The frame is not only bent longitudinally, it has a twist in it as well. If you look from the front of the locomotive, the pilot beam and cylinders dip to one side, the cab and rear beam tip to the opposite side. This damage happened while in service with Canadian National. Aside from the bent frame, there are many other defects caused mostly by running the locomotive hard and not performing any proper repairs or preventative maintenance. Basically, the locomotive is beat!. Boiler and firebox included.
The 2317 is in the same condition for the same reasons. Both locomotives would need a complete mechanical rebuild from the ground up to put them back into service. Yes, even the whistle on the 3254 needs work!

How is that different from any other locomotive restorations?

I don't know that it's small picture thinking but a bit of a change in their mission. Since Mr. Soule's passing, TVRM's mission seems to have changed a bit with regards to equipment. He was passionate that TVRM represent a typical railroad of the past. Everything was to be lettered TENNESSEE VALLEY with consistent fonts, colors, etc. Today, they seem to be very passionate about restoring their equipment to a specific time period of the original owner and it's generally railroads of the southeast USA. Not criticizing just an observation. Both are great missions. For example, the well-traveled Man 'o War combination car of Sou/NS Steam Program fame has been beautifully restored in CofG colors and lettering. In the Soule era, it would have been TVRM maroon/tuscan red and lettered TENNESSEE VALLEY. Likewise, much of their diesel fleet is restored to original paint schemes. So, Soule envisioned a TVRM 4-6-2 pulling a matched TVRM consist. Today, you're more likely to see a Southern 2-8-2 in original freight paint and lettering pulling a rainbow colored train of beautifully restored coaches of various heritages.

First of all, yes! You summed up the Robert Soule era well.

But what I’m referring to is bigger picture of what the equipment that we do have in preservation represents. The 5288 represented a passenger steam locomotive of the same size and style that ran through Chattanooga.

Just like at steamtown, the large Canadian locomotives represent a fleet of mainline engines that built and moved our nation.

Don’t paint the box too small, or in this case…. The roundhouse!


And for the record… I’ll take the matching TVRM consist over the rainbow consist any day! Haha

Thanks Bruce for the information. The frame problem on 3254 does sound bad and probably difficult to fix. On the other hand, overhauling 2317 seems like a much easier proposition than plucking another candidate from the collection that hasn’t steamed in 65+ years.

The 2317 is out of service for the same reasons. Beat up and broken. The frame is not bent as much as the 3254 but there are additional items that need serious attention before bringing it back on line.

This is very interesting information, but since no locomotive restoration activity seems to be going on at all right now, and they currently only have one operable piece of passenger equipment, it seems more and more likely that Steamtown will become a static museum rather than a place that will run mainline steam. Any of these locomotives would be years from returning to steam, probably at least a decade or more at the rate things happen there, and there is still no information forthcoming as to what is happening with 3713.

John

Don't forget that regarding 2317 and 3254, both of these engines were in service from the day they were built (minus a few years in the 1960s), so as with the ex-FEC 148 now in service with US Sugar, they are very tired and worn out. They would likely need the total rebuild the 148 received. And, the 3254 was part of the Gettysburg RR stable, so infer what you want about its care there.

I think it would be better for them to choose another engine - such as the ex-GTW - that hasn't run since retirement if they want to restore another to service.

I would be shocked if they restore something beyond the B&M 4-6-2 and keeping the 0-6-0 running. I'd be just as shocked if the B&M is finished/operational in the next 10 years. Now if things were a little more proactive, the Maine central 2-8-0 or IC 2-8-0 would be a neat addition to the BLW 26 and B&M 4-6-2

Iron Horse Society has announced that they are taking over the 3713 restoration and have started fundraising to continue the restoration, but have kinda run into accumulated ill will towards that restoration. I saw on Facebook where a lot of remarks boiled down to:

"I've been donating for 25 years and it's still not done, and we don't even know how close it is to completion. Why should I continue to donate?"

"We want some transparency on why the L&WV NRHS was shown the door after accomplishing so much the last 6 years before we open our wallets."

"Steamtown is still under an interim superintendent. How do we know the next one isn't going to change direction entirely"

The lack of passenger equipment is concerning. Even if they get the coaches that were just booted from service back in operation, is four coaches enough capacity to handle ridership to support the operation of the 3713? And, if they were to go the route that some here have suggested, oh hosting a different steam locomotive for a couple years rather than operating their own, unless their locomotives come with their own captive coach fleet, there's no way you could handle enough riders to support operation of, C&O 2716 or something of it's ilk.

Agreed, transparency will be very important if the Iron Horse Society is to have success with this project. Evaluations were done to determine what remains to be done and how to best proceed. This information should be shared so that potential donors can have some idea as to where their money is going. I say this as someone who has donated toward the restoration also.

John

IHS has to look no further than 1361 to see exactly how to move forward with what looks like an ongoing 'botched' restoration.

Arrange the politics so that a company like FMW can write the detailed feasibility plan, and then execute it, to get the locomotive done. Have then also write the plans for any necessary support equipment, procedures, materials spec and procurement, etc., to satisfactory Government standards.

Once it is ASSURED that professionals will be finishing up the 'git 'r dun' there would be no particular issue with achieving the necessary additional cubic dollars. It's the uncertain crap that has to be resolved -- just as with 5550.

I recently visited Steamtown where I saw 0-6-0 #26 running its yard excursion and a few days later I donated to the B&M 3713 fund. I hope she gets completed one of these days!

What kind of shape is Illinois Central 790 in? I know she hasn't run in decades but the locomotive looks pretty good! Here I am in the cab:

Life is about alternatives: Econ 101: Opportunity Cost.

Here is your alternative space: You have $1,000 to donate to one operating steam project.

Do you give to 5550, 3713 or some other project? Why?

Show your work. Identify relevant factors affecting your decision.

Discuss.

When did it have to be an 'all-one' decision? I don't have $1000 to contribute, but I do support any number of projects in a small way. Often this is driven by management enthusiasm, competence, my perception of the 'worth' of the preservation effort, my interest in the equipment in question, etc. When I was in a position to volunteer, I would do so.

As with much other charitable giving, you can spread the love around, Technically, $1000 is a 'drop in the bucket' toward actually finishing almost any significant restoration, so while there's a case to be made for a kind of virtue signaling, it's really not a matter of 'opportunity cost' in the economist's sense... unless you are part of a groundswell of $1000 donors. (There have certainly been all sorts of incentive programs to get individual donors to cough up larger spend, notably the 'sponsor a part of the engine' promotions and various levels of 'founder's club' membership with perceived benefits or bragging rights.