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References: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] |
Reading 2100 is the prototype of the T-1 class 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives constructed in September 1945 for use by the Reading Company (RDG). Constructed from an earlier 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive built in May 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. 2100 pulled heavy freight and coal trains for the Reading until being retired from revenue service in 1956. Between 1961 and 1964, No. 2100 was used to pull the RDG's Iron Horse Rambles excursions alongside fellow T-1's Nos. 2124 and 2102. After the rambles ended, No. 2100 was sold along with No. 2101 in 1967 to a scrapyard in Baltimore, Maryland.
No. 2100 subsequently went through multiple ownership changes and spent more time in storage or being moved than it did operating under its own power. In 1998, it was sold to Thomas Payne, who moved it to St. Thomas, Ontario in Canada and modified it to burn oil. It eventually made its way to the Golden Pacific Railroad in Tacoma, Washington to pull tourist trains for one year, before it sat idle in Richland. In 2015, the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association (ASR) acquired No. 2100 and moved it to the Ex-Baltimore and Ohio roundhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The ASR is restoring No. 2100 back to operating condition, as of 2024.
No. 2100—originally numbered 2045—was constructed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May 1923 as an I-10sa class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive. The Reading Company (RDG) initially assigned No. 2045 to pull heavy freight trains. Beginning in 1945, the RDG moved thirty of their I-10sa's to their shops in Reading, and with assistance from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, they converted and rebuilt the 2-8-0's into T-1 class 4-8-4 "Northerns" to aid the railroad's growing freight traffic. [1] [8]
No. 2045 was the first of the I-10sa's to be rebuilt, and it emerged from the shops as T-1 No. 2100. [1] No. 2100 was assigned to pull heavy freight and coal trains across the RDG's mainline and some of its branch lines in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. By 1954, the RDG had removed nearly all their steam locomotives from revenue service, including all thirty of their T-1's. [1] [2] A traffic surge in 1956 encouraged the railroad to return some of the T-1's to service, but they were withdrawn again the following year. [2]
Beginning in October 1959, the RDG hosted their own steam excursion program, dubbed the "Iron Horse Rambles", and T-1 No. 2124 was used to pull the first trains. [9] [3] During the 1961 operating season, when the Rambles peaked at fourteen excursions for the year, No. 2100 was removed from storage and began pulling the trains alongside No. 2124, and later, No. 2102. [9] [3] [4] The majority of the Rambles would travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, while destinations the other trains traveled to included Philadelphia, West Milton, Tamaqua, Shamokin, and Wilmington, Delaware. [3] [4]
On August 15–16, 1964, No. 2100—coupled to a small fleet of RDG passenger cars—traveled outside the RDG and was used to pull a small series of round trip excursions between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's (B&O) "Iron Horse Days" program. [4] Since 1960, the RDG had begun to experience financial troubles, and due to rising maintenance costs to operate the T-1's and with their trackage deteriorating, they had to discontinue the Iron Horse Rambles. [10] The fifty-first and final Rambles train would take place on October 17, 1964, between Philadelphia and Tamaqua. [10]
In September 1967, No. 2100 was sold along with another T-1, No. 2101, to Streigel Equipment and Supply, and both locomotives were put into storage at the company's scrapyard in Baltimore. [5] In 1975, Nos. 2100 and 2101 were purchased for $25,000 by Ross Rowland, who was developing the American Freedom Train (AFT) tour. [5] [6] No. 2101 was restored to operating condition, since its boiler was in better condition, while No. 2100 was used to provide spare parts. [5] [6] After No. 2101 was damaged in a roundhouse fire in 1979, Nos. 2101 and 2100 would swap tenders, and No. 2100 was moved to the former Western Maryland roundhouse in Hagerstown, Maryland. [11] Rowland kept No. 2100 in storage, while he restored and operated No. 2101’s replacement locomotive, Chesapeake and Ohio 614. [11]
In 1986, Rowland sold No. 2100 to owner and CEO of Lionel Trains, Richard Kughn, and he partnered with Rowland and Bill Benson to create the "2100 Corporation". [6] [7] The new corporation financed a complete rebuild for No. 2100 to take place, with some parts from No. 2101 being used. [6] [12] [7] On October 10, 1987, No. 2100 underwent a stationary test fire. [11] [13] In late 1988, at a cost of $900,000, the rebuild was completed, and on March 25, 1989, No. 2100 performed a test run on the Winchester and Western Railroad. [6] [13] [14] Prior to the test run, CSX had sold the Hagerstown roundhouse for redevelopment, and after negotiations to purchase the roundhouse had failed, Rowland had to remove Nos. 2100 and 614 from the building. [12] [7] [15] No. 2100 had to be relocated to nearby Bedington, West Virginia. [14]
