Flagg Coal Company 75

Last updated

Flagg Coal Company 75
Flagg Coal 0-4-0T No75.jpg
Flagg Coal at Train Festival 2009 in Owosso, Michigan
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder Vulcan Iron Works, Wilkes Barre, PA
Serial number3972
Build dateDecember 1930
Rebuild date1991–2002
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 0-4-0ST
   UIC B
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.38 in (965 mm)
Adhesive weight 82,000 lb (37.2 metric tons)
Loco weight82,000 lb (37.2 metric tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler pressure150 lbf/in2 (1.03 MPa)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 14 in × 22 in (356 mm × 559 mm)
Valve typeSlide valves
Performance figures
Tractive effort 18,325 lbf (81.51 kN)
Career
OperatorsFlagg Coal Company,
Solvay Process Quarry
NumbersFCC 75
FCC 2
Solvay Process Quarry 75
Locale Michigan
Retired1954
Restored2002
Current ownerJohn and Barney Gramling
DispositionOperational

Flagg Coal Company 75 is an 0-4-0 ST steam locomotive built for the Flagg Coal Company in 1930. Restored and owned by John and Byron Gramling, the engine was loaned in 2002 to the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Michigan where it is used for demonstrations and for powering train rides and excursions. Originally numbered Flagg Coal Company 2, the locomotive's number was changed to 75 when it was sold to the Solvay Process Quarry in 1935. It never actually wore "Flagg Coal Company 75" during its service life.

Contents

History

FCC No. 75 went into service in December 1930 as No. 2 for the Flagg Coal Company of Avoca, Pennsylvania, where it was used as a switch engine. In 1935 it was sold to the Solvay Process Co. in Jamesville, New York, and renumbered No. 75. It was then used to push 4-wheel hopper cars from the steam shovel to the crusher at the rock quarry. In the early 1950s the Solvay Process Co. replaced the 0-4-0s like No. 75 with trucks and dieselized the handling of finished crushed stone with two GE 80 tonners, No. 5 and No. 6. (#6 now belongs to the Central NY Chapter, NRHS along with former Solvay Process Co. Alco 0-4-0 # 53). In 1954, No. 75 and twelve other locomotives were sold to Dr. Groman and his planned Rail City Museum in Sandy Pond, New York. The locomotive sat there untouched until 1991 when John and Barney Gramling purchased it with the intent to restore it to operating condition. The father-son duo painstakingly disassembled the locomotive, moved it to their shop in Ashley, Indiana and over the course of the following ten years returned it to service. In 2002 John and Barney loaned the locomotive to the Steam Railroading Institute where it was used for demonstrations and to power steam excursions.

Demonstrations

Flagg Coal Company 75 has traveled around the country to operate, give demonstrations and educate the public about steam locomotive operation and history. The locomotive has made a few historic appearances, such as being the first steam locomotive to operate in Port Huron, Michigan, since the early 1960s.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Road 261</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive

Milwaukee Road 261 is a class "S3" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York in July 1944 for the Milwaukee Road.

The Kennebec Central Railroad was a 2 ft narrow gauge railroad operating between Randolph and Togus, Maine. The railroad was built to offer transportation for American Civil War veterans living at Togus to the nearby City of Gardiner. Tracks of 25-pound steel rails ran five miles from Randolph, Maine to the veterans home at Togus. Train service began on 23 July 1890.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Hudson</span> Canadian steam locomotive series

The Royal Hudsons are a series of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotives formerly owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). The engines were built in 1937. In 1939, King George VI allowed the CPR to use the term after Royal Hudson number 2850 transported the royal train across Canada with no need of replacement. These locomotives were in service between 1937 and 1960. Four of them have been preserved. No. 2839 was used to power excursions for the Southern Railway Steam Program between 1979 and 1980. No. 2860 was used for excursion service in British Columbia between 1974 and 1999, then again between 2006 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Transportation Museum</span> Transport museum in Spencer, North Carolina, United States

The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a museum in Spencer, North Carolina. It is a collection of automobiles, aircraft, and railway vehicles. The museum is located at the former Southern Railway's 1896-era Spencer Shops and devotes much of its space to the state's railroad history. The museum has the largest collection of rail relics in the Carolinas. Its Back Shop building of nearly three stories high is most notable for its size of two football fields long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edaville Railroad</span> Heritage railroad and amusement park

Edaville Railroad is a heritage railroad and amusement park in South Carver, Massachusetts, opened in 1947, and temporally closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The park was only open for the Christmastime season in 2021, and will reopen under new management for the 2022 Christmastime season. It is one of the oldest heritage railroad operations in the United States. It is a 2 ft narrow gauge line that operates excursion trains for tourists, built by the late Ellis D. Atwood on his sprawling cranberry plantation in Southeastern Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company</span> Historic railroad in Pennsylvania

The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) is a 3 ft narrow gauge historic and heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania. Operating from 1871 to 1956, it is one of the United States' oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The railroad is now preserved for use as a tourist attraction until operations ceased in 2011. After a nine-year closure, in February 2020 it was announced that the railroad had been purchased by a non-profit foundation and regular train service resumed in the summer of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pere Marquette 1225</span> Preserved PM N-1 class 2-8-4 locomotive

Pere Marquette 1225 is a class "N-1" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in October 1941 for the Pere Marquette Railway (PM) by Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio. No. 1225 is one of two surviving Pere Marquette 2-8-4 locomotives, the other being 1223, which was on display at the Tri-Cities Historical Society near the ex-Grand Trunk Western (GTW) coaling tower in Grand Haven, Michigan, and both have the distinction of being the only surviving Pere Marquette steam locomotives left in preservation. No. 1225 was well known to be the basis for the locomotive used in the 2004 film The Polar Express, earning itself the nickname "The Real Polar Express."

The Steam Railroading Institute is located at 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, Michigan. It was founded in 1969 as the Michigan State University (MSU) Railroad Club. It became the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, and later adopted its present name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 630</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive (SOU Ks-1 class)

Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 722</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive (SOU Ks1 class)

Southern Railway 722 is a class "Ks-1" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in September 1904 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to run on the Murphy Branch, where it hauled freight trains between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina for the Southern Railway (SOU). In 1952, it was purchased by the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), alongside its sister locomotive No. 630, where they were served as switchers around Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamtown, U.S.A.</span> Former museum in Vermont, United States

Steamtown, U.S.A., was a steam locomotive museum that ran steam excursions out of North Walpole, New Hampshire, and Bellows Falls, Vermont, from the 1960s to 1983. The museum was founded by millionaire seafood industrialist F. Nelson Blount. The non-profit Steamtown Foundation took over operations following his death in 1967. Because of Vermont's air quality regulations restricting steam excursions, declining visitor attendance, and disputes over the use of track, some pieces of the collection were relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s and the rest were auctioned off. After the move, Steamtown continued to operate in Scranton but failed to attract the expected 200,000–400,000 visitors. Within two years the tourist attraction was facing bankruptcy, and more pieces of the collection were sold to pay off debt.

The Walkersville Southern Railroad is a 6.72 mile (11 km) heritage railway in Walkersville, Maryland. running from MP 60.0 south of Woodsboro, MD to MP 66.72 just north of the intersection of Route 26 and U.S. Route 15 near Frederick, Maryland.

Canadian Pacific 1278 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. After being retired from revenue service, the locomotive was purchased in 1965 by F. Nelson Blount for excursion trains at his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection. The locomotive was sold to Gettysburg Railroad in 1987, and it pulled excursion trains between Gettysburg and Biglerville, but it was subject to shoddy maintenance by inexperienced crews. The locomotive was retired from excursion service in 1995, after suffering a firebox explosion in June. As of 2024, the locomotive is on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Railroad of New Jersey 113</span> Preserved American 0-6-0 locomotive

Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113, also known as CNJ No. 113, is an 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive originally built in June of 1923 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The locomotive was designed solely for yard service and could only operate at slow speeds due to the locomotive not having any leading or trailing wheels, but only six driving wheels. No. 113 currently performs passenger excursion services and some freight assignments on Reading Blue Mountain & Northern operated tracks. It is owned and operated by the Railway Restoration Project 113 Organization out of Minersville, PA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 734</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive (LS&I class SC-1)

