US Sugar 148 Back In Steam

[bartman-tn]

First, #148 is one of a number of 4-6-2 locomotives that ran for the Florida East Coast that wound up at U.S. Sugar in Clewiston, Florida. The company bought many older steam locomotives, rebuilt them, and operated then until they failed. Steam lasted until the 1960s. The cane cars are rebuilt boxcars. They are in the process of replacing older cars with new ones built from retired boxcars or ones they can acquire on the cheap. The sides have screening to help with air flow. The cane must be processed rather quickly once cut, and air flow helps keep the cane fresh a bit longer. The screening also makes the cars lighter. Most of the cane loading facilities handle 30-40 cars, so that is the normal length of trains over the system. All cars meet FRA standards and operate on both the private sugar cane lines and the South Central Florida Express railroad. I am finishing up a book on the rail systems of U.S. Sugar - a very fascinating story.

[Flintlock76]

BaltACD

 

 

GERALD L MCFARLANE JR

 

M636C 

54light15

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type?  

They are cane wagons converted from box cars.

Sugarcane wagons often have mesh sides, these have mesh panels inserted in the sides. I'm not sure why, but I assume the cut cane requires some ventlation.

Peter

I'm pretty sure those are purpose built cane cars and not converted from box cars, all I can get from their website  https://www.ussugar.com/railroad/ is that they have 800 specially designed cane cars...which implies to me purpose built and not rebuilt from something else.

 

 

Cars are not listed on UMLER.

 

I'd take it they never leave home rails so industry specs don't apply, US Sugar can do their own thing with 'em.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm wating with baited breath for some more 148 video besides that Facebook post!

[BaltACD]

GERALD L MCFARLANE JR

 

M636C 

54light15

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type?  

They are cane wagons converted from box cars.

Sugarcane wagons often have mesh sides, these have mesh panels inserted in the sides. I'm not sure why, but I assume the cut cane requires some ventlation.

Peter

I'm pretty sure those are purpose built cane cars and not converted from box cars, all I can get from their website  https://www.ussugar.com/railroad/ is that they have 800 specially designed cane cars...which implies to me purpose built and not rebuilt from something else.

Cars are not listed on UMLER.

[GERALD L MCFARLANE JR]

M636C

 

54light15

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type? 

 

 

 

 

They are cane wagons converted from box cars.

Sugarcane wagons often have mesh sides, these have mesh panels inserted in the sides. I'm not sure why, but I assume the cut cane requires some ventlation.

Peter

 

 

I'm pretty sure those are purpose built cane cars and not converted from box cars, all I can get from their website  https://www.ussugar.com/railroad/ is that they have 800 specially designed cane cars...which implies to me purpose built and not rebuilt from something else.

[Paul of Covington]

Flintlock76

Actually, I didn't mention it running in New Jersey, seppburgh did, but no matter.

   Sorry about that.  Yous guys look alike from here. 

   I went back and reviewed the thread and the video, and I didn't see any mention of where the featured run took place.  Looking at the surroundings, though, it does look more like Florida than New Jersey.

[Flintlock76]

I found some old footage of 148 operating in New Jersey.

This is from 1971, on the Black River & Western in Flemington.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ577iTN3-0  

And this one's from 1975.  The locomotive is now owned by the Whippany River tourist 'road.  Filmed on Super-8 sound film the quality's not the best.  The trip ran on the old Erie Main Line, starting in Ridgewood NJ, then running through Ho-Ho-Kus, and along "Collins Curve" in Waldwick.

It's got one smoky stack in the second film!  Either it's got a load of bad fuel oil, or the engine's in dire need of service, or they're hamming it up for the cameras, or the fireman doesn't know what he's doing!

Definately NOT a clean stack like that Florida test run!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4LVqTmU2kU   

[kgbw49]

From all the various books I have read, FEC locomotives were oil-fired as opposed to coal-fired.

