This sad country can not even restore one these days let alone build one
And yet this is the country that builds most of the world's large commercial airliners, which are orders of magnitude more complicated than a steam locomotive. Boeing's currently got a 7 year backlog of orders.
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/boeings-huge-commercial-airplanes-backlog-will-feed-its-growth-in-the-coming-years-cm331700
Stating that this country can't manufacture anything is just plain wrong.
Even Aeroflot, the Russian airline, flies Boeings and has some on order.
http://www.aeroflot.com/cms/en/flight/plane_park
Andre
I'd rather see a new K4 built than a T1.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Building a new steam loco is not really a big deal. It has happened quite a number of times in recent years. In the UK, the LNER A1 Pacific "Tornado" was built, in Germany this one was built 5 years ago:
... as well as this one:
Granted, both are smaller locos, and even the Tornado cannot be compared with a behemoth like the PRR T1, but basic technolgies needed to build are just the same.
Whether the T1 is a wise choice to build anew, I don´t want to comment. As a lot of the comments in this thread state, there seem to be "worthier" prototypes. But that´s a railfan´s view. From a design point of view, a loco designed by Raimond Loewy might be even more attractive to the non-railfan crowd.
locoi1sa This sad country can not even restore one these days let alone build one! Maybe China could do it for us. Pete
Pete,That's exactly how R.J.Corman bought his new steam locomotive.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
cedarwoodron Wasn't this particular steam locomotive full of engineering design (and subsequent maintenance) issues that could not be disguised (however artfully) by a "pretty face"? Isn't that the real reason these locomotives were scrapped, as the onset of dieselization became increasingly dominant? Issues of labor costs, repair and even track maintenance were part of the story, as well. I enjoy a "rebuild" as much as any railfan, but how about some additional thought before trying to do this! Kind of like the late, not-so-lamented ACE 3000 (or whatever that 70's/80's coal burner was called...) Cedarwoodron
Wasn't this particular steam locomotive full of engineering design (and subsequent maintenance) issues that could not be disguised (however artfully) by a "pretty face"? Isn't that the real reason these locomotives were scrapped, as the onset of dieselization became increasingly dominant? Issues of labor costs, repair and even track maintenance were part of the story, as well. I enjoy a "rebuild" as much as any railfan, but how about some additional thought before trying to do this!
Kind of like the late, not-so-lamented ACE 3000 (or whatever that 70's/80's coal burner was called...)
Cedarwoodron
Yes,The T1 was a engineering nightmare and a high maintenance locomotive that had very limited routes it could run on..
tatans The Brits built a steam loco not too long ago (THE TORNADO) and it is presently approved to run @ 75mph, it cost 3 million pounds and was built new, Pennsy's loco could be built for the cost of a new military tank (or is that the wrong thing to say- - -) what a great idea, hopefully the Gov't will kick in a few coins rather than squander money elsewhere. I think it's a nifty idea, enough with the big boys.
The Brits built a steam loco not too long ago (THE TORNADO) and it is presently approved to run @ 75mph, it cost 3 million pounds and was built new, Pennsy's loco could be built for the cost of a new military tank (or is that the wrong thing to say- - -) what a great idea, hopefully the Gov't will kick in a few coins rather than squander money elsewhere. I think it's a nifty idea, enough with the big boys.
Building the tank would employ more people with far more re-assignable skills. Plus it's not like they buy tanks one at a time anyhow.
Also, its a bit moot because there's no tanks in production in the US right now and won't be until 2017 at the earliest.
Lets get real here. 10,000,000 to build a 4-4-4-4? Are you kidding? Someone has already spent nearly that much on the K4s #1361 to restore it to running condition. Its still in a thousand pieces and the $$$ are gone. The loco builders could turn out hundreds of massive steam locos every year. This sad country can not even restore one these days let alone build one! Maybe China could do it for us.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Not that it wouldn;t be neat to see a locomotive like that operate, I don;t think they have a snowball's chance in that very hot place of actually getting permission to run something like that cross-country.
The 10 million they plan to spend on building a T-1 could probably restore SEVERAL of the PRR steam locos rotting at the RR Museum of PA to running condition. Or several other locos all over the country in need of pretty much just boiler work and receritifcation to be able to run. And still, good luck getting anyone like NS or CSX to permit them to run on their rails regardless of what they do.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
cacole I certainly wish them luck. If they're able to raise the millions of dollars it will take to manufacture a T1 from scratch, the bigger question will be, what railroad will allow them to run it on their rails.
I certainly wish them luck. If they're able to raise the millions of dollars it will take to manufacture a T1 from scratch, the bigger question will be, what railroad will allow them to run it on their rails.
My thoughts exactly.......and would the FRA even allow a modern built steam loco to operate at all?........more so the PRR T-1
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
Motley rdgk1se3019 ........most American railroads will not allow a steam locomotive on their rails ........even if it was one of their own. Ohh ya like the Union Pacific Railroad right?
rdgk1se3019 ........most American railroads will not allow a steam locomotive on their rails ........even if it was one of their own.
........most American railroads will not allow a steam locomotive on their rails ........even if it was one of their own.
Ohh ya like the Union Pacific Railroad right?
Right. The UP owns the locos that roll on UP rails, or the rails that carry the UP steam heritage fleet, whichever way you want to cut it. They are also a lot more heritage steam friendly than the Eastern roads. And who but a Pennsy fan would want anything to do with a thoroughly imperfect art deco steam monsterpiece that met the torch while 40 year old K4 4-6-2s were still drawing assignments?
Academic to me, in any event. My prototype has at least one operable example of every significant steam class, plus literally hundreds of locomotives stuffed and mounted all over Japan. Even little private railways of no particular significance left monuments to their passage that still endure though the tracks are long gone.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with two stuffed and mounted locos)
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
There was a guy in PA that built A Pennsy T-1 in 1" scale......now it sits in Japan as a mantle piece.
This T-1 Trust sounds not just like a scam......but also a joke.........
When they're done with that, tell them to build a NYC Hudson, too. I'd rather see that than another Big Boy, although that is cool.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
http://thet1trust.com/
A site many Model Railroaders will find interesting with some recent big news: