Sometimes life gives you FUN surprises, and that's exactly what happened to me! (Sorry, no toys here! Just the real deal!) I wasn't planning to do this, but I visited the Midwest Railway Historical Society at the B&O roundhouse on West 3rd St. in the Cleveland flats today.
Reading 2100:
Unfortunately Cleveland doesn't get to keep this one! She's just visiting for her restoration!
Can anyone identify the HZRX reporting marks on the diesel in the background?
B&O wagontop caboose.
UP 1861. (I'm leaning against the missing cowlings.) On the right you can see the ex-Ferroequus tender that belongs to fire up 2100. The 2100's own vandy tender is down the line a bit:
To the left of the caboose you can see the operating diesel and NKP coach "Mount Baxter" they took us for a short ride in:
Here's the diesel a few years ago:
I've been looking for this locomotive for 40 years.
The only other time I was down there it was raining and they didn't bring her out. More frustrating was the fact that even though she was right behind the doors in the diesel photo above, the city wouldn't even let them open the door that day so we could see it owing to a recent issue with the roof. Well, the roof has been replaced but ex-GTW 4070 has temporarily given up her stall so they can work on the 2100. She's not neglected though. Her own restoration goes on side by side with everything else. The society is making money off of letting other groups use their indoor facilities and it will make everything better in the long term.
Still...that 6 year old kid who rode behind the 4070 in 1976 wants her choo choo back!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
great pics, thanks for sharing!
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
Nice pic's. Look likes you had a good time.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Nice, thank you.
Always sad to see the iron horses stabled. At least some were saved for us to see.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Horizon Rails: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=217210
Bob Nelson
Nice shots Becky, thanks for posting them!
Man, that 2100 is one BIG engine!
lionelsoni Horizon Rails: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=217210
Yep! You win! I thought with the loco being big and blue it might make for an interresting question. I thought it was a Conrail loco at first glance!
Firelock76 Nice shots Becky, thanks for posting them! Man, that 2100 is one BIG engine!
Monstrous!
Nice photos Penny! The Reading T-1's were a huge steam engine weighing in around 400 tons and were re-built from older steam engines at the Reading PA shops during the 1940's. There were 30 of the T-1's built by Reading RR but only 4 survive today, they were numbered from 2100 to 2129.
I have 2 websites that will help with the restoration progress of the Reading T-1. www.americansteamrailroad.org or www.fireup2100.org
Lee Fritz
If you get a chance go to the Pennsylvania RR Museum in Strasburg PA. You can spend the whole day there, there is both indoor and outdoor exibits.
Lee F.
A T-1 weighed around 400 tons? Wow, that's 100 tons less than a Big Boy, and the size of one of those things will take your breath away. Trust me on that one.
phillyreadingI have 2 websites that will help with the restoration progress of the Reading T-1. www.americansteamrailroad.org or www.fireup2100.org
Here's another good one with photos of the move: https://akronrrclub.wordpress.com/tag/reading-2100/
Thanks for the additional website Penny.
Another thing about the Reading T-1's when they were being built in Reading PA is that Baldwin Locomotive Works supplied(Reading RR paid for the parts) some parts for the rebuild process.
Hi Becky. I was surprised to see Reading 2100 under such a major restoration so soon. I was fortunate enough to have it in my neck of the woods about 12 years ago where it was having some work done at my local railway museum. (Elgin County Railway Museum). It was in darn good shape then!!
After reading about the history of the locomotive I have to say I'm a bit surprised too. But I'm no expert. Here are some more pics of appliances:
Right side drivers and rods:
Fireman's side (and roundhouse cat! ):
I was a bit surprised by the condition of the backhead. But maybe I'm just thinking that because some of the gauges are off:
A better picture of the tender:
There ya are.
Neat post Penny!
Regards, Roy
Some good news from MRPS! They've raised enough money to re-roof and restore the 5 stalls of the roundhouse where the roof collapsed a few years back!
Construction starts on Monday!
I also scanned and cleaned up this photo of the Cuyahoga Valley Line excursion I rode back in 1976 with Mikado 4070 on the point:
Here's a better idea of what 4070 is supposed to look like:
When the rounhouse repairs are completed, they'll be able to get 4070 back inside where heavier work can be done. They also got the donation of surplus rail from the Brookpark Ford plant which, with a lot of effort, will give them more and better trackage at the complex.
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