In November 1991, No. 2100 moved under its power to the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) shops in Brewster, Ohio for storage, and plans were made to operate the T-1 on the W&LE mainline, but they never came to fruition. [16] [17] [a] Richard Kughn and his 2100 Corp. partners then decided to donate No. 2100 to the Portage Ohio Regional Transportation Authority (PORTA), who agreed to allow Bill Bensen to use the locomotive to pull excursions on their trackage around Cleveland, Ohio, but no arrangements were made. [6] Sometime later, the W&LE asked for No. 2100 to be removed from their shops, and the Ohio Central Railroad (OC) agreed to store the locomotive in Coshocton, Ohio while PORTA put it up for sale. [6]
In September 1997, No. 2100 was displayed during the OC's Steam Fest '97 event alongside the railroad's own steam locomotives, including Canadian National 1551 and Canadian Pacific 1293, but the T-1 was the only locomotive to not be fired up for the weekend occasion. [6] [21] An auction to sell No. 2100 was held on January 16, 1998, with eight bidders attending the event, including Ohio Central owner Jerry Joe Jacobson, but the winner was Thomas Payne, the chairman of RailLink, Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. [6] In June, No. 2100 moved under its power to Cleveland, and then Payne had it towed to the Elgin County Railway Museum's (ECRM) former New York Central shop complex in St. Thomas, Ontario for repairs. [22] [23] [24]
At the ECRM, No. 2100 received some cosmetic changes, including the addition of three ditch lights and striped running boards, and it was relettered as Ferroequus (Latin for "Iron Horse"). [23] [24] [25] It was also converted from coal to oil firing, and the process proved to be unsuccessful. [26] [27] On November 23, 1999, No. 2100 performed its first test run with Payne's modifications. [24] On August 26-27, 2000, No. 2100 was fired up and displayed outside the ECRM during the Museum's Iron Horse Festival. [25] Payne made plans to use the locomotive to pull excursions on RailLink-owned regional and short line railways in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. [6] [22] Those plans fell through, and the T-1 was left in storage for a few more years. [26]
In late 2005, No. 2100 was moved to Tacoma, Washington, and the following year, it pulled limited sightseeing trains for Payne's Golden Pacific Railroad, using Tacoma Rail's former Milwaukee Road line. [26] [28] In June 2007, No. 2100 travelled light over the BNSF mainline from Tacoma to Richland, Washington, and Payne expected to give the locomotive an annual inspection before operating it on the Tri-City and Olympia Railroad. [28] By 2009, No. 2100 was left in outdoor storage in Richland, and ownership of the locomotive was transferred to an undisclosed individual. [27]
In April 2015, the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association (ASR) announced that they had signed a long-term loan with the No. 2100 locomotive. [27] [29] They launched their own fundraising campaign, called Fire Up 2100, and they estimated that the restoration would cost $700,000 to complete. [27] That same month, No. 2100 and its tender were loaded onto two separate heavy-duty flatcars, and they were shipped via BNSF, Norfolk Southern, and CSX to Cleveland over a two-month period. [27] Upon arrival, No. 2100 was moved inside the Midwest Railway Preservation Society's (MRPS) Ex-B&O roundhouse next to the MRPS's own locomotive, Grand Trunk Western 4070, and the ASR began work to restore the T-1. [27] [30]
In August 2023, the ASR announced that they and FMW Solutions would modify No. 2100's firebox to burn recycled vegetable oil fuel instead of coal. [29] [31] ASR Treasurer Forrest Nance would state in a press release "Taking into account the expense of not only the coal but its transport, proper storage, loading, and ash abatement, it became evident that it would be difficult to have any remaining funds after operating at non-steam railroads and museums we are in discussions with. Additionally, the logistics of storing, refueling, and burning liquid fuel is in-line with what modern railroads and diesel operated tourist lines are accustomed to, thereby greatly &expanding our opportunities and reducing emissions." [32]
In November, the ASR announced that once No. 2100 is restored, it will be painted in American Freedom Train (AFT) colors similar to that on No. 2101 and renumbered as AFT No. 250 for the United States's sestercentennial in 2026. [33] In March 2024, the boiler passed its FRA-mandated hydrostatic test. [34] In May 2024, steel was delivered for the oil pan, and the frame rails were cleaned off in preparation for the oil pan. The following month, installation of the oil pan began. [35]
Chesapeake and Ohio 614 is a class "J-3-A" 4-8-4 "Greenbrier" (Northern) type steam locomotive built in June 1948 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) as a member of the J-3-A class. As one of the last commercially built steam locomotives in the United States, the locomotive was built with the primary purpose of hauling long, heavy, high speed express passenger trains for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway such as the George Washington and the Fast Flying Virginian.
Reading 2101 is a preserved American class "T-1" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive constructed in September 1945 for use by the Reading Company. Constructed from an earlier "I10SA" 2-8-0 "Consolidation"-type locomotive built in March 1923, the 2101 handled heavy coal train traffic for the Reading until being retired from revenue service in 1959. Withheld from scrapping, the 2101 served as emergency backup power for the three other T1 locomotives serving the Reading's "Iron Horse Rambles" excursions until being sold for scrap in 1964.
