Restoration Begins of L&N Steam Locomotive

Restoration work on Louisville & Nashville steam locomotive No. 152 has begun, the Kentucky Railway Museum said.

The work began with the awarding of a contract to Next Generation Rail Solutions of Irvine, Kentucky.

The locomotive’s driving wheels were recently sent to the contractor’s shop with the boiler to be sent in the next few week

The overhaul work is being done at a former CSX shop in Ravenna, Kentucky, in space leased by Next Generation.

The 4-6-2 Pacific-type was built by Rogers Locomotive Works in 1905

Some of the restoration work is being done by museum volunteers on museum property.

The 152 had been restored to operating condition in 1986 but was removed from service in 2011 after it was determined the steamer needed major repairs.

There was Much to Anticipate in April 1987

The restore Pennsylvania Railroad K4 steam locomotive chugs along at Milesburg, Pennsylvania, north of Bellfonte on the ex-PRR Bald Eagle branch in central Pennsylvania.

April of 1987 was looking to be a very exciting month. There would be inaugural steam locomotive trips featuring Pennsylvania Railroad 4-6-2 No. 1361 and Norfolk & Western 2-6-6-4 No. 1218.

Pennsy 1361 would make its debut at Altoona, Pennsylvania, and N&W 1218 would be ssteaming out of Roanoke, Virginia.

We chose to chase the 1361 because we knew the 1218 would be up in our area later that summer.

No. 1361 ran on Conrail (the former PRR mainline) from Altoona to Tyrone then up the Nittany & Bald Eagle, a former Pennsy branch, to Bellefonte on April 12, 1987.

The day was complete rain, fog and gloom; however, that did not hinder the first time seeing the K4 live since her days just recently on display at Horseshoe Curve.

I was with the Surdyks on this day along with hundreds if not thousands witnessing this historic restoration having come to fruition.

On April 26, 1987, there was a joint Akron Railroad Club/Forest City Division of the Railroad Enthusiasts photo special on the New York & Lake Erie out of Gowanda, New York.

This excursion on former Erie Railroad tracks was set up with the president of the NY&LE, Bob Dingman.

We were fortunate to have the locomotive and a coach used in the filming of the movie Planes Trains and Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy.

You may notice the railroad name Contrack is a takeoff of Conrail and Amtrak.

In the movie Candy plans Del Griffith, a shower curtain ring salesman who winds up traveling  with Martin , who plays marketing executive Neal Page, by train and automobile, after their flight from New York to Chicago is diverted to Wichita, Kansas, during a blizzard.

The NY&LE was also noted for the railroad scenes in The Natural with Robert Redford. Former Grant Trunk Western 2-8-2 No. 4070 was brought from Cleveland to the NY&LE for the early scenes in the movie.

Finally on May16, 1987, Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 No. 152 was leased by Norfolk Southern for several trips as part of its steam program.

The trip I photographed was ran from L&N 152 from Lexington to Stearns, Kentucky. N&W 611 would then return the train to Lexington.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

No. 1361 passes a Conrail helper set on the Pittsburgh Line at Pinecroft, which is east of Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Doyle McCormick sits in the engineer’s seat of No. 1361 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

ARRC and RRE members ride in a a gondola during their excursion on the New York & Lake Erie. That is the late J. Gary Dillon standing on the porch of the caboose while Marty Surdyk stands at far right wearing a red and white hat.

The excursionists pose at South Dayton, New York, on the Contrack locomotive used in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Louisville & Nashville 152 at Danville, Kentucky.

L&N 152 is putting on a show at Moreland, Kentucky.

Norfolk & Western 611 pulls the excursion train over the Cumberland River at Burnside, Kentucky.

Ed’s Favorite Steam Memories of 1986

The roundhouse on the grounds of Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

My 1986 favorite adventures were an Amtrak trip to the Expo 86 World’s Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with outings to photograph Norfolk & Western 611 and Louisville & Nashville 152.

In May my Amtrak trip to Vancouver included my only trip on the Pioneer from Salt Lake City to Seattle.

In Vancouver I met up with the late Bill Surdyk to attended Expo 86.

A highlight of the event was the grand steam parade on May 26. The huge crowd witnessed a parade of 17 operating steam locomotives.

As for N&W 611, it operated between Bellevue and Buffalo in August 1986.

During October L&N 152 ran excursions on the former Louisville & Nashville in Kentucky and Virginia.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

BC Rail (Canadian Pacific) Royal Hudson 2860 is shown as part of the steam parade along with Virginia & Truckee 22.

N&W 611 crosses the Nickel Plate trestle over the Grand River in Painesville during a journey to Buffalo, New York, on Aug. 1, 1986.

