GOOD GOD ANOTHER SANTA FE BEING RESTORED!!

2926

Yes, and this one is well-organized and funded.  The 2926 will return to the rails and not die on the vine.

However, there's a storm cloud in the sky.  The clock is ticking on the ex-Santa Fe line between Albuquerque (the location of 2926) and La Junta.  This is the most likely location for the big 4-8-4 to run - off the Transcon, possibly owned by the state of New Mexico, and there is only Amtrak Nos. 3 and 4 to contend with.  It almost sounds too good to be true, especially when you consider two steep mountain passes and some semaphores still in service.  But the track is not being given anything except minimal maintenance, is down to 60 MPH maximum speed, and may be down to 40 MPH by the time the 2926 gets steam up.

Nonetheless, the group doing the work is making progress and has backing.  I'll buy a ticket to ride.

From the title it sounds like a bunch of ATSF are being restored. Besides #3751 & 2926 what else is being restored?

To ME, it would be THANK GOD, another Steamer of any road is being restored.

Although I am partial to Union Pacific and Southern Pacific, I am Thankful any time a Steam Locomotive is restored, regardless of roadname, especially one that is being restored by a well Funded and Organized group that has a high probability of completing the restoration.

Doug

Thats gonna be hard for steam locomotives like 2926.Rember these are modern steam locomotives.Not the wood burning balloon stack you see in cowboy movies.These are built to move down the line.I hope some thing can be worked out.After all a lot of people worked hard on it.That is one big locomotive to restore to operation.I wish them godspeed.

I am sure things will work out just fine...they are doing some great work...and all outdoors, check out their progress here....

http://www.nmslrhs.org/

Chris

Can't wait to see the 2 big Santa Fe Northerns storming across the Arizona and New Mexico mainlines at speed. When we took the '51 to the Grand Canyon in 2002 3 different gps equipped laptops were showing 83 mph on the eastbound trip.

Quite a few years ago the Abilene & Smokey Valley Railroad (Abilene, Kansas) finished the restoration of Santa Fe pacific #3415, and the regularly operate her on their short line. Most folks always seem to forget about this beautiful BIG pacific.

There is also the story about the Hudson 3463.

http://cjonline.com/news/2012-...-overall-chugs-along

Here's a video of 3415.

We need a 5011 restored, so Wick Moorman can run it on the Sandusky Line from Columbus to Lake Erie!  U-rah!

My I suggest that you starting holding your breath on THAT one?

Hello guys and gals......

The S.F.5011 seems to be in the best condition of 3 others (5017,5021 and 5030). So why not?  The engine weighes about 26,000 pounds (536,000 vs.510,000)more than 2926 and perhaps the track conditions of todays railroads can handle the extra 13 tons of engine weight?  I think the heavest modern road 6 axle diesel locomotive is about 425,000 pounds?

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,623

Tiffany

Looks like you forgot the loaded tender weights. Thus the 2900 class TOTAL weight would be something like 885,305 pounds whereas the 5010 class would have a TOTAL weight of something like 905,160 pounds (according to the 1944 Locomotive Cyclopedia).

However, none of all this really matters since:

1) Who would restore/rebuild a 5010 class Santa Fe 2-10-4, and fund it?

2) Where would such a restoration/rebuild take place?

3) What would a restored to operation Santa Fe 2-10-4 pull, i.e. whose passenger equipment?

4) Finally, on whose railroad would a restored Santa Fe 2-10-4 operate? 

And then there is the "Madame Queen." http://www.railroadartifactpre...ation.org/index.html

With a restored AT&SF 5011, you could run it on any class 1 that would put up with it, as it would run OK on Diesel . As for what you could pull with it?....Anything you feel like!

No, the large oil burners do NOT "run OK on diesel", at least for very long! Why do you think they are already having to replace lower portions of the firebox side sheets on UP 844? Too much use of No. 2 diesel fuel!

Not to worry......modify the burners, or use different Diesel formulation.

