Steam Train thread
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be9ak7ts16
Johali Lives
This thing has been on display since before I can remember anything. An old Soo Line Steam Engine in Gladstone, Michigan.
They had that thing flying
Man wouldn't that slow traffic. An amazing sight on the freeway.
DUN24
Skeptical of the Spectacle
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Saw this video a few months ago. What a trip it must have been driving next to that behemoth.
Go Panthers
We are the people our parents warned us about
I hear the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad has steam running again. I'm going to try to get the boys up there and check it out soon.
Meanwhile, we're going to disney in a couple of weeks, one of my favorite rides is the slow ride around the Magic Kingdom in one of the Disney Steam trains.
Meanwhile, we're going to disney in a couple of weeks, one of my favorite rides is the slow ride around the Magic Kingdom in one of the Disney Steam trains.
Disney himself was a huge railfan.
Go Panthers
We are the people our parents warned us about
They've got a behind the scenes tour of the disney trains, one of these days im going to take that tour.
one can argue, without trains, Walt would have never built Disneyland.
acmerocket
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can you please tell me more about this,i live near la and would love to see this train. thank you brad
Unfortunately I don't know anything else, I came across it for the first time on a facebook page.
https://www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us/about/history/engine_3751.asp
Engine 3751, the Oldest Survivor of its Type
(Photographs Courtesy of Ruth Parish)
In May of 1927, the Santa Fe Railway took delivery of Engine 3751 from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia (with the builder's number 60004). This was Santa Fe's first 4-8-4 engine (this meant that the locomotive had 4 small pilot or leading wheels followed by 8 large driving wheels and then 4 more small trailing wheels). Engine 3751 is the oldest surviving locomotive of its type in the world.
Engine 3751 was initially designed as a coal burner and in 1936 it was converted to oil at the San Bernardino Shops of Santa Fe. The highest recorded speed of this locomotive was 103 miles per hour.
It pulled the last steam powered passenger train in 1953 and was officially retired four years later when it was donated to the City of San Bernardino. The City then put it on static display at Viaduct Park, located at 2nd Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue.
Engine 3751 at Viaduct Park, March 25,1959
(Lloyd Neal Collection)
In the mid 1980's, Engine 3751 was sold to the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society (SBRHS) for one dollar with the understanding that the engine be restored and operated.
In 1991, Engine 3751 returned to operation as a steam locomotive, pulling a freight train from San Bernardino to Los Angeles.
In 1995, Engine 3751 became the last locomotive that was serviced at Santa Fe's San Bernardino Yards before Santa Fe moved its operation to Kansas.
Over the years, Engine 3751 has been stored in several locations and has participated in several events throughout the country.
On June 12, 2004, Engine 3751 pulled a series of passenger cars from its current storage location in Los Angeles to San Bernardino to participate in the rededication of the fully restored 1918 Santa Fe Depot.
For additional information on Engine 3751 see: Website
Engine 3751, the Oldest Survivor of its Type
(Photographs Courtesy of Ruth Parish)
In May of 1927, the Santa Fe Railway took delivery of Engine 3751 from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia (with the builder's number 60004). This was Santa Fe's first 4-8-4 engine (this meant that the locomotive had 4 small pilot or leading wheels followed by 8 large driving wheels and then 4 more small trailing wheels). Engine 3751 is the oldest surviving locomotive of its type in the world.
Engine 3751 was initially designed as a coal burner and in 1936 it was converted to oil at the San Bernardino Shops of Santa Fe. The highest recorded speed of this locomotive was 103 miles per hour.
It pulled the last steam powered passenger train in 1953 and was officially retired four years later when it was donated to the City of San Bernardino. The City then put it on static display at Viaduct Park, located at 2nd Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue.
Engine 3751 at Viaduct Park, March 25,1959
(Lloyd Neal Collection)
In the mid 1980's, Engine 3751 was sold to the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society (SBRHS) for one dollar with the understanding that the engine be restored and operated.
In 1991, Engine 3751 returned to operation as a steam locomotive, pulling a freight train from San Bernardino to Los Angeles.
