#425 and #113 at Schuylkill Haven Day

For once, "rare" is fitting and proper. Nos. 425 and 113 are indeed "rare."

No. 425 is the third and largest survivor of the Paulsen Spence collection. Mr. Spence owned a gravel pit in Louisiana. In the 1950's, he purchased steam locomotives and used them on his railroad that connected with the Illinois Central. All had headlights atop their smokeboxes. Some had Louisiana Eastern in script lettering on their tenders.

Mr. Spence died of a heart attack in Penn Station while he was seeking funds to extend his track. He left money to provide a museum. But his family broke the will and scrapped all but No. 425; 4-4-0 No. 98 on the Wilmington & Western; and another modern 4-4-0 at Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad in Georgia.

The Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. purchased #113 in 1953 (just before the swift, quiet and merciless scrapping of steam on the anthracite roads) and used her at the Locust Summit coal breaker. By the 1980's she was a sorry sight. But Robert E. Kimmel, Sr., purchased her and moved her to Minersville. He began the long project of restoring her. Schuylkill Haven Borough Day will her first public display under steam.

The only other surviving Jersey Central steam locomotive is Camelback 4-4-2 No. 592 in the B&O Museum in Baltimore.

Those gravel pits contained a lot of steam. I remember 2 SP 0-6-0 with vandy tenders rusting away in the late 70s.  There was also an Alco S-2 there. If fact the S2's builders plate was lying on the ground broken. I believe it was a attempt to remove it that broke it. I asked if I could have it and I still have it.

Those old gravel pit lakes had some big bass in them too.

Malcolm

I vaguely recall hearing about "one that got away" from Mr. Spence - a Southern Ps-4.

For years there have been rumors that the Pennsy traded a BIG shifter (a C-1 0-8-0?) to a stone quarry near Birdsboro, PA (south of Reading), for historic H3 2-8-0 No. 1187. She was rebuilt and displayed at the l939-1940 New York World's Fair. Preserved in the Northumberland Collection, she now rests in The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg.

Looks like it was a great event. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za-ZrukWIOc

GEF and ReadingFan, I appreciate the information.  I've seen 425 run, and she is just my all-time favorite steam loco.

TrainsRMe,

   You have excellent taste. Here is 425 at Jim Thorpe on Labor Day

Oh thanks for those wonderful shots.  I'm so glad she's running again.

While we are on the subject of 425, how about a few more photos from Labor Day:

And I still have a few more which I need to crop. I will share them when I get that done.

Thanks Michael.  You know I'm a sucker for 425 shots!

CarGuy,

    Thanks for posting! I'm glad to see that auxiliary water car ("jug"). It's an old Taylor tender from a Reading Camelback. The late George Hart used it with Reading Shop Switcher 0-6-0T 1251. The R&N uses it because it fits with 425 on the turntable in the [former Jersey Central] Jim Thorpe yard. The original "jug" - a PRR tender - was too long and had to be turned separately.

Nice to see the 113 stretching her legs...that is one BEAUTIFUl and BIG 0-6-0! Would love to ride behind it...hopefully the group that owns it is able to run it more in the future. 

Is that the one they have sitting in the siding in Jim Thorpe? If it is, I think I have a photo of them next to each other.

That's the PRR tender.

GEF,

Thanks for posting the video! Two great looking engines! I really admire how the engine crews kept the fires 'clean'!

Man has #113 come a long way! I can remember it sitting on the siding of Greenbank Station, DE.(W&W) back during the '80's and looking pretty bad. Obviously, a very dedicated group of people that are to be commended for their efforts!

ReadingFan,

Thanks for the photo's of #425. A fine looking engine, simply splendid in blue!

>>

Man has #113 come a long way! I can remember it sitting on the siding of Greenbank Station, DE.(W&W) back during the '80's and looking pretty bad.

It looked totally decrepit at the Locust Summit(?) Breaker... when it was still operational!

A few pics from the event...

/Mitch

And some with 425...

/Mitch

Zephyr, I believe those artistic last two shots of 425 are among the finest railroad shots I've ever seen!  

Anybody riding the #425 excursions this weekend?

The 425 is beauty, and it looks like one of the MTH Railking Pacifics would be a starting piece for a conversion.

I'll be riding Saturday and chasing Sunday.

Kevin

A MTH Premier USRA Heavy Pacific would look fine as 425. I'll post a photo of my early Southern Ps-4 (20-3006-1; 1994)

The current MTH Premier USRA 0-6-0 would do for Jersey Central 0-6-0 113 that joined 425 at Schuylkill Haven. Maybe MTH could offer both of them. A model of a brand-new R&N hopper that accompanied 425 and 113 would be great!

I'll be at a wedding Saturday, and riding Sunday.

My first choice for a #425 donor was the K-line semi-scale Pacific, but I got a great deal on an older Williams brass USRA 4-6-2.  It's a bit too large to be 425 but I'll get it looking passable.  That's a little bit down the priority list, though, I want to finish the #1251 and the 2-8-0 camelback first.

That Williams loco should make a good replica of 425. Good luck with that and with your other projects.

I hope a manufacturer takes a hint from your Reading Camelback 2-8-0. They ran all over the system heading all sorts of trains. That would be a first in 3-rail "O" Gauge.

Yeah, 4-6-0s are nice, but I'd really love to see some 2-8-0 Camelbacks, or even some high-stepping 4-4-2s.