Here is a sister 4-6-2 to 148 and you can see the oil bunker in the tender:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/368569/

Here is 148 on the Blue Comet specials in 1975:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/13984/

Here are a couple of FEC 4-8-2 Mountains and you can again see the oil bunker in the tender:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4123429

https://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/fec822.htm

 

[Deggesty]

Paul Milenkovic

I am always impressed when someone is firing a steam locomotive with a "clean stack."

Looking at the tender, they are firing this thing on #2 Diesel?  Even oil fired, no one is firing with Bunker C in this day and age, both on account of environmental as well as availability reasons?

 

Yes, Paul, that clean stack is beautiful.

Looking at the hoses between the engine and tender, it definitely is not coal fired. Now watch that clean stack when the fireman throws sand into the firebox.

 

[Paul Milenkovic]

I am always impressed when someone is firing a steam locomotive with a "clean stack."

Looking at the tender, they are firing this thing on #2 Diesel?  Even oil fired, no one is firing with Bunker C in this day and age, both on account of environmental as well as availability reasons?

[BaltACD]

I believe the engine started commercial service for the FEC hauling the snowbirds to and from the Florida resorts in the 20's.

[Flintlock76]

Paul of Covington

 

 

54light15

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type? 

 

 

 

 

   I thought they might be for hauling cane.  They kinda remind me of the trailers with the high sides of steel mesh pulled by tractors in the sugar cane fields down here.  Those windows in the video appeared to have steel mesh (lath?) over them.  But Flintlock mentioned the engine running in New Jersey.  Did it ever run in cane country?  I can't imagine that they grow cane way up north in New Jersey.

 

Actually, I didn't mention it running in New Jersey, seppburgh did, but no matter.

I don't know 148's history intimately, but as I understand it 148 was owned by US Sugar after it's mainline career ended with another railroad.  When it was retired by US Sugar it went into private hands and found it's way north and was used in excursion service.  When the owner died it became a wanderer again.  And now it's found a good home! 

[M636C]

54light15

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type? 

 

They are cane wagons converted from box cars.

Sugarcane wagons often have mesh sides, these have mesh panels inserted in the sides. I'm not sure why, but I assume the cut cane requires some ventlation.

Peter

[Paul of Covington]

54light15

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type? 

 

   I thought they might be for hauling cane.  They kinda remind me of the trailers with the high sides of steel mesh pulled by tractors in the sugar cane fields down here.  Those windows in the video appeared to have steel mesh (lath?) over them.  But Flintlock mentioned the engine running in New Jersey.  Did it ever run in cane country?  I can't imagine that they grow cane way up north in New Jersey.

[54light15]

I don't eat sweets but that is sure one sweet looking Pacific! Beautiful! Can someone explain the freight cars? They look like they have windows in them. Hopper cars of some type? 

[kgbw49]

US Sugar has done an amazing job!

I am going to support US Sugar by eating more of the first three of the four main food groups - candy, candy corn, candy canes, and syrup!

[Flintlock76]

Seppburgh, I'm sure you remember this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkWzvVItgss  

And this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Ac4aXRY9A  

I remember the Morris County Central, rode it several times, including one of their "Moonlight Specials."  It was a fun ride!  "Gone, but not forgotten."

[Miningman]

One snappy looking steam locomotive. Bravo.

[seppburgh2]

My old girl is BACK!  I had a "relationship" back in the 70's when she ran on the Morristown & Erie. Was a member back then to the Morris County Central Railway Museum and at the end of the day used to get to ride the pilot boards to throw the switches to aline with the house track for the night.  My wild and crazy teenage years. Thank you for sharing and bringing back many happy memories.

[Flintlock76]

Looks like they made a beautiful job of it!

A sugar company with a pet steam engine!  How cool is that?

148 has a very strong resemblence to an Erie K1.  Brought a tear to my eye.

Thanks for the link!

[kgbw49]

Here is a short video on Facebook of US Sugar 148 back in steam.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222761217729728&id=1553547811