Steam & Excursion > Front End Friday: Steam Edition, RDG as D&H

In 1973, Reading 4-8-4 #2102 underwent a "facial" to become Delaware & Hudson #302. Here it is on a photo stop/runby on a Memorial Day weekend trip from Hoboken to Binghamton and return. Train went West on the former Erie and back East on the former Lackawanna.

B&O Bill

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Great shot.  Good transformation to D&H.
jb

Thanks Bill, for your photo, though I never liked seeing the Reading Engine made to look like a Delaware & Hudson, just my opinion.  Those T-1's were great looking rugged steam engines as built and served the Reading Company so well.  It's also somewhat amazing that out of 30 engines built, 4 have survived.  Here is the Reading T-1 #2102 on the Western Maryland Railway in February 1972 on the way to Hagerstown, Maryland.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

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Thanks, John. That may well be me in either the first or second vestibule. I was doing some audiotaping.

B&O Bill

Interesting transformation - First-rate roster shot.
Bob

The then CEO of the D&H the late Bruce Sterzing did a drawing of that modified front end on the back of an envelope during a brief visit he and I had in his Albany NY office and said " can your guys make her look like this? "

   I said why not and shortly thereafter sure enough they did it. With all due respect to John Marsh IMHO the rather drab T-1 front ends needed a lot of help to become handsome. Just my opinion.

     Ross Rowland 

Where should I look to learn the back story of the Reading locomotive masquerading as a D&H???

The D&H shop forces volunteered to make the elephant-ears.
If Benson's team had added the elephant ears, we would have 
added the top-curl, as used by Alco on the original 4-8-4 locos.

But, hey, they volunteered, and we accepted.
The loco was due for its 24-month FRA required inspections at 
the time.  As, part of the inspection, we had to remove the frirebrick
arch, and subsequently replace the bricks.  The vendor could supply the 
'side' firebricks, and the M-18, 'middle bricks'; but, they couldn't 
supply the 24-inch bricks that rested between the two thermic syphons.

So, we improvised by forming a Masonite arch between the two syphons, and 
added Masonite dividers that would make the separated bricks.  We then
used bags of firebrick clay  and we mixed our own bricks in the firebox.
The secret to strong bricks is to use a bare minimum of water mixed 
into the dry, powdered clay.   About 2 weeks later, at fire-up, we had left
the Masonite forms and supporting lumber in place, until the clay 'bricks' had  
solidified and 'set'.  We simply let the 'mold' pieces get consumed in the firebed..
The brick arch served well. 

Back in the day, new firebricks were installed at every 30-day inspection .
2102's grates and firebed would melt the refractory bricks --- carbon-based 
fires can burn hotter than 3000F, with a heavy train and strong drafts.

A couple of years later, Mr Sterzing offered me a management position 
on the D&H.  He was a true gentleman.  At High Iron Co. we had first met him and 
Bob Claytor, V.P. Law, at the Hotel Roanoke, then owned by N&W.

 That was in 1968, when N&W leased the Conneaut, Ohio roundhouse, where NKP 759
was  restored and returned to service.  They invited 759 to Roanoke in November 
'68, and ran two excursion dates.  Was a fantastic experience, and their 
crews were pleased to be able to run a steam again..it was 10 years since
the final fires were dropped, on the N&W.

As our corporate sponsor, for FRA paperwork, N&W had filed the necessary
forms, since they were the common carrier recognized by the FRA.
High Iron Co. was not technically a 'railroad', so we needed corporate 
access to operate the locomotive on railroad Company rails.

​W..



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/24 09:44 by wcamp1472.

Bill -  thanks for posting the photo of D&H #302!  That brings back great memories from a better time.  We were spoiled with all of the steam trips that used to run in the East.  Most of the trips would not have happened if Ross had not been working behind the scenes to get them organized and underway!  We used to call them the "Hobo to Bingo" trips.  It is too bad they cannot be repeated today,  going over the Lackawanna cutoff behind steam at track speed is something I will never forget!!