Ross E. Rowland, Jr. is a figure in United States railroad preservation. He has run public and demonstration excursions on existing railroads utilizing steam locomotives.
Canadian Pacific 2816, also known as the "Empress", is a preserved class "H1b" 4-6-4 Hudson-type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in December 1930 for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). It is the only non-streamlined H1 Hudson to be preserved.
Canadian National 3254 is a class "S-1-b" 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian National Railway as the fifth member of the Canadian National class S-1-b.
Canadian Pacific 1293 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Built for passenger service, No. 1293 served an eight-year career until being replaced by diesel locomotives where it was then retired in 1959. Purchased in 1964 by F. Nelson Blount for use at his Steamtown site in Bellows Falls, Vermont, No. 1293 was easily restored to operation for hauling fan trips for the general public. 1293 was later sold to the Ohio Central Railroad in 1996 for tourist train service. Today, the locomotive is out on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
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.
Illinois Central No. 790 is a preserved 2-8-0 “Consolidation” steam locomotive, built by ALCO’s Cooke Works in 1903. In 1959, No. 790 was saved from scrap and purchased by Lou Keller, and he used it to pull excursion trains in Iowa. In 1965, the locomotive was sold to a New York businessman, who, in turn, sold it the following year to F. Nelson Blount, the founder of Steamtown, U.S.A.. As of 2024, No. 790 is on static display at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern 425 is a 4-6-2 light "Pacific" type steam locomotive originally built in 1928 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad. After the GM&N was consolidated into the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio in 1940, the locomotive was renumbered No. 580 and served in passenger service before being retired in 1950. The locomotive is currently owned and operated by the Reading & Northern, based out of Port Clinton, Pennsylvania in excursion service. At the end of 2022, No. 425 was taken out of service for its mandatory Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.
Reading 2124 is a preserved class T-1 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive that was built by the Reading Company (RDG) in January 1947, using parts from "I-10sa" class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive No. 2024, which was originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in December 1924.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2716 is a class "K-4" 2-8-4 "Kanawha" (Berkshire) type steam locomotive built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). While most railroads referred to these 2-8-4 type locomotives as Berkshires, the C&O referred to them as Kanawhas after the Kanawha River, which flows through West Virginia. Used as a dual service locomotive, No. 2716 and its classmates served the C&O in a variety of duties until being retired from revenue service in 1956.
The Reading T-1 was a class of 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives owned by the Reading Company. They were rebuilt from thirty "I-10sa" class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotives between 1945 and 1947. Out of the thirty rebuilt, four survive in preservation today, those being numbers 2100, 2101, 2102, and 2124.
Grand Trunk Western No. 4070 is an S-3-a class 2-8-2 USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive, and it was originally built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in December 1918 for the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) as No. 474. It was later re-numbered to 3734 by the Grand Trunk Western (GTW), after the GTR was absorbed into Canadian National (CN). In the late 1950s, the locomotive received a larger tender from an S-3-c class locomotive, and it was further re-numbered to 4070.
Grand Canyon Railway 4960 is a preserved O-1A class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in August 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad. It was used by the CB&Q to pull freight trains, until 1958, when the locomotive pulled its first excursion fantrip, as part of the railroad's steam excursion program.
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern 2102 is a preserved "T-1" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1925 as an "I-10sa" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive for the Reading Company, No. 2102 was rebuilt by the Reading's own locomotive Shops as a 4-8-4 "Northern" in September 1945, and it was used for pulling heavy coal trains for the railroad until being retired from revenue service in 1956.
Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in June 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.
Canadian Pacific 1286 is a preserved G5d class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull excursion trains in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.
Grand Trunk Western 5629 was a 4-6-2 K-4-a steam locomotive, which was a copy of the United States Railroad Administration's (USRA) Light Pacific design, built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1924, for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. It was used to haul commuter passenger trains in Michigan until 1960, when it was purchased by Chicago-based railfan Richard Jensen, who used No. 5629 to pull several excursion trains in the Chicago area throughout the 1960s.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 5632 was an O-5B class 4-8-4 “Northern” built in the CB&Q's shops in August 1940. It was used to pull mainline passenger and freight trains before it eventually became famous for pulling a plethora of excursion trains for the CB&Q's steam excursion program. By the time the program ended in 1966, No. 5632 was disassembled for an unfinished overhaul, and was subsequently sold to Chicago area railfan Richard Jensen.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4963 is a preserved class "O-1a" 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. It was used by the CB&Q to haul mainline freight trains before it was leased to the Bevier and Southern Railroad to haul short-distance freight trains in the early 1960s. It was subsequently retained by the CB&Q and used as a source of spare parts before being acquired by Richard Jensen.