Well, since the "cat's out of the bag" on other forums, I might as well post this here.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news to report. It's probably appropriate that I received this call on Friday the 13th.It seems like the K4 #1361 project is dead. I called Mike Thursday in hopes of getting up there to work with them this weekend. I had to leave a message and he returned my call Friday morning and left a message on my machine. As of next Friday (20 July) the project is shut down and all paid people will be laid off. Mike was vague about the details, probably for a reason, but there were two factors he mentioned: 1. The funding has been cut off and bills have not been paid. 2. According to an engineer's report, the firebox doesn't, and never did meet specs (interesting, considering how long these things ran). How or even whether these are related, he didn't say.He did say that parts will be placed in secure storage, but didn't say when or where. We do have an almost new tender nearly complete, I wonder what will happen with that? I talked to Mike today on the phone and he said it was inevitable this would come out and questions have already been coming in about this.
There is supposed to be a more official announcement, hopefully with more details, coming from Altoona in the near future. We can only hope there is a plan to revive this project, and one day we may see it run again.
Strasburg is no place for a high speed passenger engine such as the K4. If that firebox is kaput, the entire engine is kaput. No two ways about it.
Sure they can restore it and get it to run.. but who is gonna pay?
I say ship the thing to the PRR Museum and restore it to appearance only and store it under cover for future generations to enjoy; give that M1 engine already there some company.
Kindly leave a linky for us lesser internet searchers please.
http://www.rypn.org/RyPN/main_pages/home.asp
http://rypn.sunserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23372&start=1&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=a2061a41142846d4d3d60a5ee1da81d8
There I think I found the message, took me some time to dig down to it.
rustycoupler wrote: i really dont mean to sound rude,but the project should have went to strasburg in the first place. the way they restore equiptment there is first rate ,and it seems to be in more of a central location for more experienced fabricators to work on it.
Once again, for the obviously uninformed, the only thing supplied to this project by Steamtown NHS was the space to do the work and use of facilities. All work was done by competent contractor personnel working under the supervision of a qualified boiler engineer. To imply that any expertise exists in one group that doesn't exist in another simply shows the poster's lack of knowledge of the situation.
Well if it cannot be made to run at least I hope it can be restored cosmetically and then properly stored and displayed (i.e., not be put back outside at the Curve). Far too many museums have discovered that a steam locomotive can be torn down almost for free but it costs money to put it back together.
Dave Nelson
Kindly learn to use your computer.
Scott Cessna announced today that the project will be shut down due to lack of funding, and when it is re-started it will be moved to the new roundhouse at Altoona.
If there's any upside to this, it has to be that there are undoubtedly a some octagenarians living in Altoona who used to be involved in the overhaul of PRR steam. It might be helpful to have some of that specific knowledge available should the museum ever scrape together enough pennies to move the engine and get going on it again.
I once heard that Altoona has one of the highest retention rates of retirees of any city (for reasons I could never fathom!)
Altoona is a poor city and the museum there has always lived hand-to-mouth. It's hard to see them getting the bucks to keep the project going. Maybe they could appeal to NS for a little help.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
Lack of money is one thing.
Specific problems with the engine that NEEDS money to FIX and progress are only vaguely known.
When I started to read this thread I only knew a glimmer of something about problems with the frames and perhaps a little bit of rank pulling.
Today, several days later I know very little about the current problems with this engine. This should not be a "State Secret" to keep quiet. Being told to learn to use the computer does not cut it. Announcements conveyed by a third party does not cut it. Lack of links ot other subsantual information to assist us in understanding the exact current problem with the engine other than lack of money (We all suffer from that) is quite subsantiual.
They need to sit down, make a decision to fix or not fix the engine and find the tools, parts, skills and manpower to make it all happen in a orderly manner.
Or... put it up in a museum for display in good condition so that others may actually SEE a K4 once in thier lifetime. And move on to other things in life.
I visited the K4 on Wed. and had an extended conversation with the men who have been central to this restoration attempt. Suffice it to say that this engine remains a LONG LONG LONG ways from being ready to make steam.
My condolences to Rep. Rick Geist,Dr. Andy Mullholland, the ARRMM BOD and everyone else who has contributed to this effort over these many years.
I fully agree that the correct next step is to pack up the pieces and ship her back "home" to Altoona and hope that someday another (hopefully well managed this time ??) attempt will be made down the line?? In the interim she can make an excellent learning tool display as a "work in progress"!.
IMHO-Ross Rowland
conrailman wrote:12 long years and I think Waste of Money.
I would not consider it a waste of money until the result of the money invested in known. All I know is that the project has been stopped. I suppose the people who have invested the money will ask the appropriate questions and evaluate the answers.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
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