- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum released a press release back in early August stating that there had been a donation by some members of TVRM to fund the boiler survey. It mentions though that the survey is not to be taken as any immediate plans to return the 4501 to service. It is primarily to determine what work it would take and how much money it would cost to return the 4501 to steam in the future.
Currently, the museum is working to get Southern Railway Ks-1 2-8-0 630 returned to service, possibly in 2009.
While I would like to see the 4501 back in steam, it really depends on the the extent of mechanical work the '01 will need and economic factors as well. While the 4501 is better suited to the TVRM's excursions over the Chatooga and Chickamauga Railway, she is a bit large for the museum's 6 mile roundtrip "Missionary Ridge Local" trains.
Anyway I'm crossing my fingers that nothing that would prevent future operation of the locomotive is discovered.
I also realized that I believe this is the longest period of time the 4501 has spent unserviceable in quite a while anyway. The longest the '01 has gone between runs in the past few decades has been no more than 4 years (between 1985 and 1989), where as it last operated on September 20, 1998, just a little over ten years ago.
I'm headed to TVRM tomorrow to ride an excursion behind the former U.S. Army 610 to Summerville, Georgia and return. I plan on going back to the museum on Sunday to ride the local to East Chattanooga and try to see the progress on 630 and a look at the 4501 as well.
TVRM actually has an ongoing fund for 4501 work, to which anyone can contribute. I sent a fairly nominal contribution to the fund and a letter of encouragement. My hope (fantasy?) is to have 4501 steaming down the high iron for her 100th birthday (in October 2011).
TVRM has similar, dedicated funds for a number of other things (e.g., SOU 630).
The most recent TVRM newsletter had an item about the 4501 survey. IIRC, it is primarily of the boiler, and it is only to see what would be needed, not as a definite first step in doing the work. However, I'm more encouraged than you might guess: the people involved are not foamers, and one of them is someone who could pretty nearly single-handedly make it happen, if he chooses to. I still think he probably won't, but this is not some wild dream.
No, you don't know that. Nobody knows that, because it may not happen. Although I think there's a good chance that, at some point, 4501 will be put back in operating condition, it may never happen. The current work is not in any way an inevitable step toward restoration. It is simply a study of the feasibility and scope of restoration work required, to get some ideas of the tasks, money, and time involved. The answer may turn out to be that there are too many / too big problems to restore 4501. We hope not. But we don't really know.
Just heard that the 4501 is going to be restored. They plan to have her runnig by her 100th birthday (in 2011). Heard this off of youtube from a guy who went on a shop tour.
Generally I don't like to get into flame wars on these fora, but, well, New Haven I-5, it is pretty clear that you have no idea what you are talking about, so will you please stop posting nonsense in this public forum? Some alleged Youtube video (I couldn't find it, but perhaps it is there somewhere) of some guy who claims to have been told something on a tour of the Soule Shops is NOT a credible source.
To set the record straight, here is a quote from what somebody inside TVRM (I am a member but not really an insider there) told me today: "We're working on the 3rd Quarter S&C [Steam & Cinders, the TVRM newsletter] which should go out in a couple of weeks (hopefully) and it will have a photo of the oh-one as well as basic update info. As of now there are no details to report. Ultrasounding has not yet taken place." (Emphasis added.)
Obviously until the ultrasounding takes place, we won't even have full data on what it would take to restore SOU 4501, much less a decision on whether to restore it.
So as much as I appreciate enthusiasm for 4501, certainly feel it myself, and have done what I can to make a restoration happen, please stop posting wild rumor or outright fantasy as fact.
If you think if I'm coming up with these "rumors", this is where I got info http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsqzaCUtaIA . Click on 'more" in the description box.
P.S. I also found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj62gJTtgcI&feature=related. Look at the comments.
ANYBODY could make a comment on youtube about anything. I could go make a comment that every steamer in the US is gonna be restored immediately and put back into service because of fuel costs. Does that mean its going to happen? No. Its just a rumour that 4501 is going to be restored, and until her owners/operators directly anounce that they plan to restore her, thats all its going to be is a rumour.
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