SRI Restoring ex-C&NW 4-6-0 Locomotive

The Michigan-based Steam Railroading Institute plans to restore another steam locomotive to operating condition.

The group in Owosso has acquired former Chicago & North Western 4-6-0 No. 175 from the Mineral Range Railroad of Ishpeming, Michigan.

The R-1 class Ten-Wheeler locomotive will join a fleet that includes Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 in pulling excursions on the Great Lakes Central Railroad.

No. 175 was built by Alco in Schenectady, New York, in 1908 and worked in Upper Michigan. It is one of three R-1s still in existence

“We’re very excited about a project that’s actually doable,” said SRI executive director Kimberly Springsdorf. “The 175 will be able to go places we can’t go with [No. 1225].”
Kevin Mayer, SRI’s chief mechanical officer, told Trains magazine that the organization decided to buy No. 175 after inspecting it last summer.

The inspection team, which included institute board member Preston Claytor and steam contractor Dan Pluta, determined during an ultrasound test of the boiler and a review of the running gear that restoration was feasible.
“This fits what we’re all about and helps fulfill our mission statement,” Mayer said.

No. 175 could potentially operate on the Great Lakes Central to Petoskey, Michigan, over a 71-stretch of track has bridges that cannot support the weight of the 1225.

SRI officials said they are now exploring fund-raising opportunities to pay for restoration of No. 175, which will be moved by truck to Owosso in June

 

Different Point of View on Arcade & Attica

Akron Railroad Club members Edward Ribinskas and Jeff Troutman ventured to New York State on Saturday to chase the Arcade & Attica steam tourist train.

They’ve been there before but what was different this time was that A&A was celebrating its 100^th anniversary by operating its 2-8-0 Alco No. 18 with its nose facing west rather than east as is the custom.

In the top photograph, No. 18 is read to depart from Curriers, New York. In the bottom photograph No. 18 rests at Curriers during its first run.

The A&A ran two trips last Saturday, both of them departing from Arcade, New York.

Photographs by Jeff Troutman

In Search of Keystone State Steam: 3

Everett Railroad No. 11 passes Loop Road.

Last in a series

No sooner did Ed Ribinskas return from a four-day weekend in search of steam in eastern Pennsylvania, but he was on the road again to capture steam on the Everett Railroad in central Pennsylvania.

Based in Hollidaysburg near Altoona, the Everett like the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern that Ed had chased a week earlier, is a short-line freight railroad that also operates steam locomotives.

Ed and fellow Akron Railroad Club member Jeff Troutman spent the weekend of Oct. 15-16 chasing Everett’s 2-6-0 Mogul-type steamer while also spending time on Horseshoe Curve.

He was able to get No. 11 in Holidaysburg and at such intermediate points as along Loop Road, at Kladder and crossing the Little Juniata River.

Everett No. 11 was built in 1920 by Alco’s Cooke Works in Patterson, New Jersey.

Built by Alco with an eye toward export to Cuba, No. 11 never made it to the island nation and instead worked for the Narragansett Pier Railroad in Rhode Island.

It later worked in New York state before being retired in 1949. It had a series of owners before winding up on the Everett Railroad in 2006.

It was stored for a time on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad before being restored to operating condition.

It returned to operation in October 2015.

Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

 

Group Gets Grant to Rebuild CNJ No. 113

The Railway Restoration Project 113 has received a $5,000 grant from the John H. Emery Railway Trust that will be used to pay for running gear work on Central Railroad of New Jersey  No. 113

The 0-6-0 operates on Pennsylvania short line Reading & Northern, but will be ferried to Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this winter for wheel, axle and side rod work.

Built in 1923 by Alco, the 113 has been restored to operating condition by volunteers.

It is slated to operate on Sept. 24 for Schuylkill Haven Borough Day and lead a series of holiday excursions on Dec. 4 and 18 out of Minersville, Pennsylvania.

Everett RR Test Fires Alco 2-6-0 ‘Cuban’ Mogul

The Everett Railroad in Pennsylvania recently test fired an Alco 2-6-0 that it hopes will be able to pull excursion trains this fall and winter.

The former Bath & Hammondsport No. 11 is one of 59 stock “Cuban” Moguls built between 1920 and 1926 for service in that island nation’s sugar cane fields.

Just 40 of the locomotives were exported to Cuba and the remaining units sat at the factory for years before being acquired for use on U.S. short lines railroads.

Built in 1920, the 55.5-ton No. 11 sat at Alco’s Cooke Works until 1923 when it was sold to the 9-mile long Narragansett Pier Railroad in Rhode Island.

After the Narragansett Pier went to diesel power in 1937, No. 11 went to the Bath & Hammondsport in New York.

That carrier went to diesels in 1949 and No. 11 was stored until being sold in 1955 to Dr. Stanley Groman for his Rail City Museum in Sandy Creek, New York, where it spend two decades pulling tourist trains.

Nos. 11 had series of owners until being purchased in 2006 by Everett President Alan Maples.

Restoration work began at the Western Maryland Scenic where the locomotive had its wheel centers turned, new tires fitted, new crown brass and hub liners machined, spring rigging overhauled, and received a rebuilt pony truck and a new pilot beam. The tender received a new tank bottom, a rebuilt frame and repainting.

The engine was moved last March to the Everett’s shops in Claysburg, Pennsylvania, where boiler tubes were installed, the air system overhauled, new air tanks fitted, lubrication and steam lines run, new boiler studs and washout plugs fitted, a crack in the right cylinder was repaired, piston and valve rods turned, rod brass fitted, new draft plates made for the front end, and the tender received a new drawbar and coal deck.

A successful hydro test for federal inspectors was made in August.

The Everett, based near Altoona, is a 23-mile short line that primarily hauls grain and paper products.