First run of Weeden Dart

The little engine that still can..it just wonderful that it is from 1888 and I cannot imagine in their wildest dreams the original owner could have foreseen it still under steam in the 21st Century. Simply inspiring..and I thought some of my stuff was old.

Not.  What did you do with the lubrication of the cylinders you had mentioned before?

Bruce

My friend Murray recently gave the boiler the "ginger treatment" to seal a slight leak at the least accessible end in the cab. A small quantity of ginger is brought to a boil in the boiler being careful not to get any in the cylinder and this stops the leak permanently. About 6 drops of oil is added to the boiler for lubrication and a slightly better seal with the piston. The engine is embossed 1887, but it is my understanding, based on the little information that I could find that these were made in various forms from 1888 to 1909. Apparently the later engines had brass boilers and both cylinders working. I would like more information and I will probably research this at the TCA library. When I have visitors, one of my most frequently asked questions is "what is your earliest train?" and I've now made that question easy to answer! 

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA   

That is fantastic, Eric!  Thanks for posting the video.

Terrific! What a piece of history!