with the press release of the sale of 261, the the friends of 261 said they are also trying to acquire another steam locomotive and a historic diesel locomotive which one do you think they are trying to get a Santa Fe 2-10-4 ? Cb&q 4-6-4 or some thing else with the diesels an f7 or e8/9. i would love to see 5614 or 5631
Well I doon’t think it will be a 2-10-4 most railroads now days will not let anything that heavy run on their rails. AS for CB&Q equipment. The northern at Golden Co. would be a great choice. But it would require a house mover to move the loco to the Coors brewery yards to get it on live rails again. (expensive). There is a 4-8-4 in St. Joes MO. but I don’t know the condition of that locomotive. Which leaves IRM’s 4-6-4, I’d almost bet money that is the one they are talking about.
they let T.P. 610 run a lot of places and i dont know why but i think its going to be a 4-8-4 from 2100 to 611 to 4460 to 5631
Please remember. The T&P 610 only ran on Southern RR trackage. No other railroad would let it run on their rails. Also keep in mind that most of the excursions that the 261 runs are on private owned short lines. Not too many on major mainlines.
i know but like i said i think i think it will be a 4-8-4
I believe the last four trips the 261 made were either on BNSF or CP lines.
Work began last week on 261’s overhaul. The lagging and jacketing had already been removed from the locomotive, as have the tubes, flues, superheater units and the superheater header. Last Thursday they dropped the fireman’s side rods and set them aside. This week they plan to remove the engineer’s side rods as part of the preparations to lift the locomotive off its drivers which should happen quite soon. The ultrasound has not yet been done, but the staybolts have been examined. Two are broken. The rest are said to be fine. About 60 staybolt sleeves are going to be renewed.
When the locomotive is lifted off its drivers, the tires will be removed and reprofiled. As more happens I’ll try to update the “what’s happening” list.
Doug
Thanks, Doug. [tup]
Thanks Doug! I appreciate you taking the time to keep us updated on 261’s overhaul.
Warren
[:-^] [?] ~~Steaminfo, that is great news. Is all the machinery to do the rework original or new modern equipment?? . Lima and N&W fab shops had all the tools I saw when younger, even then it was at the end of steam. Is any of this machinery still around? A lima forman told me machinery don’t wear out ~~ just parts [(-D]
Respectfully, Cannonball
It’s a mixture of new (very new in some cases) and more traditional equipment. For example, the patterns for the pieces that make up the boiler jacket are stored in a computer. A new boiler jacket is a simple as loading the appropriate sheets into a laser cutter and pushing the button.
FYI! The RFDTV channel has the 261 on the schedule for Today, May 31st. The program is on cable and they use DVD’s of the subject.
CZ
[swg] Steaminfo; thank you for the info. That is technology at it’s best.
Cannonball
The Friends bought/lease area includes some BNSF trackage that they allow BNSF to use on occassion, which I guess has made running over BNSF with 261 easier in the past. The “normal” route for a 261 trip has been from Minneapolis over BNSF to the CP’s ex-Milwaukee mainline down the Mississippi (crossing from the east to west bank at Hastings MN) down to a wye involving a bridge over the river to LaCrosse WI. It’s about three hours one way.
Pictures of the work in progress on the 261. Now looking for donations.