According to a news/history item in today's (Aug 9,2017) Lancaster (PA) News, completion of RGS #20 is being projected for Spring 2018 at Strasburg's newly expanded restoration facility.
Rio Grande Southern No. 20's very lengthy restoration to operating condition at Strasburg PA is an interesting story. When Strasburg shops took it apart they found that the boiler course in front of the sand dome was caved in from an accident. It's likely that Rio Grande Southern operated it that way, but Strasburg decided that will never do these days. So they replaced part of the boiler course and made the boiler as cylindrical as possible. Then, they replaced the tender tank, the engine frame, the ashpan, and the smokebox. I'm sure that Number 20 has been a great money pit and an unanticipated expense. About the time Trains Magazine announced that Number 20 would be running again by year's end, work came to a standstill with only half of the staybolts installed. Strasburg's fleet of operating steam locomotives take precedence over contract restoration work. But, this restoration has been dragging on so long that I wonder if there's adequate funding for the project.
So, I have lots of questions, like who actually owns Number 20, How is its restoration being financed, are there opportunities to make donations, and did the restoration contract with Strasburg prove to be entirely too open ended.
I think an article about the restoration of Rio Grande Southern's iconic Number 20 would be very interesting in the Trains preservation column.
Any update on # 20? Trains Colorado magazine has it being returned to the Colorado Railroad in 2016.
The tender arrived at the museum about a week ago by privately owned US Army artillery carrier. I should know -- I helped the [Kazakhstanis?] who own the rig find Mike Spera, the Master Mechanic, and get the tender onto the track in the roundhouse that is surrounded by machine tools.
But I don't know the status of the locomotive.
I just checked the Colorado Railroad Museums website and it looks like #20 is still at Strasburg. No word on possible completion dates.
What's the latest on the restoration of RGS #20? Last I heard the engine was at the Strasburg RR.
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works
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