Iowa Interstate 6988

Great clip - Thanks for posting. I am unfamiliar with this locomotive. Yes, what a terrific whistle.

Nice clear bell too!

C.Sam that is an Americanized Chinese Steam Engine...…..Rick Corman and his Company bought one, and with help from many locals he got it up, and running before cancer finished him off. A fellow that I met at a friends Live Steam Layout, was the #1 fireman, and said that the Chinese Engine was very hard to fire, and it being Oil Fired as well....Maybe just a bad made conversion, or the people doing the honors weren't well versed, or a little of both...….!  

Brandy posted:

C.Sam that is an Americanized Chinese Steam Engine...

Correct. The owner of the Iowa Interstate RR (Henry Posner?) purchased two of those 2-10-2 steam locomotives from China, and imported them quite some years ago. One of the two has been "Americanized" as shown in the video posted above. Both locomotives are no longer owned by the Iowa Interstate, as they have been "given" to some sort of non-profit "steam group". I believe both locomotives are soon coming due for their FRA mandated 15 year inspection.

…..Rick Corman and his Company bought one, and with help from many locals he got it up, and running before cancer finished him off. A fellow that I met at a friends Live Steam Layout, was the #1 fireman, and said that the Chinese Engine was very hard to fire, and it being Oil Fired as well....Maybe just a bad made conversion, or the people doing the honors weren't well versed, or a little of both...….!  

Many times when firing an oil burning steam locomotive, the difficulty can be directly attributed to the Engineer NOT using correct throttle vs. reverse gear settings.

Hot Water posted:

Brandy posted:

C.Sam that is an Americanized Chinese Steam Engine...

Correct. The owner of the Iowa Interstate RR (Henry Posner?) purchased two of those 2-10-2 steam locomotives from China, and imported them quite some years ago. One of the two has been "Americanized" as shown in the video posted above. Both locomotives are no longer owned by the Iowa Interstate, as they have been "given" to some sort of non-profit "steam group". I believe both locomotives are soon coming due for their FRA mandated 15 year inspection.

…..Rick Corman and his Company bought one, and with help from many locals he got it up, and running before cancer finished him off. A fellow that I met at a friends Live Steam Layout, was the #1 fireman, and said that the Chinese Engine was very hard to fire, and it being Oil Fired as well....Maybe just a bad made conversion, or the people doing the honors weren't well versed, or a little of both...….!  

Many times when firing an oil burning steam locomotive, the difficulty can be directly attributed to the Engineer NOT using correct throttle vs. reverse gear settings.

 

I remember you telling the story of Firing on the Old Buffalo Creek & Gauley, and cutting your teeth on firing a steam engine.. Then someone pointing out to you what to look for in regard to Sound, Throttle/Reverser position, thus minimizing hard A** Work...!

I only had an opportunity to fire a real steam locomotive one time. It was the Southern #4501, and they did an excursion from New Albany B&O Depot to Corydon, Ind, and back ......I only got to fire it from New Albany up the hill, thru Duncan Tunnel, and then I got off at the siding on the west end of the tunnel...It was fun but it wasn't...I didn't even begin to know anything about anything, as at the time I was like 99 44/100ths % of the rest of the people, in that I thought the fireman just shoveled coal a few times per hour, and pulled the bell cord when told to do so, and the engineer just pulled the throttle in/out and blew the whistle....The average "Joe" don't have a clue to what goes on in the cab of a steam locomotive, especially when under way, nor the science behind it all...….! 

Awesome whistle! 

Brandy posted:

C.Sam that is an Americanized Chinese Steam Engine...…..Rick Corman and his Company bought one, and with help from many locals he got it up, and running before cancer finished him off. A fellow that I met at a friends Live Steam Layout, was the #1 fireman, and said that the Chinese Engine was very hard to fire, and it being Oil Fired as well....Maybe just a bad made conversion, or the people doing the honors weren't well versed, or a little of both...….!  

All of the Chinese engines (both in China and over here) are coal fired.  No oil firing to be found.  I had plenty of cinders in my hair from the August firefighter fundraising trips.

Whistle sounds like the one from Frisco 1522.

Interesting - whistle sounds a lot like a diesel horn, but lower pitched!