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad No. 734, also known as Mountain Thunder, is an SC-1 class 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1916 for the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad (LS&I) as No. 18. It was renumbered to 34 in 1925. No. 34 was used to pull heavy iron ore trains for the LS&I, until it was retired in 1961. The locomotive was subsequently sold to the Marquette and Huron Mountain Railroad, where it was stored in a sideline alongside other LS&I steam locomotives. In 1971, No. 34 was sold to the Illinois Railway Museum for static display.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duluth and Northern Minnesota 14</span> Preserved American 2-8-2 locomotive

Duluth and Northern Minnesota No. 14 is a preserved MK class 2-8-2 light "Mikado" built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Duluth and Northern Minnesota Railroad in 1913. In 1919, the D&NM declared bankrupt, and the locomotive was sold to the Michigan-based Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad, to operate there as No. 22. It was renumbered back to 14 in 1923. In 1959, No. 14 was sold to the Inland Stone Division of Inland Steel Company, another Michigan-based corporation, and it operated there until 1966. In 1974, it was transferred to the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway, and then it was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in 1981. The locomotive was restored to operation for use on the museum's North Shore Scenic Railroad between 1992 and 1998. As of 2024, No. 14 remains on static display inside the museum in Duluth, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1238</span> Preserved CP G5c class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. It was purchased by George Hart, who used it for excursion service in the 1960s. It was later sold to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. In late December 2023, No. 1238 was purchased by the Waterloo Central Railway, and they have plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polson Logging Co. 2</span> Preserved American 2-8-2 steam locomotive

Polson Logging Company 2 is a 2-8-2 “Mikado” steam locomotive built by Baldwin in 1912. It was originally built for the Saginaw Timber Company to pull logging trains. After that, it went through several ownership changes throughout both the steam era and the preservation era, before it was purchased by caretaker Skip Lichter in 1982. Lichter restored Polson Lumber 2 to operational condition and loaned it to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin. The engine was later removed from service in 2000 to undergo a federally-mandated rebuild. Disagreement over who should cover the restoration costs ultimately led to an arbiter finding in Lichter's favor. After a 16-year restoration process, Polson Logging 2 returned to full steam in 2016. It was moved to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad the next year to operate on the railroad in Garibaldi, Oregon. As of 2023, it is owned by Rick Franklin, and it is stored at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center for use in pulling their Christmas trains in Oaks Park. It was set be moved to the Albany and Eastern Railroad some time in 2023, until a boiler tube leak prompted Oregon Rail Heritage Center to commence the 15-year overhaul of the locomotive's boiler.

Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Co. 38 is a preserved 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. It was built by Baldwin in April 1927 for use on the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company in south central Pennsylvania in the United States, which commonly used the locomotive to pull short-distance freight trains, as well as occasional passenger trains, until the railroad shut down operations in 1954. The locomotive was subsequently acquired by the Rail City Historical Museum in Sandy Creek, New York for static display. In the late 1960s, No. 38 was sold to the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad in Lakeville, New York, who restored the locomotive to operating condition to pull their excursion trains. In 1977, the locomotive was sold again to the Gettysburg Railroad, which used the locomotive to pull their own tourist trains until 1986, when No. 38 was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad to be used there. The locomotive had been removed from service in 1989 for a long-term overhaul that was eventually completed, but it never returned to service for the Knox and Kane. After No. 38 fell victum to an arson-related roundhouse fire in 2008, it was sold at an auction to Alan Maples for the Everett Railroad. As of 2023, the Everett Railroad is restoring No. 38 to operating condition for use in excursion service alongside 2-6-0 No. 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCloud Railway 19</span> Preserved American 2-8-2 locomotive

McCloud Railway No. 19, also known as Yreka Western No. 19, or Oregon, Pacific and Eastern No. 19, is a preserved 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive in the United States that worked on the Caddo and Choctaw Railroad, United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company McCloud River Railroad, Yreka Western Railroad, and the Oregon, Pacific, and Eastern Railway. It was purchased new from the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) in 1915. Shortly after retirement, the engine operated on the Yreka Western before being moved up to Cottage Grove, Oregon to run on the OP&E. In the late 1980s, #19 was sent back down to Yreka, California to run on the YW. In April of 1994, the engine returned to McCloud, California to run a series of excursions on the McCloud, Railway. It has since been used in the films Emperor of the North Pole, Bound for Glory, and Stand By Me. As of 2022, No. 19 is being restored at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

References