future 611 trips ??

[NW Mailing List]

On Wed, May 31, 2017 at 1:01 PM,
Marty
 wrote:

Unfortunately, since 1218 was in the middle of a rebuild when the original
> NS steam program ended in 1994, many parts were not put back.  The parts
> that are with her are probably still in good condition, but they may
> actually have to find or fabricate more parts to restore her today than was
> necessary in 1987.  Given the cost involved with restoring and maintaining
> a steam locomotive and the missing components, 1218 is likely going to
> require a rather wealthy and enterprising benefactor in order to be placed
> back in operation.


Yep, the A is probably in her forever home at the VMT.

On May 8, 1997, Steve Lee, manager of the Union Pacific steam program,
wrote to the RAILROAD listserv list about the Norfolk Southern steam
auction earlier that spring.  The auction was held to empty the NS steam
shop at Birmingham, Alabama, following the termination of the excursion
program operated for 25 years by NS and its predecessors.

Lee also commented on the state of the 1218. His comments are posted here,
with his permission, to provide a professional perspective on what happened
to the A.

===================================

I saw the engine in the shop during the auction and got a good look at it.
The work that was in progress at the time was primarily firebox work that
was needed at the time the engine was restored but wasn't completed at that
time because of budget and time constraints.  This consisted of new partial
side sheets in the firebox, a new door sheet, most of a new mudring, and
some new side sheet sections at the mudring.  This was in addition to
replacement of flues, tubes and superheaters and some appliance work that
was normal maintenance, not left over from the restoration.  When I saw the
engine, the new sheets had been rolled and the staybolt holes punched, and
were tackwelded in place in the firebox. The ashpans, grates and grate
bearers were out, of course, as were the flues, tubes and superheaters.  As
I said, the sheets were only tackwelded in place. There was still a great
deal of work to do in finish welding the sheets, riveting the mudring, and
making and driving several hundred staybolts.  None of this work was fully
completed; the grates, grate bearers and ashpans were put back in for
appearance by Scott Lindsey and his crew.

NS's entire stock of flues, tubes, and superheater material was sold; most
of it went to scrappers because it was odd-sized and not of use on any
locomotives now running or under restoration.  Some of the appliances
(injector, air pumps, lubricators, water pump, dynamo, etc) now on the
engine are shells, put back on for appearance only.  The appliances that
had been rebuilt brought a much higher price at the auction than would
empty shells, of course, and no one at the auction could stand the thought
of fully-rebuilt appliances being put on a locomotive that probably won't
run again for many years, if at all.

As noted, N&W used a lot of odd-sized stuff, including odd-sized staybolts
and odd-sized flues and superheater units.  Because these things weren't
adaptable to any other locomotives out there now, the scrappers got it
all.  Of course, this stuff can be made new again from scratch.

IMHO, NS could have simply scrapped the 1218 and all the machines, parts,
tools and supplies at the end of the program.  Instead, they spent some
money putting 1218 back together, and made the other stuff available to
other users.  Contrary to popular belief, they did not make much, if any,
money on the auction sale when all things are considered, and much of that
stuff is being used all over the country now to keep other engines going
and even to help in some restorations.  AFAIK, no one has ever given them
any credit for that.

Steve Lee

==========
So start playing those big jackpot PowerBall tickets with an eye to
donating your large winnings to the restoration. Of course, there will
still need to be a place to run the 1218 if it were to be put back together
and that could be problematic. Sad but it was a good run while it lasted in
the last century.

Bruce in Blacksburg
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