Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad 8419

Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad 8419
No. 8419 on July 20, 2024
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Datong Locomotive Works Serial number JS-8419 Model JS Build date October 1988
Specifications Configuration: ​  •  Whyte 2-8-2 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Leading dia. 840 mm (33 in; 2.76 ft) Driver dia. 1,370 mm (54 in; 4.49 ft) Trailing dia. 1,120 mm (44 in; 3.67 ft) Tender wheels 1,000 mm (39 in; 3.3 ft) Minimum curve 145 m (476 ft) Length: ​  • Over couplers 23,370 mm (920 in; 76.67 ft) Width 3,150 mm (124 in; 10.33 ft) Height 4,711 mm (185.5 in; 15.456 ft) Adhesive weight 79.78 t (175,900 lb; 79,780 kg) Loco weight 101.5 t (224,000 lb; 101,500 kg) Tender weight 85.7 t (189,000 lb; 85,700 kg) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 16 t (35,000 lb; 16,000 kg) Water cap. 35,000 L (9,200 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 5.09 m2 (54.8 sq ft) Boiler: ​  • Diameter 1,908 mm (75.1 in) Boiler pressure 217.5 psi (1,500 kPa) Heating surface 181 m2 (1,948.3 sq ft) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 89 m2 (958.0 sq ft) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 580 mm × 710 mm (22.835 in × 27.953 in) bore x stroke Valve gear Walschaerts Valve travel 161 mm (6.3 in)
Performance figures Maximum speed 85 km/h (53 mph) Power output 2,270 hp (1,690 kW) Tractive effort 25,476 kgf (56,160 lbf; 249.83 kN)
Career Operators Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Class JS Numbers BSVY 8419 Delivered December 1989 First run December 6, 1989 (test run) May 20, 1990 (excursion service) Current owner Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Disposition Operational
References: [1] [2] [3]

Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad 8419 is a China Railways JS 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive, built in 1988 by the Datong Locomotive Works. It was purchased and exported by the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad (BSVY) of Boone, Iowa, and it has been used for their tourist excursion operations.

History

No. 8419 was constructed in October 1988 by the Datong Locomotive Works in China and was one of the very last JS class locomotives to be produced by the Datong Works. ^{[1] [2]}

In 1988, when the Valley Railroad (VALE) in Essex, Connecticut announced plans to import a Chinese locomotive, SY-1647M, other tourist railroads also considered to follow suit as well, Sloan Cornell ordered SY-1658M for his Pennsylvania-based Knox and Kane Railroad (KKRR). ^{[4] [5]}

The Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad (BSVY) of Iowa also decided to purchase their own Chinese locomotive instead of ordering one, they went and bought JS class locomotive, No. 8419, from the Datong Locomotive Works for $335.000, since the state of Iowa allowed standard Chinese boilers for hobbyist and tourist usage. ^{[6] [4] [7]} They originally considered in restoring Norfolk and Western 475 to haul their excursion trains, however, dude to the railroad not having enough funds or experienced volunteers to help, No. 475 was eventually deemed too costly to be restored. ^{[8] [6]}

All three Chinese locomotives were to be shipped across the Pacific Ocean by mid-1989, but no freighter ship could be secured for several months, due to that year's Tiananmen Square massacre. ^{[9] [4]}

In September, when one ship was secured, the M.V. Trade Fir, the two SY locomotives were loaded aboard in Dalian, and No. 8419 was loaded in Qingdao, and then the eastbound voyage began. ^{[4] [10]} In November, the M.V. Trade Fir stopped at Long Beach, California, to unload No. 8419, and then the ship carried the two SY locomotives to the Northeastern U.S. via the Panama Canal. ^{[4] [10] [11] [5]}

No. 8419 arrived on BSVY's property in December 1989 and it made its first test run on December 6, it officially entered passenger service on May 20, 1990. ^[1]

Beginning in 2008, No. 8419 would be used in regular service on Saturdays in the summer. ^[1] In 2017, No. 8419 was taken out of service to undergo its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul. ^{[1] [12]} It returned to service in October 2023. ^[12]

References

1. "Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad All-Time Roster" . Retrieved January 1, 2026.
2. "Steam". bsvrr.com. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
3. Gibbons (2015), p. 174
4. Miller (2017) , p. 108 harvp error: no target: CITEREFMiller2017 (help)
5. Ap (December 25, 1989). "Steam Rides Again! China Engines, U.S. Rails". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-01-17. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
6. "Railnews - Tang Shan 2-8-2s". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 9, no. 9. Carstens Publications. September 1990. p. 38.
7. "History of the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad". bsvrr.com. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
8. Bell (1995) , pp. 47–48 harvp error: no target: CITEREFBell1995 (help)
9. Keefe, Kevin P. (September 1989). "Stranded steam" . Trains. Vol. 49, no. 11. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 7–8, 18. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
10. "Railroad News Photos" . Trains. Vol. 50, no. 5. Kalmbach Publishing. March 1990. p. 14. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
11. "Railroad News Photos" . Trains. Vol. 50, no. 6. Kalmbach Publishing. April 1990. p. 17. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
12. Lucas Iverson (January 4, 2024). "Steam locomotives returning to service for the full 2024 season" . Retrieved January 1, 2026.

Further reading

• Bailey, Douglas (May 1994). "Iowa's Scenic Line". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 13, no. 5. Carstens Publications. pp. 54–59.
• Wade-Matthews, Max (2000). Classic Railway Journeys of the West. Arcadia Publishing. p. 41. ISBN   978-0754806240.
• Gibbons, Robin (2015). Locomotives of China - The JFI and JS Classes: History and Allocation of the Chinese JFI and JS Class Steam Locomotives. Tynedale Publishing. ISBN   978-0993419201.
• Bell, Kurt; Plant, Jeremy (2015). Strasburg Rail Road In Color (1st ed.). Morning Sun Books. ISBN   978-1582484792.
• Garratt, Collin; Wade-Matthews, Max (2006). Locomotives: A Complete History of the World's Great Locomotives and Fabulous Train Journeys. Lorenz Books. p. 289. ISBN   978-0754816577.