Strasburg Locomotives

This is the new thread for information and input on the locomotives.

Someone posted in another thread that things aren't looking good for #4 rebuild. He was told this by a shop worker. While no decision is final, it seems that the cost would outweigh the need.

This is by no means final. And it is only a continuation of someone elses post. But it is looking more and more likely.

So if the railroad can't restore it to operable condition, what do you think they will do?

1. Donate it to the Museum?
2. Restore it cosmetically and display it in the station area?
3. Restore it and display it in an enclosed area?
4. Donate it to the Reading Railroad Historical and Technical society?
5. Nothing?

If they had planned on a steamer being used exclusively for freight/switching chores, maybe this is an idea. Restore 972. After it's completion, take 31 temporarily out of service, and try to cosmetically restore it to it's original 1908 appearance. Then give it it's original Grand Trunk number, and use it for that purpose.

While I have only seen 31's original appearence once, as I recall it was dramatically different than it is today. I saw in 1990 what I believe was it's blueprints, (on a special shop tour). As I remember, it looked more like the Wilmington and Western's #58. As memory serves it has a slope tender and slide valve's A smaller cab, and different domes.

Now that would be an idea. Hey 31 was never a fit for easy tourist operations.

What do you akll think?

Paul

strasburg31 wrote:This is the new thread for information and input on the locomotives.

Someone posted in another thread that things aren't looking good for #4 rebuild. He was told this by a shop worker. While no decision is final, it seems that the cost would outweigh the need.

This is by no means final. And it is only a continuation of someone elses post. But it is looking more and more likely.

Yeah, I'll go with this. I never thought it looked very likely that that engine would ever end up back in service.

So if the railroad can't restore it to operable condition, what do you think they will do?

1. Donate it to the Museum?

In my opinion and experience, that'll never happen. They might send it back over there, but they'll retain ownership.

2. Restore it cosmetically and display it in the station area?

Nah I don't think so...they tried that once and moved it out. No room for her now I don't think in these new plans of theirs.

3. Restore it and display it in an enclosed area?

Not a terrible idea, but where? They have no public display area that is indoors at this time, nor is there any plan for one to be constructed in the near future. Not even on those plans they have for the roundhouse.

4. Donate it to the Reading Railroad Historical and Technical society?

I don't think so...this one's not happening either.

5. Nothing?

Well I don't quite think they'll just leave it sit there to rot some more...though this might be the situation for a little while. I'd say they just ship it back over to the museum if it's found to be too costly to repair. Not under the ownership of the PHMC or any historical society, still under SRC ownership. If anything, I figure Strasburg will try to trade the museum for something with it, as they did with the railbus they had before.

If they had planned on a steamer being used exclusively for freight/switching chores, maybe this is an idea. Restore 972. After it's completion, take 31 temporarily out of service, and try to cosmetically restore it to it's original 1908 appearance. Then give it it's original Grand Trunk number, and use it for that purpose.

I'm probably just dreaming here, but in my never ending quest for everything to be historically accurate, I would love to see every locomotive on that roster restored to it's appearance at the prime of it's operational career (as 89 is now, with the exception of the tender and some other relatively small details). The "prime" of the locomotive's career is up to debate, but I'd classify that time as when the locomotive was doing what it was designed to do the most, and at it's best.

While I have only seen 31's original appearence once, as I recall it was dramatically different than it is today. I saw in 1990 what I believe was it's blueprints, (on a special shop tour). As I remember, it looked more like the Wilmington and Western's #58. As memory serves it has a slope tender and slide valve's A smaller cab, and different domes.

Yeah, I vaguely remember seeing similar if not the same blueprints...it did have a slope tender I believe and now that I think about it, it did resemble 58 very much. And all I know is that now the more that I think about it, that would be one heck of a cosmetic modification. Anybody on here think that the 89 rebuild was a big change? You aint seen nothin' yet...

Now that would be an idea. Hey 31 was never a fit for easy tourist operations.

No, in fact, that engine is the furthest from a passenger locomotive that they have on the roster. That engine was designed as a yard shifter, and when they were using it for those freight runs back in the 80's, it was doing what it was designed to do (here I go with the historically accurate deal again)...I feel that since they now have three other operational locomotives, they can once again return 31 to it's freight operation. Back in the 80's, when they were using it for that purpose, they only had 90, 89, and 1223 really (7002 was out of service more than it was in, and so was 89 in reality).

