Steam & Excursion > PRR T-1 Trust Sets Open House in Altoona

 A group seeking to recreate a Pennsylvania Railroad T-1 steam locomotive plans to hold an open house and dinner on May 10-11.
The PRR T-1 Trust plans to have a private donor open house in the parking lot of the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania, between 3-6 p.m. on May 10.

During the open house the frame of 4-4-4-4 No. 5550 will be on display. It is 64 feet long and weighs over 70,000 pounds.
Following the open house a dinner will be held in Hollidaysburg that will include a presentation by the group’s general manager as to what will come next. During the dinner there will be a silent auction and a “few surprises.” The dinner is limited to 160 participants.

A email sent to publicize the event said the T-1 Trust has spent two years of engineering to get to the point of manufacturing the locomotive.
“This [the frame] is by far the most complicated piece of the entire build and we want to share it with you,” the email said.
The frame will be available for viewing by the public on May 11 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 
 

Just because they've got a frame, boiler, wheels and a cab doesn't mean they'll ever build a locomotive.
Gotta give the project mass props for what they've done, converting that cast frame to a weldment was
an accomplishment in itself! Personal big sigh-too many projects not enough money!

Out 

I must agree with you callum OUT. I know that these folks mean well; however as I have stated before, this project will take tons of money, will take at least 20 years or more and to me, it's a waste of both time and money as where do these people think such an engine will operate?  I wish them luck, it's their money to do what they will, but again, in my opinion, it would cost a whole lot less to restore some other existing Pennsylvania Railroad Steam Locomotive.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

And there will no place to run it as a main line passenger locomotive.

raytc1944 Wrote:
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> And there will no place to run it as a main line
> passenger locomotive.

Why not?

The members of this organization have something that seems to have collectively departed from the culture of the United States.  A Can Do, Vision.  They started with an incredibly bold idea, and have, astonishingly, executed many physical elements of their plan.  I praise them for their chutzpah.  Will they succeed?  Who knows.  What I can say  is, the group has assembled enough believers with resources and imagination to hop on board a very wild idea, despite the obvious challenges and headwinds inherent in such an undertaking.  They are making headway.  I wish them all the success, and would be dazzled by an operating 4-4-4-4 Duplex.   It is going to take some serious "out of box" thinking to keep the steam locomotive alive in the 21st century.  Negativity won't get any of these projects done.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/24 08:20 by g-spotter1.

g-spotter1 Wrote:
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 Negativity won't get
> any of these projects done.

Exactly!

To quote a line from the movie "Risky Business," "Sometimes you gotta say what the f..."

I can't imagine another project that could possibly pull me so hard in totally opposite directions. Yes, they have made some real progress and they certainly have every right and reason to follow their dream and I sincerely hope they are successful.   

That said, I'm old enough that it probably isn't going to happen in my lifetime and I can't help but think how much sooner a less complicated and more practical design could have been completed at considerably less cost, even allowing for a tender suiting the T1 being available. While the T1 definitely has a certain "wow" factor that few other locomotives can match it remains a very polarizing design aesthetically while having its fair share of critics regarding its operational potential. I would gladly support most any loco a group would choose to build only expecting that whatever else might have been selected would have had a better shot at being successfully completed to operational status while likely enjoying more widespread support and sustainability.  While I know it seems a bit moot to discuss practicality when  replicating ANY 1:1 scale  steam locomotive the T1 seems to fly in the face of whatever might make make sense in such an undertaking. I really wanted to support it financially but I have chosen to send my limited funds to projects that in my judgment have the best chance of being completed and finding long term support.  

I very much appreciate the spirit of the posts from "gspotter-1" and "RuleG" but much has changed the last couple decades regarding where large, high speed "mainline steam" can operate and I expect
that will not improve in the time it would take to complete the T-1. Actually, most recent discussions on this forum indicate operators and most passengers don't even care about operating speeds above 30 mph whatever the route or motive power and its been suggested more than once that the few of us that still do are beyond our shelf life and should just relax and quiet down.      Again nothing but respect for the PRR T-1 Trust but I doubt the opportunity to operate a T-1 at speed could be arranged even if the completed locomotive existed today. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/24 17:01 by grizzledgary.

They have had the rusted tender plenty long enough to show us now a photo of the rebuilt tender. 

A PRR T-1 from scratch??

Next you'll tell me Union Pacific is going to aquire and restore a Big Boy, lol!!

Oh, wait.

/Mitch

I have my ticket for the May 10th. event and am looking forward to seeing the frame up close and personal. The guest speaker at that nights banquet is Mr. Paul Nichini the owner/ceo of the New Hope and Penn. Northeast railroads. He is a retired fighter pilot in the US Airforce and has been the CEO of the New Hope RR since 1995 and has built it into a strong operation.  He will share his steam experiences starting with being a full time member of the NS steam team in the 1980's , through being the westbound engineer running the 614 on the NJTransit Port Jervis excursions. 

    I give this group huge thanks for being willing to dream big and for the progress they've made towards making that dream come true. 

    Dream no little dreams as they fail to sturr mens souls.  Onward & upward.  Ross Rowland 

PlyWoody Wrote:
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> They have had the rusted tender plenty long enough
> to show us now a photo of the rebuilt tender. 
Why rebuild a tender with an engine to go behind? I read many years ago someone wanted to find the Titanic and raise it. Dream big I guess'