If you were given $5,000,000 to restore a train it would be....

[VAPEURCHAPELON]

What about starting from scratch??...

That's what I had in mind with the PRR S1 6-4-4-6 some pages earlier. Yes: the "A-1 Trust" in Great Britain is the proof that it works. And in Swiss manufacturer (DLM) produced some steam engines as late as in the 1990s! Completely newly designed steam engines! The takers of these are VERY satisfied with them, but up to date none has interest to do the same with a large mainline engine.

[JanOlov]

What about that engine facility in old East Germany, could they do it?

[cnwfan51]

      Id like to see the Texas Zepher 4 car train set sitting in Deadwood South Dakota that is currently in pieces restored and on the road again   Ive told my wife if we had the money Id buy it and do it myself  for our use   Just a thought   Larry 

[VAPEURCHAPELON]

What about that engine facility in old East Germany, could they do it?

I worked there for 3 1/2 years. In general they can do everything you would ask them to do concerning steam engines (and some other equipment, too), but a problem VERY DIFFICULT TO SOLVE - if it ever could at all - is the SIZE of modern North American steam engines. Although they have the same guage, it is BY FAR IMPOSSIBLE to get a boiler or main frame into these facilities, or out of them for the case of being built new, of - say - a medium size North American engine like a 4-8-4. In my time there we had many large European engines like 03 and 01 class 4-6-2s, and many 2-10-0s and 2-8-2s, and the famous 18 201, and this ALWAYS is a VERY close thing to handle them. The problem isn't the height but the length of the assembly line tracks. Even the large Europen engines sometimes lean into the field of the transfer table...

By the way: the Meiningen shops built the boiler for the British A-1.

Perhaps they would build a new large stand on their open-air ground if they ever would get any order to do something bigger... By the way: in my eyes it's not out of place to think so: when I see or read the costs of a rebuilding of a US steamer - one would get this for a fraction of the costs in Europe - and this done by workers with DAILY ROUTINE of working on steam engines. But then, of course, one would have to look what the costs are to ship the parts...

[nc32940]

 I would invest in restoring the NC &St.L Ry ALco 4-8-4 In Centennial Park in Nashville and the NC Passenger Coaches at the Tenn Valley RR Museum in Chattanooga.

[Dr Leonard]

If we're talking about restoring a preserved engine it would be the New York Central L3 Mohawk No. 3001 that's at the National NYC Museum. It's the only surviving modern NYC steam locomotive. (The cars to go with it wouldn't matter that much.) If we're talking reconstructing a locomotive no longer existing, I'm for the NYC J3 Hudson.

[daveklepper]

The cars would not be a problem, because in the postwar era the NYC's fleet of Budd stainless reclining seat long-distance 52 and 54 passenger coaches were pretty typical, and similar to what some tourist and dinner trains operate today.   The Mowhaks were used in passenger service, and I do remember riding behind them.   There were even a few with small tenders that ran in passenger service on the Boston and Albany.  (Niagras were too long to fit on B&A turntables.)  Typically, the NYC Budds had stainless sides, fluted of course, a grey letterboard with New York Central in white, not extending the length of the car but only moderately beyond the lettering, and a smilar but smaller number panel centered half way up to the windows,  Grey roofs, at least that is what I remember.  Vestibules at one end only.   Not hard to find equipment that can meet that discription.

[New Haven I-5]

 Southern 4501, NKP 759, & C&O 614.

[Ken A]

For me would be. The Aerotrain.

[New Haven I-5]

For me would be. The Aerotrain.

Welcome to the forums Ken A!

[superheat]

One fact frequently overlooked by those of us who dream of restoring a steam locomotive and train to run, is that the lines are all privately owned. Nowadays, the good news is that freight railroading in the US is alive and well. The down side to that is that the big lines aren't inclined to let steam groups run their toys anymore. If we're on the line, we're in the way. Not only that, but the potential for an accident, break down or derailment is always there, with the resultant interruption in the owning line's revenue operations. While we'd all love to see the Daylight or the Broadway Limited running again in all it's glory, a more realistic goal would be to have a small locomotive; say the SMV100, a 1925 2-8-2 Baldwin, properly restored along with a baggage car, a heavyweight coach (nice big windows, air conditioning) and a heavyweight snack / parlor type car on the end. This small 40-45 mph train could run once a day, say from LA to Santa Barbara, or Portland to Eugene, or Seattle to Portland on Weekends and Holidays only. If it were done right, people would take that train for the trip, not the destination. An engine like the SMV100 could be properly restored for about a half a mil, I would think. In today's world, that would be about the only way such an operation could reasonably be expected to survive. And it would be a lot of fun.

[daveklepper]

I think the above posting is quite correct, and so we should all thank the UP and CP for continuing to give us a taste of what modern steam operations are really like.   I hope their steam programs will continue indefinitely.  They are truly of tremendous value to North American history and culture.   Both railroads are doing a tremendous job with these two programs.

But with the right parts and asbstos eliminations and new transformers, a reliable GG-1 could be possible and could be reliable enough to run regularly on the Corridor south of Sunnyside Yard, NYC to Washington, as long as Amtrak retains the current 25HZ electrification on this part of of the Corridor.  I understand this electrification is still in good shape (except that much of the catenary is overdue for replacement) and there are no current plans to convert it to 60Hz, as was done by Metro North and used for the New Haven - Boston electrification.   Amtrak might even appreciate the addition of one very reliable locmotive.   Rewinding old armatures and field coils with  new wire with modern insulation could make the old quill-drive motors more reliable even than modern motors!

