BSVY's Datong-built 2-8-2 JS #8419 returned to steam in September 2023. While she did pull a few trains before the end of the 2023 season, she still needs considerable work done in 2024.

#8419 turns 36 years old this year... to put that in (local) perspective, she is slightly younger than the C&NW's SD60s (the North Western's last new EMD order), and one year older than the C&NW's C40-8As. Most of the superfluous as-delivered decorations have been removed and stored or placed on display in the adjacent James H. Andrew Railroad Museum & History Center.

So, it turns out I missed out on reporting about 2 other restoration projects trying to gain traction. Here's wishing them the best of luck.


- Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 1000 class 2-6-2 #1010 has been announced towards the end of last year to have begun fundraising for a restoration to operation. Good luck, California State Railroad Museum! Hopefully, #1010 will feel a fire in her firebox again in the not-to-distant future. https://www.californiarailroad.museum/g ... estoration

- Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 1050 class 2-6-2 #1129 is now getting attention from the Rough Riders Rail Rehab Organization. Their main goal is to preserve #1129, cosmetically restore her, and (if funds and parts allow) operationally restore her. Good luck, 4RO! I hope you will also be able to run a AT&SF 2-6-2 one day. https://www.lasvegasoptic.com/news/busi ... 438f5.html & https://www.lasvegas4ro.com/


Also, there are several locomotives I haven't heard much about recently. Has anyone heard anything recently about the following locomotives:

- Great Western 51 class 2-8-0 #51 (She isn't on this list, but I'm curious about her)
- Great Western 75 class 2-8-0 #75
- Union Pacific C-2 class 2-8-0 #618
- Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern 0-6-0T #65
- Mississippi Central 98 class 4-4-0 #98

WK&S 65 is slowly being restored as time and money is available. There are lots of things that need to be worked on, but the large portion of the project is replacing the internal firebox (door sheet, rear tube sheet, crown, and side sheets). We just hit an exciting milestone as the new door sheet and rear tube sheet were delivered to the railroad. Next step is fitting them in place, which we hope to complete in the spring.

GW #51 is privately owned, and has run maybe a week since her 1472. She's stored serviceable in a dry, secure building waiting for her next movie shoot, but the only other information I can share is that she doesn't qualify as (returning/being restored/being rebuilt) in 2024.

Yes, I am well aware that Great Western #51 isn't "returning"/being restored/being rebuilt. I just haven't heard anything on that 2-8-0 in quite a while and was curious about her.

Just when you start to think you're on top of things,...

I've realized that I forgot to mention 1 locomotive that has returned to service since I started maintaining these lists.


- McCloud River 18 class 2-8-2 #18 was returned to service on the Virginia & Truckee. Congratulations, V&T! I believe she was returned to service in 2021. (Please either help me confirm this is correct or correct me if I'm wrong.)


Also, there are 5 more locomotives that are being worked on that I didn't previously list.


- Charles R McCormick Lumber Company (later Santa Maria Valley) 100 class 2-8-2 #100 is being restored to operation at the Virginia & Truckee (likely to become Virginia & Truckee #30). Hopefully, it won't be long before she is steaming alongside McCloud River 18 class 2-8-2 #18.

- Great Western (Black River & Western) 60 class 2-8-0 #60 has just gone down for her 1472 SDI. Here's hoping it won't be too long before #60 is up and running again.

- Louisiana & Pacific 250 class 2-8-0 #252 (Virginia & Truckee #29) just went down for her 1472 SDI. Here's hoping it won't take very long before she is running alongside McCloud River 18 class 2-8-2 #18 & Charles R McCormick Lumber Company 100 class 2-8-2 #100 (Virginia & Truckee #30).

- Cascade Timber Company 107 class 2-6-2 #107 (Ventura County #2) is undergoing an extensive rebuild to bring her back into service. The SCRM has made good progress so far, and here's hoping they will have #2 up and running again soon. https://socalrailway.org/collections/ve ... ship-form/

- Klondike Mines 4 class 2-6-2 #4 is undergoing restoration to operation, and the South Park Rail Society has recently announced that they contracted restoration work of #4 "Klondike Kate" with the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad shop crew. With the expertise of the D&S shop crew and the SPRS' own volunteers, it hopefully won't be long before #4 is riding the rails again. https://www.southparkrailsociety.org/klondike-kate-4

What is the current status of Duluth and Northeastern/Fillmore and Western 2-8-0 #14?

