The Lindbergh Engine has been restored and will be unveiled this Saturday.
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I'll be there for the unveiling on Saturday with my father! Got the invitation last week! Can't wait to see it officially back with her sisters in the museum!
Arrgh. Been past the RRMoPA twice in the past two weeks, but won't be there this Saturday. The museum hall seems full up. Wonder what they might kick out in the yard to make room for this engine. Wishing they had that roundhouse project finished. Hoping someone will post some pics of the unveiling here.
CJ Meyers posted:Arrgh. Been past the RRMoPA twice in the past two weeks, but won't be there this Saturday. The museum hall seems full up. Wonder what they might kick out in the yard to make room for this engine. Wishing they had that roundhouse project finished. Hoping someone will post some pics of the unveiling here.
I will get some photos of the unveiling and post here, no problem! I was thinking of taking an actual camera, so I can get something a little better than phone pics (even though my phone isn't bad with photos!)
I'm a volunteer there, but haven't heard much about the new roundhouse. Everyone is hoping it will pick back up soon!
Sure looks purty...
Even a cosmetic restoration can warm the soul.
Rusty
Rusty Traque posted:Sure looks purty...
Even a cosmetic restoration can warm the soul.
Rusty
I agree! When I'm either visiting the museum or volunteering there, just walking around and seeing everything nicely restored inside is comforting and happy.
Just to feel back in time to when those locomotives and cars looked that way right when they first took to the rails is such an amazing feeling.
Saturdays forecast is 61 and sunny. Should be perfect.
If any Pennsy engine was worthy of such a beautiful cosmetic restoration it was the #460. I hope she will be kept indoors. Thanks for posting Ralph!
I have often wondered about the level of importance that museum places on each piece of equipment., Sure, "Old Rivets," (the first GG-1) is rusting away outside, but they have at least another (maybe 2, I can't recall right now as it's been a year since I've been there) in great shape indoors already. Then there's the only complete K-4 in existence, looking downright awful facing the state highway.
p51 posted:I have often wondered about the level of importance that museum places on each piece of equipment., Sure, "Old Rivets," (the first GG-1) is rusting away outside, but they have at least another (maybe 2, I can't recall right now as it's been a year since I've been there) in great shape indoors already. Then there's the only complete K-4 in existence, looking downright awful facing the state highway.
From the information I've gathered from being there, the museum has a timetable set up for restoration of the equipment there, depending on importance and current condition, and working that out with the restoration team they have on hand.
I think 4800 is coming up soon for restoration, putting it in the "as delivered" scheme. Also, the K4 is going to be coming in sometime soon for restoration. Not sure of dates, I'm just getting that from little bits I'm told by folks who are on the full time staff.
Glad to see it,now hope to get LIRR 39 going......
joe krasko posted:Glad to see it,now hope to get LIRR 39 going......
To be clear, this PRR #460 will NOT be "going", as it is only a cosmetic restoration, i.e. NOT rebuilt for steam operations.
Now, the LIRR #39,,,,,,,,,,,,is a whole other story.
Hot Water posted:joe krasko posted:Glad to see it,now hope to get LIRR 39 going......
To be clear, this PRR #460 will NOT be "going", as it is only a cosmetic restoration, i.e. NOT rebuilt for steam operations.
Now, the LIRR #39,,,,,,,,,,,,is a whole other story.
And a long one at that...last I checked, RMLI had $160K out of the $1M needed. Seems out of reach, but there is still hope. I donate what I can whenever I vist, but it is such a drop in the pail.
But back to the OP. Very happy to see this E6 restored; if only cosmetically. There is something very pleasing to my eyes about the E6. It has such nice lines and proportions.
Nice job! Now there's a lot of work in only two words...... Seriously, the locomotive looks great.
If I remember correctly, Lionel did produce a model of the Lindbergh Engine. Does anyone have details or pics of the baggage car darkroom that processed the Lindbergh newsreels?
yankspride4 posted:
But back to the OP. Very happy to see this E6 restored; if only cosmetically.
As the museum has no intentions of running any of their locomotives (not the way they let Strasburg run a few in the past), it wouldn't make sense to restore it to operation...
