Railroad Forums
Moderators: MEC407, NHN503
Meyblc wrote:Ok....I've got to ask even if it seems like an "idiot" question.
When Thomas shows up for a railfan weekend or other such event, is thomas an actual working locomotive or is there always a real working locomotive at the rear of the train pushing and pulling the consist?
b&m 1566 wrote:What years did #108 operate on the Conway Scenic? I've been told it was from 1976 to 1986. I know it was taken out by truck but did it arrive by truck or by rail? How often did it operate... main engine, 50/50 or was it a backup locomotive?she arrived by truck. she did operate from 76 to 86, but after that, she sat on the siding on the bartlett side of the yard until 99, when she was taken back home to her original state of texas, where she is still undergoing restoration. got the original baldwin documents from the restoration group website.
I have some info for you........I sent an e-mail to Blacklands Railroad. The president of the company informed me that Baldwin 2-6-2 #108 is in pieces waiting to be restored by the Robbins Rail Museum in AL. The Blacklands does not own the engine anymore, and it is still in Sulpher Springs awaiting this process. I personally think that it is a shame that a locomotive that was intact for the most part when purchased, is being left to sit awaiting a restoration 15 years in the waiting. I just purchased a postcard of #108 from Sulpher Springs, and the date is Dec 1999, just after purchase. It has a fence around it, the smoke stack is missing, the red identifier on the front is missing, and it looks like someone was trying to work on it.
How often did it operate... main engine, 50/50 or was it a backup locomotive?108 essentially alternated with 47 (7470) on a monthly rotation in the years she was in service, mechanical failures excepted. (In 1980, 47 was down for an extended period due to a piston ring-related failure.)