Ya know what an idea is? Bring back that mixed freight they used to run once a week on Fridays behind 31. I'd bet railfans would be lining up to ride that...and if they couldn't do it every week, make it once a month. They could advertise it as "the only true, scheduled steam-powered mixed train in the country today", because to the best of my knowledge, it would be...

Take care everyone.

Mike DiMunno

No, 31 may be far from a passenger locomotive, but is WM Shay "Big 6" at Cass either? I mean, Cass could retire the Big 6 and get a streamlined NYC Hudson and maybe a few sleek Pullmans and head up the mountain, if they even can.

I know Strasburg hasn't used 31 lately, but it doesn't mean they've retired it, nor does it mean that they have any plans about shifting to 972. In fact, a Strasburg employee told me not to expect 972 anytime too soon.

No, 31 was never entirely fit for Strasburg operations, but, as President Linn W. Moedinger implied: "She gets the job done".

strasburgtrain wrote:No, 31 may be far from a passenger locomotive, but is WM Shay "Big 6" at Cass either? I mean, Cass could retire the Big 6 and get a streamlined NYC Hudson and maybe a few sleek Pullmans and head up the mountain, if they even can.

I know Strasburg hasn't used 31 lately, but it doesn't mean they've retired it, nor does it mean that they have any plans about shifting to 972. In fact, a Strasburg employee told me not to expect 972 anytime too soon.

No, 31 was never entirely fit for Strasburg operations, but, as President Linn W. Moedinger implied: "She gets the job done".

Oh, she certainly does get the job done. In the Strasburg's first years of steam tourist operation back in the 60's, it was 31 that came through for the company and helped them turn a profit for the first time since passenger ops. began. And she does just fine on the head end of a passenger train. It's just the fact that if they were looking for a steam locomotive on their presently operative roster to use as a freight locomotive, #31 would be the best choice.

And that Strasburg employee is right...don't expect 972 any time in the near future. Any serious work won't begin on that until AFTER that roundhouse thing they want to do several years from now is complete...

Mike DiMunno

As a matter of fact, 31 as said above does quite well with the tourist trains even though shes is a freight locomotive then again so is 90 and 475. The only real passenger locomotive they have is 89 the only problem is she has a hard time with 6 coaches behind her. 31 believe it or not deals with the 6 and 7 car trains a lot better the 89 does because she is a freight locomotive and is stronger than 89 with something like 31,515 lbs of tractive effort while 89 only has 26,300 lbs. I've even seen 31 handle the hourly trains during the summer hauling 9 cars without a problem. Not something you would expect out of 31. I really don't know right now what the whole issue is with 31 right now and why SRC won't give it a chance to run, I'm still trying to find out why.

I posted something here yesterday, directing attention to a post on another forum from Linn Moedinger, in which Mr. Moedinger explained why 31 isn't being used right now. The post isn't here today.

Is mentioning another website forbidden? This other site had information directly from the president of Strasburg; I thought in the quest for accuracy, Mr. Moedinger's comments, even if from another site, were appropriate to this forum.

Yeah, me too I just stated that I was the one who initially asked the question. If its illegal to post another website's address my bad

Posting a link to another website is done all the time.
There my be a trick to it.

Can anyone give instructions on how it is done for beginners?

I didn't post a link, the post disappeared entirely! I referenced information, right from the horses mouth, so to speak, about Strasburg locomotive 31. Perhaps someone didn't like the information? Hey, don't shoot the messenger-

Perhaps there was some sort of error with the server or something and our posts somehow got deleted, because if posting another websites address is ok then we did nothing wrong, all we did was just relay information.

OK, I'll blame the disappering thread on the server and try it again.

On www.rypn.net (Interchange) Linn Moedinger explained that they were not planning on using the 31 until January, 2005. It could be put back into service with only a few days shop time.

Keeping it out of service keeps the Federal clock from running, and they really don't need the 31 right now, with 89, 90 and 475 available. This is the reason, by the way that 972 isn't being worked on; it also just isn't needed.

Lots of good information at rypn-

# 31 is an Ex CN locomotive its # was 7312
Ex. Reading # 1187 SRC ( 4 ) was the only steam locomotive to be shiped to SRC under its own power . The fact that its in the state she in , is that SRC wore it out by huling to of heavy trains with it . the last she ran was in 1964 . My Father took slids of her under steam .

Len.