Just found out today, Reading & Northern is returning 2102 to operating condition.
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Rich, saw the post on facebook. has pictures of them removing the tender from the engine and with the front cover removed from the smoke box. look up anthracite railroads historical society and friends of the reading railroad, they split the tender and engine on 1-7-16. then today they started removing the front end, domes & covers to get at the boiler for inspection.
What great news! So few Readin Co steam survivers, but the T-1 class is beautiful in my opinion and Andy Muller runs a first class operation according to the people I know who work for him. This should be fun to watch.
Edit - I can't find anything on the company homepage or the 2102 fan facebook page, this must be a very recent development.
DL&W Pete posted:Rich, saw the post on facebook. has pictures of them removing the tender from the engine and with the front cover removed from the smoke box. look up anthracite railroads historical society and friends of the reading railroad, they split the tender and engine on 1-7-16. then today they started removing the front end, domes & covers to get at the boiler for inspection.
The key phrase is "get the boiler ready for inspection"! No decision has been made, YET, about returning 2102 to operation, i.e. totally FRA compliant. THAT is what this inspection will determine, plus how much money will be need to return her to operating condition.
On trainorders.com a R&N employee stated was being inspected for a estimate of cost to repair. It is not being restored at this time.
Press release from the R&N:
Hot Dog! 2100 and 2102 being returned to service. I'll get to see at least once live in my life again.
Could push American Flyonel into making some.
Wahoo! And since R&N 425 has a fancy paint scheme, how about this one?
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Now if we can get the 2101 and 2124 restored...
2101, got softened in a round house fire, or so I was told!.............................................
I had a long conversation with an engineer who towed the 2101 out of the engine house fire after the fire. Ross Rowland had stated the bearings were damaged, but according to the engineer, they weren't, Ross wanted Greenbriar 614 because it was more economical. The tender of 2101 was severely damaged, but not the engine. 2101 could be restored. But if we get 2 out of the surviving 4 - it's a great day for Reading Steam fans!
A very nice development!
Like Fire Up 611, Light My Fire 1309, Fire Up 2100, Santa Fe 2926 Project and others, I hope they will receive the support and donations necessary to make it happen!
Any steam restoration project that reaches completion is a beautiful thing for fans. Again, so long as we continue to support them.
I am wondering if the American Steam Railroad will need any parts from 2101 in Baltimore to return 2100 to operation?
Many have previously stated that 2124 could be done, but is probably in the worst shape of the four T-1's. And, would most likely cost the most. Can anyone comment on that?
My understanding is that while 2101 and the tender were damaged in the round house fire, it was simply more economical for Mr. Rowland to get the 614. I can't remember where I read it but, that at some point the tenders of 2100 and 2101 had been swapped out. That the tender on 2101, while it was in operation, had been 2100's {And in the round house fire}. But, at some point afterwards had been swapped back and repaired. I might be remembering incorrectly. Does anyone have information on that? I am just curious to get the right information.
Potentially having two Reading T-1's operational is very pleasing to me!
I doubt you'll see an effort to get 2101 running for a few reasons:
- I've been told by someone at the B&O museum that 2101 doesn't have all it's side rods. There was not only a tender swap between 2100 and 2101 (as 2101's tender was still in decent shape after the fire) but 2100 has at least one part of 2101's side rods. I've also heard on section of the rods are a cosmetic/representational casting that couldn't be used on a locomotive in operation, but I'm not certain of this.
- 2101 was pulled out of the dead line of a Baltimore scrapyard in what was called at the time, "the 30-day miracle" and I have been told by a couple of people into rebuilding steam that they question how well maintained 2101 really was before the fire ended her career. I can't say either way, but someone might consider that if wanting to rebuild her to run.
- The issues of the fire. 2101 wasn't burned that badly from what I've read about the fire, but who'd want to risk it? Think of two cars of the same type and year sitting in a junkyard that you're looking to rebuild one of them,. One was totaled in a collision which only damaged a door or two, and the other was burned in a garage fire. Even though the latter one might be in better overall condition, would you risk it? No, you'd go with the one with the bad doors as it'd seem like an easier fix and less to worry about later. especially with something like a boiler. It's a perception issue, probably more so than a real-life mechanical one.
Thanks for posting the release from R and N! Confidence in a successful inspection seems quite high. I can't wait to ride behind her!
Also to any R&N employees who might read this - tell Jim Cook I said hello!
John Henry Z
I looked inside the cab of 2101 about 10 years ago. Not a pretty picture. The backhead is/was almost completely stripped of anything usable. A lot of it looked like it was done with a hacksaw. So figure adding rebuilding that to the list of things to do.
Chris
LVHR
2101? Do you mean the one at the B&O museum that was in the 1979 fire? It ran for AFT and Chessie Steam Special before the fire. 2102 was well taken care of by being stored indoors. 2101 was damaged in the fire, and 2124 at Steamtown was worn out from use, it last ran 1964.
Robert K posted:and 2124 at Steamtown was worn out from use, it last ran 1964.
"worn out" how? The 2124 is the only roller bearing Reading T-1 remaining, as the other three are all plain bearing. Any "restoration/rebuild" will require the Federally mandated 15 year boiler inspection, except for #2100, which still has time remaining on her boiler.
Has work actually started on the 2102? Andy wanted it running by summer 2017 for his 70th birthday.
