Fort Rome live steam train?

Okay, so this doesn't involve a train with a rail gauge of 4f, 8.5" but...

In going through my old photo albums last time I was home, I found a picture of me standing beside a steam locomotive labeled the "Rome & Fort Bull" railroad. I mentioned it to my grandparents yesterday and they remembered taking me to Fort Rome. As nice as the fort probably was and is, I am more interested in the train.

Here is a link to another site that discusses it (from 2005) and says that it was later incorporated into the Erie Canal Village. http://rypn.sunserver.com/forum/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Erie Canal Village's website: http://www.eriecanalvillage.net/pages/d ... edule.html

They mention a Diesel powered ride, but nothing of the steamer. Anyone know anything about what happened to it?

My understanding is it's in Watertown being repaired. There are several of these things stored privately in Watertown.

Charles

Is that from reading the links I posted (which said as much but were 5 years old) or some other knowledge? Thanks.

From visiting last Fall. They told me it was "going to be repaired". I knew of the steamers in Watertown due to the existing steam engines pages/lists I frequent.

Whether they are actually repairing it as we speak, I don't know. That's why I said understanding.

Charles

It's a real steam engine, I forget what the history is on it, but at times it's been the only active steam in the entire state. They did alter it a bunch to resemble traditional period locomotives, I think it started out as a tank switcher for like a tie plant or something. 2-foot gauge or thereabouts.

So we're not talking about a small "live steam" train, we're talking about an actual industrial locomotive running on 2' gauge track?

Yes, although from what I remember of it I think it may have been a bit wider then 2'. This link has a photo of the steam engine at the top of the page. http://www.wislew.com/kidsvideocontent.htm

This steam engine has to be the biggest secret in New York State. I'm glad someone brought it to my attention! The cab doesn't look right for it, but it's great to see an actual working locomotive somewhere...

Well as has been mentioned it isn't at the moment. They are using a Plymouth of one sort or another right now.

At least it doesn't appear to be one of the locomotives sitting outside near Pearl Street in Watertown - that were involved in the fire there a few years ago.

As I remember it, it actually had coaches you said IN, not ON. I don't remember anything about the gauge but I thought that it was much narrower then 3', more like 2' or something. The engine clearly had a tender that I recall, as the photograph of me is standing in front of the tender. I will need to look for the picture when I get home.
Thanks to everyone for their help.

I know I've seen the history on that engine somewhere, maybe in Trains when they did a roundup of all active steam in the US a couple years ago. What rings a bell is that it was used in a tie treatment plant, a tank loco, that was converted to a tender (or maybe just one stuck on there) when it became a tourist hauler.

And at the time Trains did that report, it was the only active steam in NY state. I think they showed it as 2 foot gauge, or maybe 30". It's basically just a big toy train, though, so far as I know it just pulled a couple of coaches in a big loop. But still a real train, not a model or live steamer.

Its pretty well known among Maine 2-footer fans..
considering its probably the only operating 2-foot gauge steam locomotive in the USA outside of Maine..
(although its not operating at the moment..but still..)

There are several locomotives in the mix..with different histories..
here is a thread with a lot more information:

http://rypn.sunserver.com/forum/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

The particular loco in question, this one:
http://www.wislew.com/kidsvideocontent.htm

Is Davenport cn 961, built in 1910..
not sure of its exact heritage..

here is another photo:
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/misc/ima ... e=iv16.jpg

Scot

Benjamin Maggi wrote:As I remember it, it actually had coaches you said IN, not ON. I don't remember anything about the gauge but I thought that it was much narrower then 3', more like 2' or something. The engine clearly had a tender that I recall, as the photograph of me is standing in front of the tender. I will need to look for the picture when I get home.
Thanks to everyone for their help.

I believe you are talking about the 2-6-2 that was at the park. It was an all black locomotive with white lettering on the tender, right? I don't remember seeing this locomotive in person, but I had a postcard or two that showed it in front of a small water tower. I do believe this locomotive is now in Watertown.

I missed out on the 0-4-0 steam locomotive as well. The last "locomotive" I rode behind at Erie Canal Village was the Chance C.P. Huntington that they had for a few years. Actually, I got a "cab" ride in that one. It was a neat little ride.

The locomotive in the link I provided is the one that was in use in 2006 when I was there with a summer camp I worked at.