Ron

True ...
The romps across the Cut-Off were really spectacular !
We could run track-speed, for 60 miles , wide-open.

I really miss those romps over the Cut Off, in both the 759 and later,
with 2102.  The 2102 seemed to really enjoy the romps over the 
DL&W!   Tragically, the rails of the entire Cut Off were ripped-up, decades ago...

I'm glad we had the support of the Muldowneys, back in the day!

​W.

 

My brother recently found two photos of the 302 that my Dad took.  It was someplace out in the middle of PA.  We had gone out to Geisler? Engineering to pick up a bronze bell for use on the NKP 759.  I believe that Wes later gave it to the 765 group.  This photo was in July 1973.  Maybe Wes can remember the details.

Ron

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Sorry, I'm drawing a blank as to where this was...
(There's a tall guy climbing into the cab)

I love your dad's photo!

Along with the bell, there's a custom-made bushing to fit the bell's
mounting boss to 765's bell mounting yoke.

The 'miracle' door.  Andy Adams recovered the door from an abandoned RR tank car.
The unexplainable part is that the mounting hinge-bars were a perfect match to Reading's 
brackets on the front plate.  Also unexplainable is the fact that the door's diameter was
an exact fit over the door opening, and NO changes were needed to have the clamp-dogs
securely lock the door, in place.

All Andy had to do was cut a hole for the headlight, add the 'insulation box',
and mount the finished door.  Andy made the D&H class-light brackets.

The Headlight came from a fixture from inside D&H  Colonie Shop, and Andy fashioned
a steel, interior 'insulation" barrier to protect the fixture from 700-degree smoke box temps.
Later, 2102 got her original smokebox door, back and mounted.  
The wooden 302 numbers were made by the guys at Colonie Shops.

Sadly, Laurie McCormack notified me that Andy had recently passed-away near the end of March, 2024.
I had recently ( February ?)  talked to Andy on the cellphone.... we had committed to getting together
this summer ....
Andy's sister had notified Laurie.

​W.

 



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/24 09:09 by wcamp1472.

steamfan759 Wrote:
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> My brother recently found two photos of the 302
> that my Dad took.  It was someplace out in the
> middle of PA.  We had gone out to Geisler?
> Engineering to pick up a bronze bell for use on
> the NKP 759.  I believe that Wes later gave it to
> the 765 group.  This photo was in July 1973. 
> Maybe Wes can remember the details.
>
> Ron

Could those photos be somewhere on the Pittsburgh and Shawmut?  I was only 11 at the time but faintly remember steam trips running on the P&S.  I don't remember if they were with 759 or 2102/302.

Stevelv -  I think you are right on the mark.  I was 24 at the time and I am climbing up into the cab.  I am pretty sure it was on the Pittsburgh & Shawmut as they did run some trips with the 302/2102.  I simply was not 100% sure and was trying to confirm that!

Ron

April, 1973, HICO volunteers were invited to ride a shake-down run behind D&H 302 (RDG 2102) between Colonie and Whitehall, NY on the D&H.
The attached image was made at a photo run-by, Fort Ann, NY.
It's interesting to note the recessed headlight was still a work in progress.

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Wow, very sad to hear the Andy Adams died. Another original AFT passes on.  I think he was mid to late 70's.  RIP

One thing I always notice when I read about the T-1's on here is that they sure provided for some great times. Hopefully more to come! It is unfortunate however they don't have as mileage access as back in the day as was pointed out. 

"....however they don't have as mileage
       access as back in the day as was pointed out....."

WHAT ?

I'm confused by the sentence fragment..
What are you trying to say ?

​W.

 

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "....however they don't have as mileage
>        access as back in the day as was
> pointed out....."
>
> WHAT ?
>
> I'm confused by the sentence fragment..
> What are you trying to say ?
>
> ​W.
>
>  

Sorry let me try again. There isn't as much railroad to run them on as there was 50 years ago.