If all else fails....go propane!   HAH !

Does the #2 have corrosive properties?

Chris

Good, coming from someone who has NO steam knowledge nor experience! 

No, but No. 2 diesel produces HOT and COOL spots in such large fireboxes, which the steel side sheets do NOT like. We have used some Marine diesel fuel (SP 4449), and care must be taken to maintain very even heat in the firebox, i.e. NO clear stacking and NO heavy smoke, just keep things even. The only time we had to use a large amount of No 2 diesel in 4449 was in 1989 when our fuel supplier's truck broke down. The next day we had to do that "side by side" operation with UP 8444, on the 2.2% grade of Cajon Pass. The SP management folks let us go into the Colton Diesel fuel facility and take "what ever we needed for fuel". We took on about 3000 gallons of No. 2 diesel fuel and about 2000 gallons of engine lubricating oil.

We smoked up the pass, but the combinatiton of No. 2 diesel and 40 weight lube oil did the trick at wide open throttle at a steady 300psi boiler pressure.  

Now we generally used recycled waste oil for fuel, since No. 6 or No. 5 power plant oil is so expensive.

There is a sf 4-6-2 thats has been restored.And is now operating .They have to run slow tracks in bad shape thou.

Its tricky to restore a locomotive thats set in a park for years.My home town of monroe which not to far from charottle.Well in freedom park there was a steam locomotive.I think it was a 4-6-2 or maybe a 2-8-2.Any way we would be all over that thing.Cowboys and indian.I have since heard its been removed from the park.Think about rust and other things.

I have seen this brings new meaning to the term big wheels.On good track she could do at least 55 to 75mph.Another exsample of modern steam locomotives.Its hard to think how fast this locomotive could go.But know they can get down the track strokin.

Ok I understand now.  I have seen the footage of that trip up Cajon and it was quite the show, one I wish I could have seen in person.  Thank you for the explanation.

Chris 

Hey I wonder does ross roland know about this?I am gonna pray that they have susses.I hope they pull it off.If they can get it to where it can use the inferstructer as diesel.I bet it won,t look like a steam locomotive any more.I think its gonna look pretty closs to a sd70 or a the latset ge.I am suprised thou.She doesn,t look all that rusted out.

When did 844 go to #2?  After Sopt. Steve Lee retired?

The folks at Abilene did a very nice job of taking their hometown park engine and making it operable.  They run on a former Rock Island branch line, although they do have the capability of putting it on the ex-Santa Fe Superior line through a currently disconnected crossover.  However, they are not primarily railroad enthusiasts.  They're mainly proud Abilenians with common-sense experience on farm equipment, and they improvised a very clever lubrication system for the driver axles that is perfectly fine for the short distances and low speeds that they run.  To take the 3415 out onto a main line, though, they would need to do more work and restore the original bearing lubrication system.  I think they have achieved their goal of operating the engine and drawing some tourist money to Abilene.  The engine looks great and sounds fine.

Nonetheless, the old gal is a big, beefy 4-6-2, and, even if unable to pull a long train, could take ten cars and run like a turpentined cat across the undulating Kansas prairie.  Now, whether the fares from only ten cars could fund a steam trip these days might be another matter . . .  Of course, there would be diesel-electric assistance . . .  We'll see.

Tom,

The real issue with 3415 "going out on the main line" is; she is a plain bearing locomotive, and no "main line" railroad will have anything to do with plain bearing steam locomotives anymore. Which is really sad, since the vast majority of DC diesel electric locomotives have plain bearing type of traction motor support bearings. However, explaining THAT fact to the modern, i.e. younger management teams, has been a lost cause!

On 2926:

I have some in-restoration photos of the engine from when we were given a special tour.

Is there anything to report on the 130 mph ATSF 3463 project?  The press release at the announcement of the project was 11 months ago. 

Good old 3463 is still sitting in Topeka, KS. Maybe the enterprising young man, fresh out of collage, hasn't raised enough money yet?