In 1995, Engine 3751 became the last locomotive that was serviced at Santa Fe's San Bernardino Yards before Santa Fe moved its operation to Kansas.
Over the years, Engine 3751 has been stored in several locations and has participated in several events throughout the country.
On June 12, 2004, Engine 3751 pulled a series of passenger cars from its current storage location in Los Angeles to San Bernardino to participate in the rededication of the fully restored 1918 Santa Fe Depot.
For additional information on Engine 3751 see: Website
Bobw
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if you don't have space but want to play try a 'time saver''.
Many varieties, this was the original, just google for them.
http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/Timesaver/MR1976.jpg
Many varieties, this was the original, just google for them.
http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/Timesaver/MR1976.jpg
be9ak7ts16
Johali Lives
The train yard in my hometown of Powers, Mi back in 1911
be9ak7ts16
Johali Lives
The now gone depot in the picI've seen that guys stuff pop up a few times. I really like that set up, great use of otherwise unused space. I've wanted a garden railroad since I was a little kid, someday I'll have it.
Tumbleweed
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Hey Clutch, I rarely visit this part of the RF site and only just now discovered this thread (and discovered what I've been missing out on). We may disagree on politics but I am 100% in agreement with you about trains, especially steam trains.
I am a huge rail fan and literally grew up with the Pennsylvania RR and the New York Central RR. I spent part of each year growing up with family who lived only two blocks from the Altoona shops of the PRR. Years ago it was considered as probably the largest RR shop in the world. One of my grandfathers was actually a fireman on a coal fired PRR steam locomotive.
I spent the rest of each of those years living literally a few blocks from the New York Central mainline. While I watched PRR equipment being built and maintained at the Altoona shops (and PRR trains going up and down around Horsehoe Curve with countless helper engines), I got to watch the NYC trains (both steam and diesel) going by at full speed. It was the best of both worlds for a kid who loved trains.
I love to talk about trains and will probably post material in this thread as I get time. I don't know how many people are familiar with this but there is currently a project underway to build a PRR steam locomotive (and a very large one at that) from scratch. It is not a restoration...all of the existing T1's were scrapped in the 1950's. It is the first NEW-BUILD of a steam locomotive in the USA in this century.
If you think it can't be done, it already HAS been done in the UK. Volunteers hand built a Peppercorn Class A1 Tornado steam locomotive from scratch and finished it in 2008. I'll put some info on that one and how it was done in a follow-on post.
Now a team of volunteer railfans, mechanical engineers and others are hand building a PRR T1 from scratch, just as the British Tornado was. It's already about 50% complete. They just finished her frame in May and I think her boiler was finished in April. A number of other components, including her drivers are complete as well. She is a 4-4-4-4 duplex with 8 drivers and each driver is almost 7 feet in diameter. Technically, she is two locomotives hooked together and not an articulated like Union Pacific's "Big Boy". Work has just started this month (June) on her 4 cylinders.
The new T1 is #5550, so numbered because the last of the original T1's was #5549.
Once she's finished, the plan is to take her to the Federal Railway Authority test track in Colorado and try to break the world speed record for a steam locomotive. One of the older, original T1's unofficially clocked in at over 140 mph. The PRR had built that class of locomove for exclusively hi-speed passenger service. After that, they plan to use her for excursion service (like "Big Boy"). Supposedly she is to be finished sometime "around" 2030 but who knows. They started in 2016 but were slowed down by Covid.
The final assembly site was just chosen last month, it will be in Dennison, Ohio which is between Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, PA. The PRR went through Dennison and it was another huge location of railroad build and maintenance shops like Altoona. Right now, the completed parts are spread across several states and will now be brought to Dennison for the final build and assembly.
I put some videos and photos below for anyone interested in learning more about the T1's and the build project, including the time line. I think anyone interested in steam trains will enjoy going through it all in as much detail as you like. There is plenty of information there.
I even found a great short video on the sound of T1 whistles. One or two of the videos is a few years old and shows the project in earlier states of build.
I will put the info on the UK Tornado NEW-BUILD that started all of this in a follow-on post.
prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org
locomotive.fandom.com
An old, original T1 (#5533)....
