0-10-2 switcher, 2-10-4 , and 2-8-0.
All three seemed ready to fire-up,

I was intrigued with the 0-10-2, and it's air-operated throttle.. 
It was in great condition..

The 2-10-4 was also in great condition, But I became suspicious when
t noted that the piston rods were not centered in the packing gland.
Generally, that's a sure indicator that the piston 'head' had been removed,
in anticipation, maybe, of being moved to a public display site, the future.
I'd seen that done on several 'park engines'...  

If I had my brain in-gear, I would have used a bar to try and see if the rod
could be moved inside its's packing gland.  If it moves --- there's no piston.
If you can lift and raise the rod --- there's no piston inside the cylinders....

The 0-10-2 was a BRUTE, in fine condition, and ready to GO... and it's 
piston rods appeared to be intact, no evidence of cut pistons.

The 2-8-0, from  1906(?) was a MONSTER 2-8-0!   All's, ready fir display ?
it was huge, and still hand-fired, IIRC!

I seem to recall that the 0-10-2 and 2-8-0 are on display, locally.
 I've got slides, of inside the roundhouse, somewhere in my storage 
  area.

​W.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/24 07:45 by wcamp1472.

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I seem to recall that the 0-10-2 and 2-8-0 are on
> display, locally.
>  I've got slides, inside the roundhouse,
> somewhere in my storage 
>   area.
>
> ​W.
>  
There is an 0-10-2 on display in Greenville, Pennsylvania.  I haven't seen it in many years, but as I recall, one side is lettered for the Union Railroad and the other side for the Duluth, Missabe, & Iron Range Railroad.
 

So glad 643 has arrived at a forever home that will care for it.

kurt765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So glad 643 has arrived at a forever home that
> will care for it.

Where it will be restored as the CB&Q M4 it was based on.

(...ducks from flying tomatoes...)

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kurt765 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So glad 643 has arrived at a forever home that
> > will care for it.
>
> Where it will be restored as the CB&Q M4 it was
> based on.
>
> (...ducks from flying tomatoes...)

The CB&Q cars at the Age of Steam would like good behind her…

Posted from iPhone

The Railway Historical Society did a very scientific and scholarly article on the difficulties of counterblancing small-driver 10-wheel locomotives, and the specific 2-10-4's that were zoned in on were the CB&Q's and the Bessemer ones without lightweight rods.   The series built in WWII without lightweight rods were essentially copies of the Burlington, and had the same issues of dynamic augment at any speed above about 35 with massive rods.

They also made a point that if the drivers got big enough, the counterbalance problem went away as ATSF had no issues with theirs at speed, but that was with 74" drivers instead of  64" on 643 and the CB&Q's.   Another case of physics are not your friend.

I remember the first time I saw the B&LE main track around Greenville, I was in awe (compared to the weedy PC in the same era), and I didn't know track then like I do now.   After seeing the specs on 643, now I know why. 

I'm really glad it was saved, but you have to appreciate a railroads reluctance to test their own track and bridges with it.