Looks great. Since their installation of their paint shop, they have been doing lots of great work!
Question I have is where in the H#ck are they going to put that thing. In April they were out of room indoors...
J Daddy posted:Looks great. Since their installation of their paint shop, they have been doing lots of great work!
Question I have is where in the H#ck are they going to put that thing. In April they were out of room indoors...
When I was there in late July I noticed a few pieces that had not been restored inside. Some of it was in really bad shape. I remember (and probably have a photo) of a wood freight car that was a rolling pile of kindle. I remember a few others in rather rough shape. I'm sure they can put those out side and play "musical trains" and get everything squared away.
Ralph M posted:
The Lindbergh Engine has been restored and will be unveiled this Saturday.
I believe that the story of the famous trip is told in the book "Apex Of The Atlantics". A very good book if don't already have it on your shelf.
Statement above says this museum, directly across from a, if not, THE highly competent steam restorer and operator, will not operate any of its preservations? That policy makes no sense to me.... funds, insurance, what? Since Santa Fe is mentioned above, l wonder if the loco that powered the once famous Death Valley Scotty Special to Chicago, or one of its sisters, survived?
I can't tell from the pictures, but it looks like the engine is painted in its post war colors not the paint scheme it had on the day it became the Lindbergh Engine in May 1927. Make sure you post a good picture of the side of the engine.
colorado hirailer posted:Statement above says this museum, directly across from a, if not, THE highly competent steam restorer and operator, will not operate any of its preservations? That policy makes no sense to me.... funds, insurance, what? Since Santa Fe is mentioned above, l wonder if the loco that powered the once famous Death Valley Scotty Special to Chicago, or one of its sisters, survived?
Strasburg and the RR Museum of Pennsylvania are two different entities with two different goals. Nowhere in the great scheme of things is it written that every steam preserved locomotive must be preserved in an operational condition. Many are lucky to get a simple coat of paint, let alone a full cosmetic restoration.
ONE of the locomotives that powered the Death Valley Scottie Special has been preserved in Sacramento, 2-6-2 #1010:. It is non-operational
Rusty
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CAPPilot posted:I can't tell from the pictures, but it looks like the engine is painted in its post war colors not the paint scheme it had on the day it became the Lindbergh Engine in May 1927. Make sure you post a good picture of the side of the engine.
I will! We're in for the ceremony for the dedication, and hopefully it will be in a good spot for some nice photos!
Space and money. Friends own and restore vintage cars .. that takes a lot of space and pots of crinkly green. I could not get a std. gauge caboose in my garage, and maybe not a two foot Shay. Throwing money at it would solve the problem for all those hulks rusting away, and that is the problem . I understand.
they did a beautiful job. hope they get to the other engines soon. those four stalls will fill up quick.
colorado hirailer posted:Statement above says this museum, directly across from a, if not, THE highly competent steam restorer and operator, will not operate any of its preservations? That policy makes no sense to me.... funds, insurance, what? Since Santa Fe is mentioned above, l wonder if the loco that powered the once famous Death Valley Scotty Special to Chicago, or one of its sisters, survived?
Those two have been on bad terms for years as I can recall. All stemming from the restorations and subsequent operations of PRR 1223 and 7002. According to Strasburg, when one of the locos went back to the museum after the lease the museum sandblasted all the hard work that Strasburg had done to the cab of that engine. Either way both parties aren't on good terms with one another.
I know of a sister to ATSF 1010--the 1053--in Lawrence, KS.
If they were to have painted the 460 with all of the striping then they would also have had to replace the keystone number plate with a circular one, and change the headlight and classification lamps with older ones. Otherwise there would be people complaining that the paint scheme isn't correct for the engine's details.
Stuart
I found this:
"Museum officials said restoration of the 460 required about 29,000 hours.
The engine has been restored to its 1950s appearance. This included the repair, or replacement of, pipe lagging, boiler jacket, back head jacket, drive rods, bearings and drive boxes.
Other work included the replacement of wood doors, windows, cab liner, cab flooring and cab seats.
The exterior front and rear headlights and marker lights were rewired. Workers applied primer and two coats of finish paint. The cab and tender were re-lettered."
