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That Decapod is one handsome machine. Can you give us a little info about this operation?
Follow the link and scroll down a bit.
Once again, there are groups in Europe that actually get things done, rather than wallowing in nostalgia and lawsuits. Dynamic bunch. There is more to life than politics.
Yeah, yeah - I know that there are dynamic people here, too, but not nearly as many
as there should be. They build NEW Pacifics in GB - new! Discouraging.
I've said it a million times before, and I'll keep saying it, despite the cry babies.
WE are our own worst enemy when it comes to preservation, or new construction.
There are also two new steam projects well underway in Germany as the frames and major castings have been completed and when they have the run in trials, that will mean England, Germany and Switzerland will have new locomotives ( more than one each) with England leading the pack. I think it's terrific.
I think the U.S being larger having too much regionalism to decide on what to build is not a valid point, there is just no real interest beyond idle talk. Look at the guy in Illinois who is working on finishing his second American type locomotive. The folks over there seem to focus on what types are missing rather than road names per say. We have a lot of restored types running that have nowhere to run, but what was lost as far as types that we have no examples of? A T-1? A Niagara? Others?
It seems to be a matter of willpower, patience and organizational skills outside of the fabrication process. I think it could be done..look at all the work and effort put into the USS United States against all odds.
http://www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/
I think once the ball got rolling and there was a legal entity and a structure folks would contribute as they demonstrated overseas. We of all people are more than capable of this. Simply put, there is just no interest and too many nay sayers to ever do this here by getting the ball rolling although would certainly be possible. We don't seem to appreciate our own history enough with organizational skills and cash to follow through in the rail fan community here. Let somebody else do it seems to be an issue, so nobody does. Look at Warren Buffet, a huge rail fan who could finance the entire affair with pocket change but there is no will to organize a structure here outside of Ross Rowland here to pull off a big project and to think big.
Just a few comments/thoughts:
1) Since all the big, modern U.S. steam locomotives had one piece cast engine beds with integral cylinders, how would those massive components be cast and machined here?
2) Where would the funding come from and who, or which group, would be "in charge"? We sure wouldn't want a "PRR K4 1361" mess again!
3) Where would the new locomotive be operated? For that matter, where would a "newly restored" current locomotive be operated?
8055 is quite reminiscent of an NC&StL Stripe or Yellow Jacket 4-8-4. Certainly is a far cry from the plodding PRR I1. Thankx for the link. Really neat projects.
Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Just a few comments/thoughts:
1) Since all the big, modern U.S. steam locomotives had one piece cast engine beds with integral cylinders, how would those massive components be cast and machined here?
2) Where would the funding come from and who, or which group, would be "in charge"? We sure wouldn't want a "PRR K4 1361" mess again!
3) Where would the new locomotive be operated? For that matter, where would a "newly restored" current locomotive be operated?
Those are all good questions in my book. As far as (1), that would have to be addressed in a feasibility study, if such a engine were chosen. (2) Donations form boiler makers like B&W, or other corporate suppliers such as steel etc, private donations, fund raising efforts, perhaps railroads, if the feasibility study says its practical... but you have to have an tax exempt organization first and professionals who are rail fans to manage it, not the other way round. You need professionals to manage the project and parcel off muscle equity to volunteers who work under their supervision. This is what was done in the Euro projects.
(3) That belongs to question (1) which would ( guessing) most likely be a short line.
Theres just no will to undertake a long term project here in the U.S.
"It seems to be a matter of willpower, patience and organizational skills outside of the fabrication process. I think it could be done..look at all the work and effort put into the USS United States against all odds.
http://www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/"
The SS United States has a temporary reprieve. Thanks to the generous one time donation of a philanthropist and generosity of the Norwegian Cruise Lines, the ship was saved from being scrapped and her dockage fees covered for several years - that wharfage/docking money is good for about one more year.
I listened to Susan Gibbs (grand daughter of the designer of SS United States ) make a presentation Thursday night at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, VA on behalf of the SS United States Conservancy. They need a lot of big money donated...
The United States was drastically over engineered which has kept in as good condition as she is despite her long term lack of upkeep and preservation. (The conservancy says her bottom is still 91% remaining - impressive after all these years.) However for example, her interior has been completely gutted due to asbestos removal. It would be wonderful to see her cleaned up and back at sea but that will never happen.
Newport News Shipbuilding (Now Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding) built the SS United States and many retired and active shipyard employees attended the Conservancy's presentation. Most agreed with the Coservancy's pitch that the only realistic chance for survival is to be tied up in NYC or Miami and converted into a hotel/offices/museum/etc.. After the presentation, a retired Newport News Ship Building employee told me in private conversation that the EPA is after the conservancy because of the ship's bottom coating. To tow the United States to Newport News would cost about $600K and then add over $2M to clean and recoat the bottom - after this year the conservancy will be hard pressed to cover the wharfage fees. With the current economy they have a very tough row to hoe.
The SS united States will never sail again - it doesn't even meet current maritime stability regulations!!
The Conservancy needs to look at and emulate what was succesfully done with the former USN 27C class aircraft carrier currently on display in NYC.
Another struggling effort is the group attempting to save the USS Forrestal (CV-59) from being scrapped or sunkand turn her into a museum (the last time I saw her was laid up at the NS in Newport, RI) - they just can't raise the huge amount of money required.
Sad, but a fact of life.
It's really admirable that these folks put that kind of time and effort into such a floating landmark of our marine-time prowess, against all the odds. I made a donation and will make more ,once I have some spare cash again. It is a huge amount of money and even if they ultimately lose, they can say with pride..they tried, they did something more than talk about it. A minor rant is all the money that is spent on junk and very little or none to preserve our own history. I think it's pathetic. To me experiencing the real thing versus a photograph just like steam locos or ships there's just no comparison. A dead steam engine preserved in aspic versus the living breathing one..I wonder ..about generations a hundred years from now..either awestruck by what we did or wondering what the real thing was like. A real shame for kids and adults.Every penny counts..I remember when kids saved pennies for the Statue of Liberty but you had a "doer"and a genius like Lee Iocca who headed that effort up..I doubt most know the ship still exists or what it looks like out in the Midwest, etc. Getting the word out seems to be a key, and salesmanship..and here we are in the home of capitalism and no one seems to be into the selling of preserving history. She is the most beautiful ship and I "stumbled"onto finding out about her.
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