[henry6]

There is only one train worth the five million dollar restoration: THE PHOEBE SNOW!  And I would run it anywhere and everywhere!!!!

[upjake]

Sancho1

Great Northern Railway 2523, no contest.


1964 in Willmar, MN several years after retirement and before she was cleaned up and put on display.


2001 on display at Willmar, now has a new shelter over it.

Wow this steamer looks like a gem, literally.

[The Commodore]

Two choices both from my childhood and early train riding days.  Southern's Crescent Ltd. big green Pacific powered.   Atlantic Coast Line's East Coast Champion with those purple and silver E units.  I road the Crescent as a child and the Champion as a teenager and later as a serviceman in the Coast Guard traveling on the East Coast.

 

[BHirschi]

I would do one of two things:

(1) Have Atlantic Coast Line P-5a Pacific No. 1504 restored to operational service. She currently sits in front of the Prime Osborn Convention Center (Old Jacksonville Union Terminal) in Jacksonville, Fla. The beauty of this idea is that it probably wouldn't cost $5 million. ACL did a complete operational overhaul of the 1504 before putting her on display in front of their Jax headquarters. Since she hasn't been run since (meaning no wear and tear on the moving parts), it would probably take very little work to make her fully operational again.

Failing that, I would love to have a shop which specializes in locomotive restoration, fabrication and replicating build a full-sized, operational replica of an Atlantic Coast R-1 4-8-4 Northern. But that would probably cost more than $5 million!

[Road Fan]

This would be my choice too, only the whole consist, from nose to toes..

Always will be a Road Fan

[The Commodore]

Great choice, the Atlantic Coast Line Pacific #1504, along with all the other fine trains that operated out of Jacksonville's Union Station.  Ah well, now all we have to do is win the large power ball.  Mind you, I'm partial to those green pacific engines that Southern ran.

All the best,

The Commodore

[Redwood Chopper]

Mine has to be a layered answer because of different historic interests.

I'd probably rather see $5M spent on recreating a vanished New York Central J3a in full 20th Century Limited Raymond Lowey streamlining (though I'd bet $10M wouldn't even get the project halfway done).

If it were for an operating restoration of something captive in a museum, it might be the SP 4294 AC-12 cab forward at CSRM, though finding a place to run it wouldn't be easy these days. You'd have to have a $1M endowment just to keep it in good shape and fueled, too.

I wouldn't mind seeing a complete 5-unit brace of as-built Black Widow SP SD-9s, but I'd also want to see (and smell) a long train of lumber products behind them...

I'd love to have $5M to use toward replicating a complete pair of historically correct circa 1868-69 passenger and official cars and the miscellaneous clutch of freight cars that were at Promontory Summit in and around the scene of the great Last Spike driving ceremonies. The excellent replica 4-4-0s at Promontory NHS look too lonely...

[blade]

sd40-2

[ACF1001]

My first choice would be the ERIE's last doodlebug #5012. Number two is Susquehanna S-2 #206. Number three, which would probably eat up all 5 million would be UP's Big Boy currently residing at Steamtown.

[ACF1001]

How about CNJ Boxcab #1000 with it's Reading inspired lettering. Then, have it team up with the CNJ Camelback #592 for a tour between Baltimore and Jersey City. Find a permanent home for equipment currently residing on the former Lackawanna Boonton Line.

[Buildy]

  PRR K-4s 1361. I`ve been cranky ever since it has been unservicable. I got to see her run in 1988,and I wonder if I ever will again?

 

Any money left over would go to getting another Pennsy steamer going or the LIRR 35.

 

Another wish is that I had enough money to make sure the East Broad Top is kept intact and even improved(restored).

[Mrmicro100]

 It would have to be a UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4 to all its former coal burning glory ..

 

[CNW 6000]

I'd restore CNW's 1385, currently sitting in pieces at Mid Continent Railway Museum.  Any left-over funds would be used to purchase CNW's 8601 (the first C44-9W IIRC) and donate that to IRM. 

[twhite]

Well, I'd restore SP's AC-12 4-8-8-2 cab forward #4294 to operating condition, but it would probably be a bit of a problem with UP, since they'd say, "Oh, we don't have Insurance to cover operation of that locomotive over OUR (their ex-SP) lines."   That's what they keep saying about #4449, the only operational SP GS-4, currently residing in Portland (WAY out of its ex SP territory, BTW, but an always welcome guest steamer on BNSF). 

But it would be kinda fun the next time UP sends their much-touted 4-6-6-4 out here to Sacramento to just grin and say:  "Send the Baby back to Cheyenne and change it's diapers, we've got a REAL articulated, now." 

Hee-Hee. 

Tom  

 

[Texas Zepher]

daveklepper

so we should all thank the UP and CP for continuing to give us a taste of what modern steam operations are really like.   I hope their steam programs will continue indefinitely.  They are truly of tremendous value to North American history and culture.   Both railroads are doing a tremendous job with these two programs.

Yeah but, the UP won't let anyone else's steam on their rails.?!  Go figure. 

[K4sPRR]

K4s #1361, and if any money was left, restore some of the Broadway Limited cars that are still around to go with it.

[spikejones52002]

 If I was handed $5XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

I would own a Big Boy. I know everyone would give me  all the money to run it.

They would throw all the money I needed as I passed them by.

[CNW 43]

by all means a BIG BOY