Nothing about why they chose this scheme.
I love it regardless. It's always a minor miracle when any steamer survives from this long ago and one of historic note to boot.
Kelly Anderson posted:RaritanRiverRailroadFan4 posted:Either way both parties aren't on good terms with one another.
That's news to me. It's true that we don't cross pollinate as much as in years gone by, as much as anything because of the Museum Commission in Harrisburg adopting a policy of preserving its collection for literally forever, precluding any operation whatsoever, which results in our two missions not being as compatible as before.
Another thread mentions about the Museum being a Smithsonian affiliate. In touring the Smithsonian's airplane restoration shop a number of years ago, we learned that every plane they restore is flight ready when it leaves their shop, but not only are they not flown or the engines started, they told us about an instance were a restored plane was being put on display, and had to have its propeller rotated 1/4 turn to get it through a doorway. This resulted in the engine being disassembled so the cosmolene that was scraped off the cylinder walls could be reapplied. That is the mindset of the modern museum mind.
On the subject of #460, I am disappointed that they chose to apply its as-retired paint scheme, rather than the much more attractive and carefully applied passenger scheme she wore during the run that made her famous. The one thing that strikes me is that the quality and care that went into the current paint job is over the top compared to what the Pennsy would have applied in the 1950's. So is it truly an accurate restoration when the locomotive is looking magnitudes better than it ever would have as it left the shop after its last overhaul?
Oh you work for the mechanical department? I always make it a point to joke with the Strasburg employees about the Walt Disney World's Lilly Belle being restored there a few years back. But of course they always say it and I'm sure you will as well, "No Comment".
Kelly Anderson posted:Another thread mentions about the Museum being a Smithsonian affiliate. In touring the Smithsonian's airplane restoration shop a number of years ago, we learned that every plane they restore is flight ready when it leaves their shop, but not only are they not flown or the engines started, they told us about an instance were a restored plane was being put on display, and had to have its propeller rotated 1/4 turn to get it through a doorway. This resulted in the engine being disassembled so the cosmolene that was scraped off the cylinder walls could be reapplied. That is the mindset of the modern museum mind.
Somehow, I don't think the Smithsonian's Southern Railway 4-6-2 1401 is "track ready", even if they could get it out of the museum easily. It would take a little more effort (the boiler's not up to contemporary FRA standards for one) than filling her up with water and coal and lighting her off.
Rusty
Cosmolene... is that a form of make up ? 
" I love it regardless. It's always a minor miracle when any steamer survives from this long ago and one of historic note to boot."
Ralph you are right about that one... every locomotive that escaped the scrapers torch is a miracle in itself.
Kelly Anderson posted:Ralph M posted:I found this:
"Museum officials said restoration of the 460 required about 29,000 hours.
Interesting. Our #475's initial restoration to operation after fifty one years of hard use and thirty four years of sitting derelict outside took 16,000 man hours. Go figure.
What happened to the Camel back locomotive? I was told it was going to be scraped, but found this note in Wikipedia...
Strasburg Rail Road - Wikipedia
No. 1187 ran as No. 4 between 1962 and 1967. It was retired as being of inadequate strength for SRR's heavy trains. It is a camelback-type locomotive. After a loan to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, it is now back on the railroad property and is currently dismantled pending long-term future restoration.[20]
The restoration was well done and I applaud the effort to coordinate the paint and lettering with the details on the locomotive - specifically the post WWII headlight and the bulls eye smoke box marker lights with the post 1941 wide spread PENNSYLVANIA lettering on the tender. Unfortunately some other PRR locomotives at the museum like the M1b 6755 was incorrectly lettered (close spaced PENNSYLVANIA) when last painted - perhaps the reason some manufacturers incorrectly lettered some O scale models.
Of special note on restored E6s 460 is the red cab roof. Based on documented PRR standards and color photos by 1952 cab roofs were no longer painted red. However 460 in its last year's it was operated by the PRSL and assigned to the PRSL's Camden engine house. Apparently that shop forces chose not to follow all the latest PRR painting and lettering standards and applied red to the cab roof of 460 and several other assigned PRR steam locomotives during routine maintenance cycles.