I am a huge rail fan and literally grew up with the Pennsylvania RR and the New York Central RR. I spent part of each year growing up with family who lived only two blocks from the Altoona shops of the PRR. Years ago it was considered as probably the largest RR shop in the world. One of my grandfathers was actually a fireman on a coal fired PRR steam locomotive.
I spent the rest of each of those years living literally a few blocks from the New York Central mainline. While I watched PRR equipment being built and maintained at the Altoona shops (and PRR trains going up and down around Horsehoe Curve with countless helper engines), I got to watch the NYC trains (both steam and diesel) going by at full speed. It was the best of both worlds for a kid who loved trains.
I love to talk about trains and will probably post material in this thread as I get time. I don't know how many people are familiar with this but there is currently a project underway to build a PRR steam locomotive (and a very large one at that) from scratch. It is not a restoration...all of the existing T1's were scrapped in the 1950's. It is the first NEW-BUILD of a steam locomotive in the USA in this century.
If you think it can't be done, it already HAS been done in the UK. Volunteers hand built a Peppercorn Class A1 Tornado steam locomotive from scratch and finished it in 2008. I'll put some info on that one and how it was done in a follow-on post.
Now a team of volunteer railfans, mechanical engineers and others are hand building a PRR T1 from scratch, just as the British Tornado was. It's already about 50% complete. They just finished her frame in May and I think her boiler was finished in April. A number of other components, including her drivers are complete as well. She is a 4-4-4-4 duplex with 8 drivers and each driver is almost 7 feet in diameter. Technically, she is two locomotives hooked together and not an articulated like Union Pacific's "Big Boy". Work has just started this month (June) on her 4 cylinders.
The new T1 is #5550, so numbered because the last of the original T1's was #5549.
Once she's finished, the plan is to take her to the Federal Railway Authority test track in Colorado and try to break the world speed record for a steam locomotive. One of the older, original T1's unofficially clocked in at over 140 mph. The PRR had built that class of locomove for exclusively hi-speed passenger service. After that, they plan to use her for excursion service (like "Big Boy"). Supposedly she is to be finished sometime "around" 2030 but who knows. They started in 2016 but were slowed down by Covid.
The final assembly site was just chosen last month, it will be in Dennison, Ohio which is between Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, PA. The PRR went through Dennison and it was another huge location of railroad build and maintenance shops like Altoona. Right now, the completed parts are spread across several states and will now be brought to Dennison for the final build and assembly.
I put some videos and photos below for anyone interested in learning more about the T1's and the build project, including the time line. I think anyone interested in steam trains will enjoy going through it all in as much detail as you like. There is plenty of information there.
I even found a great short video on the sound of T1 whistles. One or two of the videos is a few years old and shows the project in earlier states of build.
I will put the info on the UK Tornado NEW-BUILD that started all of this in a follow-on post.
Timeline 2025 – The T1 Trust
The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) T1 Steam Locomotive Trust is a non-profit organization that believes in thinking differently about preservation. Through hard work, dedicated volunteers and the financial support of many generous donors from around the globe, the T1 Trust is constructing PRR T1...
prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org
Pennsylvania Railroad Class T1
The Pennsylvania Railroad 'Duplex-Drive' Class T1 were a class of 4-4-4-4 tender steam locomotives equipped with Duplex-Drive, they were a real attempt along with the K5 Pacifics to replace the aging K4 Pacifics. The first two T1's (6110 and 6111) were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in...
locomotive.fandom.com
An old, original T1 (#5533)....
Tumbleweed
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This is the info and story about the UK Tornado which was the model for the project to build the USA T1. I particularly like the two part video on Tornado's speed run.
Tumbleweed
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I've got some more on steam in China (as well as in the US and in other parts of the world) that I will post when I can get time and find them.
Tumbleweed
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Pennsylvania also has an old K4 (#1361) that had been donated to Horseshoe Curve and had been displayed there, just rusting and collecting bird crap for several decades. Finally, the state govt and some historical societies decided to restore her which they did in Altoona in the 80's.
They ran her for a while after that but she seized a bearing and I think broke an axle. She's in pieces again now with parts in Altoona, Strasburg and E. Broad Top. It looks as if they are going to try and restore her again however.