Does the new Sierra ownership plan on using this locomotive?

Hello. I did not see the Polson #2 mentioned. She went down for her 1472 and was completed in about 4 months {correction}. Is back running in Portland as needed. Am not following this locomotive and got this info from Skips wife Gail. Apparently nothing major was found wrong. Am not sure if and when the #2 heads to its permanent home. But was told she is up and running now. Regards, John.

I was down at the museum a few times while this was being done. The Polson #2 started its 1472 beginning of July, was successfully inspected, and the first fire lit in beginning of November just in time for the Holiday Express event. Just over 4 months for the full process. As I've been told, you are correct, no issues were found. The tubes were the only thing replaced.

I had absolutely no idea that Polson Logging #2 went down for her 1472-SDI. Most likely, since it was done so quickly (and so quietly), that's why I didn't have a clue about it. Thank you for letting me know about it, though.

I swear, this list just never stops. There are even more steam locomotives to add to this list that had slipped by me...

- Southern Ks-1 class 2-8-0 #722 is undergoing restoration to operation at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, and she will also be converted to burn oil. Good luck, Al Harper & GSMR! I can't wait to see #722 once she's running again.

- Canadian National J-7-b class 4-6-2 #5288 (Canadian Government #516) has been acquired from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum by the Colebrookdale Railroad, and she will be restored to operation (alongside Grand Trunk Western J-3a class 4-6-2 #5030 & Lake Superior & Ishpeming SC-4 class 2-8-0 #18). Good luck, Colebrookdale! I can't wait to see steam run on your rails in the future. https://www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/ ... ations.cfm

- Sumter & Choctaw 103 class 2-6-2 #103 is being restored to operation at the Railroad Museum of New England. Best of luck, RMNE! I hope we get to see #103 under steam in the not-so-distant future. https://www.rmne.org/locomotive103

- Coronet Phosphate 0-4-2T #7 is trying to be acquired, and returned to Florida for operational restoration, by FLAIRR (Florida Adventures in Railroading). Good luck, FLAIRR! Here's hoping you are able to acquire, and restore, #7. https://flairr.org/coronet-phosphate-%237

Yeah, happy to let people know. There wasn't any grand announcement about it and since the engine is privately owned and on loan to ORHF, there wasn't any need for a fundraising campaign for it fortunately. No one was intentionally trying to keep it quiet, that's kinda just how it happened with how fast things moved. The facebook page has a few posts about it throughout the inspection and locals had a great chance to watch the whole process done though since it was often worked on during museum hours. Volunteers were already quite busy at the time finishing the installation of the restored turntable. So when the #2 developed some leaky tubes in late summer it kinda stretched people a little thin. It was determined that it was more economical to both replace the entire set of tubes and do the 1472 a year early since it would have been due for it this year anyways. Everyone that worked on it was pretty well nose to the grindstone since the #2 was needed to pull the Holiday Express event mid November, immediately after the Turntable grand unveiling in October. The Holiday Express event makes all the money that keeps the museum open for the year so everyone was more focused on getting the steamer in top shape. Just like running a big railroad. A locomotive was running good, had an issue, and was quickly fixed so it could return to its scheduled operations. Glad the #2 is ready for another summer of fun!

Does anyone know if either, or both, of these rebuilds have begun?

- Denver & Rio Grande Western (Durango & Silverton) K-28 class 2-8-2 #478
https://railfan.com/durango-convert-fin ... er-to-oil/

- East Broad Top 14 class 2-8-2 #15
https://railfan.com/after-successful-wi ... ext-2-8-2/



Also, has anyone heard anything on these 2 steam locomotives? It feels like it has been ages since I've heard anything about them.

- Owen-Oregon Lumber Company (California Western) 3 class 2-8-2 #45

- Southern Pacific (Fort Worth & Western) DC/T-1/T-25 class 4-6-0 #2248

EBT 15 is in a torn-down state, and the Friends of the East Broad Top are putting up $50,000 of this year's fundraising campaign for a new tender tank for the engine.

That's all I know regarding that.

EDIT:

PRR 1361 has a new firebox wrapper formed and fitted up as of Fall 2023. Work by FMW is done pay-as-you-go on this one, but I understood riveting it to the mudring would be next on the list.