Kelly Anderson posted:Rusty Traque posted: Somehow, I don't think the Smithsonian's Southern Railway 4-6-2 1401 is "track ready", even if they could get it out of the museum easily. It would take a little more effort (the boiler's not up to contemporary FRA standards for one) than filling her up with water and coal and lighting her off.Rusty
You may have missed my point which was more in response to those wishing to see #460 (or #1223 or #7002) run. If current museum thinking is disturbed by turning an airplane engine 1/4 turn, just think how far out of the question actually starting it up and running it is. That is how far out of the question running any of the engines in the museum (or at the Smithsonian) is to its management.
Well, they exist to preserve things for all time, at least that's the goal. Running airplanes or steam locomotives doesn't meet that goal. It's a moot point considering how comically hard to extract the locomotive would be today in DC...
And as for 1401, that locomotive was sitting in Alexandria for almost a decade, cold, and only ever got a cosmetic restoration.
Just because a locomotive looks good, that doesn't mean a thing on if it'll be an easy restoration.
Well, yesterday was very nicely done at the museum, and combining the dedication with the Troops and Trains weekend there really put visitors in another time completely! On that, my father loved it, being a Korean War Veteran, he saw things that put him right back to that time, from some of the rifles at some displays, to the setup outside the museum that was as if you were in camp during a military operation (right down to original cans of rations!)
The Norfolk Southern Museum also had a small display, showing some of the Pennsylvania Railroad and Norfolk and Western advertisements from the World War II era. They also had the Pennsy Heritage diesel out in the yard, and that was a gorgeous sight!
For further information in regards to the roundhouse, the plans have now been approved, and bids will be going out soon for construction, now slated to begin in Spring, 2017.
Along with that, 5 locomotives are now in the plan to be stabilized from the elements, then be cosmetically restored (K4, M1, L1, B6 and H10). Those will be the centerpieces in the roundhouse, with the E6 being the main locomotive - plans are to have her in the roundhouse on a rolling display, where visitors can see her wheels and rods in motion.
It was a very nice day yesterday, and I apologize in advance if the photos aren't up to snuff. There was quite a crowd around the E6 for most of the day. The last photo in the series has the restoration crew cutting the ribbon to officially welcome the E6 back into the museum.
Overall, she's gorgeous. The lettering is the Dulux Gold, spaced right on the tender as well. If this is a yardstick for how the other 5 will look, then the museum will have 6 jewels in the crown of an already amazing collection there!
Eddie,
Thanks for posting.............the 460 looks terrific. Sure hope the ones that follow come out as well. Nice crowd on hand as well.
JohnB
"For further information in regards to the roundhouse, the plans have now been approved, and bids will be going out soon for construction, now slated to begin in Spring, 2017.
Along with that, 5 locomotives are now in the plan to be stabilized from the elements, then be cosmetically restored (K4, M1, L1, B6 and H10). Those will be the centerpieces in the roundhouse, with the E6 being the main locomotive - plans are to have her in the roundhouse on a rolling display, where visitors can see her wheels and rods in motion. "
This is great news. I am going to make it a point to stop by in April before Spring York.
Keep up the great work!
JohnB: I was incredibly happy to see the crowd that came to see her dedicated. It was a good mix of ages as well, which really made me happy! I did hear bits of info at times I work there about the 5 other locos, and after seeing 460 finished on Saturday, if the work on the 5 is somewhere in the neighborhood (and from what was said on Saturday, they will be just as impressive when completed), then the new roundhouse will be a premier section of the museum, with those locos getting every bit of the attention and care they deserve!
J Daddy: Thank you! I am very proud to be a volunteer there, in fact my dad was with me on Saturday and he kept turning to me and smiling when they'd mention how dedicated the volunteers are there. The E6 looks to be their star attraction for the new roundhouse, as well as some other upcoming events to commemorate the engine. Having 460 in the center, flanked by the other 5 and all gleaming, it's something I've waited (and I'm sure lots of others have waited as well!) years to see.
One joke the President of the Museum said about the rolling display for 460: "She'll be moving, but not at 115 mph!"