L&N 152 is negotiating a switchback at Hagans, Virginia during a trip from Harlan, Kentucky, to Appalachia, Virginia, on October 11, 1986.

L&N 152 in Hagans, Virginia, on a switchback.

L&N 152 Restoration Wins Federal Grant

The Kentucky Railway Museum has received a federal grant that will be used toward restoration of a Louisville & Nashville steam locomotive.

The $435,000 grant was awarded through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

However, museum officials say that more money needs to be raised to complete the restoration of L&N 152, a 4-6-2 Pacific type that has not operated since 2011.

No. 152 is the official steam locomotive of Kentucky.

Rob Minton, chairman of the museum’s Crew 152, told Trains magazine the grant will move the restoration toward 85 percent completion.

Fundraising to support the restoration efforts began in 2015. The federal grant is a matching grant for which the recipient must provide a 20 percent match or about $87,000.

Minton said KRM has most of the matching funds needed but will continue to seek to raise the balance.

The museum has raised more than $100,000 thus far to use toward restoration.

No. 152 was built in 1905 by Rogers Locomotive Works and used largely primarily to pull L&N passenger trains between Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee.

It was donated to the KRM in 1954 after being cosmetically restored. It was restored to operating condition in 1985 after a 13-year effort.

Flue and boiler issues led to the locomotive being taken out of service in 2011. The locomotive’s boiler certification has since expired.

KRM officials hope to have the 152 back in steam and running in two or three years.

L&N 152 Restoration Moving Forward

Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 No. 152 would be returned to operating condition under a plan being worked out by the Kentucky Railway Museum

The museum, which owns 110-year-old locomotive, is working with a group of historic rail equipment experts, including the Coalition for Sustainable Rail.

The Minnesota-based group specializes in research and education of historic rail equipment and will provide engineering and inspection oversight in returning the 152 to service.

Museum work forces have been preparing the locomotive and boiler for inspection, including removal of boiler tubes and flues, boiler jacketing and firebox components

A CSR crew will inspect the boiler ultrasonically and perform an inspection of the overall locomotive and tender to determine remaining work.

No. 152 has been out of service since 2011 after an inspection found found leaky boiler tubes at the bottom of the rear tube sheet.

2-Phase Restoration Plan Set for L&N No. 152

The Kentucky Railway Museum said it is undertaking a two-phase restoration plan to return Louisville & Nashville steam locomotive No. 152 to service.

The society is seeking donations of $60,000 and volunteer workers for the project. It hopes to have this work completed by the end of summer 2015.

Built in 1905, the 4-6-2 has sat idle in New Haven, Ky., since fall 2011 after museum officials observed leaking boiler tubes at the bottom of the rear tube sheet.

The first phase of the restoration plan involves disassembly and ultrasonic testing of the boiler as well as evaluation of the locomotive’s running gear.

The second phase will be driven by the results of the boiler survey and running gear evaluation.

“Our hope and goal is to complete the engine by mid 2017, but the actual date will be determined by the results of our fundraising efforts,” said No. 152 Restoration Committee Chairman Rob Minton.

The museum has nearly $17,000 in the bank and an additional $25,000 in pledges from the museum’s board of directors, membership and others interested in the project.

L&N donated the 152 to the museum in 1954. It is the official steam locomotives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is also listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

For further information, go to Crew-152 on Facebook, or go tokyrail.org to make a contribution.

Restoration Work Begins on L&N 4-6-2 No. 152

Restoration of Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 No. 152 got underway recently as volunteers began disassembling it in preparation for a 1,472-day inspection.

The inspection, mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration, was to have been done in 2012, but instead the 152 was retired.

The Kentucky Railway Museum, owner of the locomotive, plans to conduct an engineering study this year to determine what work needs to be done to the boiler and running gear.

If the museum can secure funding, it hopes to have the 152 restored by the middle of 2017.

Although the museum’s board of directors, members and friends have donated money to the project, the museum said that participation of a broad group of investors and supporters is needed to get the 152 running again.

No. 152 is one of three remaining L&N steam locomotives, two of which are housed at the Kentucky Railway Museum.

Built in 1905 by Rogers Locomotive Works, No. 152 pulled L&N passenger trains until its retirement in 1953. L&N donated the 152 to the Kentucky Railway Museum in 1957.

It took 13 years, but volunteers restored the 4-6-2 locomotive to operating condition in 1985.

The 152 was used in mainline excursions from 1986 through 1988, but after 1990 it operated on the museum’s 17-mile remnant of the former L&N Lebanon Branch. The last excursion with the 152 was conducted in fall 2011.