Cotton Belt Project 819 Update

[Anonymous]

I attended the Train Show at the Cotten Belt RR Mueseum in Pine Bluff AR. Today. Found quite a few good buys and alot of happy people. Spent a bit more money than planned but hey what the heck.

I spoke with them about the 4-8-4 Project 819 that is being worked on. Bottom line it may be a year or so before she is completed and ready for the rails. The Auxilary water tender is finished and outside in gleaming gloss paint donated by a paint company in exchange for fan trips. (Or at least a company photo with the engine) Enough paint is on hand to fini***he engine.

The super cooling pipes are being hydro tested one by one and installed into the boiler. There are approx 200 2 1/2 inchers and 50 3 1/2 inchers for the boiler. I may have heard the numbers wrong. The Firebricks and associated support appear to be in good shape (Oil Burner) the Rods are good, the Cylinders are being cleaned and polished. I think the Throttle, Pumps etc are being gone over. The tender is being worked on.

Monies come from donations as they are a non profit agency. I am not native to Arkansas however the sheer spirit and grit of these folks going hogwild on the home town engine (Last of 20 built in Pine Bluff during WW2 years) she will hit the rails again in full glory. When she does go out it appears that her territory is Tyler Texas on down to New Orleans because the water chemistry is native to the engine. She probably will be allowed to run into Northern Arkansas but we will have to wait and see.

I have tons of pics, but since I dont yet have a hoster site I think maybe another visitor there may have a few.

Good Luck everyone!

Lee

[UPTRAIN]

This is great news........what raliroad will it be operating on?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by UPTRAIN

This is great news........what raliroad will it be operating on?

Zach [8D]

Man oh man, did you hit the nail on the head. [;)]

The 819 is a Cotton Belt built engine. Cotton Belt was a subsidiary of Southern Pacific and ran on Cotton Belt tracks. This is pretty much basic knowledge to the railfan.

When Amtrak went swimming in Mobile all the railroads raised the liability insurance minimuns they required to either $200,000,000 or $250,000,000 (I can't remember which since it has been a while). I was a member of the Museum then and worked the steam excursions as a car host. Our annual trip to Tyler, Texas left Pine Bluff on a Friday morning arriving in Tyler early evening. Some years there was a Saturday excursion, this happened the last year we ran. Then the return trip began on Sunday morning arriving Pine Bluff that evening. The liability policy carried was for 10 million dollars and cost the club somewhere between 7 to 8 thousand dollars. Our group was just breaking even between ticket sales and consession stand sales. So when the liability insurance went up few museums or clubs could even afford the cost of a liability policy. You just don't run the excursion without one either. [:(]

Now for the "what railroad" to run it on. That is a can of worms now. There are some politics in play there that are not general knowledge. Everyone knows that UP has taken over SP. UP has its own steam program. Now some of the volunteers at the Arkansas Railroad Museum also volunteer with the UP steam program (or did). Without going into the politics lets just say that hopefully these guys will be able to talk Steve Lee into allowing the 819 to run again at least on home rails. There were rumors that the 819 would never run again on the mainline but like I said I am trying to leave the politics out of this post. So wi***hese guys good luck and hope the 819 sails the rails once again. The 800s were good engines and capable of pulling a nice long train. [:)]

[Anonymous]

Would UP let them run on their line?

DOGGY[^][^][^][^][^]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Doggy

Would UP let them run on their line?

DOGGY[^][^][^][^][^]

I am not a betting man. But if I were my money would be on "NO".

The reason being is that UP has its own steam program and a very nice fleet of passenger cars.

The other reason is the "politics" which we won't discuss in the forums.

[Anonymous]

As with any main line steam engine, getting it running is only half the battle. I wi***hem luck and I hope that the 819 dose get to se the high iron again.
-justin

[Anonymous]

Early this year the 819 was torn down for a FRA inspection. There was also an article (which I still have not read) in the local paper about it.

I took some pics of it with the outside jacket removed. The "inside" parts which we normally do not see sure look funny when they are actually open to viewing.

I sure would like to see the 819 run again. It is a mighty fine engine.

[espeefoamer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by UPTRAIN

This is great news........what raliroad will it be operating on?

Zach [8D]

Man oh man, did you hit the nail on the head. [;)]

The 819 is a Cotton Belt built engine. Cotton Belt was a subsidiary of Southern Pacific and ran on Cotton Belt tracks. This is pretty much basic knowledge to the railfan.

When Amtrak went swimming in Mobile all the railroads raised the liability insurance minimuns they required to either $200,000,000 or $250,000,000 (I can't remember which since it has been a while). I was a member of the Museum then and worked the steam excursions as a car host. Our annual trip to Tyler, Texas left Pine Bluff on a Friday morning arriving in Tyler early evening. Some years there was a Saturday excursion, this happened the last year we ran. Then the return trip began on Sunday morning arriving Pine Bluff that evening. The liability policy carried was for 10 million dollars and cost the club somewhere between 7 to 8 thousand dollars. Our group was just breaking even between ticket sales and consession stand sales. So when the liability insurance went up few museums or clubs could even afford the cost of a liability policy. You just don't run the excursion without one either. [:(]

Now for the "what railroad" to run it on. That is a can of worms now. There are some politics in play there that are not general knowledge. Everyone knows that UP has taken over SP. UP has its own steam program. Now some of the volunteers at the Arkansas Railroad Museum also volunteer with the UP steam program (or did). Without going into the politics lets just say that hopefully these guys will be able to talk Steve Lee into allowing the 819 to run again at least on home rails. There were rumors that the 819 would never run again on the mainline but like I said I am trying to leave the politics out of this post. So wi***hese guys good luck and hope the 819 sails the rails once again. The 800s were good engines and capable of pulling a nice long train. [:)]

Unfortunately,I don't think the engine will ever run on Cotten Belt rails.Doyle Mc Cormic can't even run the 4449 on the SP out of Portland.However the engine is allowed to run on BNSF,and on the Portland & Western.

[traingeek087]

Can we get a website?