I recall that clinchfield #1 ran excursions during the 70s in tennessee and maybe other places. Why did the excursions end? Is she still in good shape at the B&O Railroad museum? If I were to donate to any engine there i'd pick #1. Love the paint!

Clinchfield #1 was under-powered for a traditional main line excursion program. It was rated for two coaches and thus always traveled with a "B" unit disguised as a baggage car. Clinchfield general manager Tom Moore had #1 restored in 1969 and later leased C&O 2716 for his steam program. In the late 1970s Moore plead guilty for conspiracy and embezlement from the Clinchfield, and parent SCL ended the steam program. #1 made its way to the B&O Museum and the Southern picked up 2716. I recall seeing #1 displayed on a siding at College Park Airport in Maryland when the Museum loaned it for display during an air show in the early 1980s. (Now just where are those slides???).

A bit more info here in train orders:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,2761446
Wesley

It doesn't help when your main proponent gets himself indicted for swindling the railroad. (I'm not sure if #1 was already out of service by then.)

1980 Crime story:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2 ... 47,3489508

2010 Story about Erwin, TN seeking return of the engine:
http://www.erwinrecord.net/Detail.php?C ... S&ID=59496

Steve

I could never understand why Clinchfield #1 was brought back as an excursion locomotive. She was obviously too small for modern needs, and other than carrying the home road's name, was put into un-needed stress. She's safer and better off where she is. The list of locos at B&O worthy of restoration is too long to discuss here, and while I never expect to see it, the CNJ Camelback Atlantic would be my first entrant.

well thats something I didn't know! Thanks everyone for the info! And id rather her run excursions for years instead of just going straight to display. I would rather her be in Maryland, not like it makes any difference where a locomotive is displayed IMO. Unless the Tennessee town would want to run it again then i'd be on board with them getting it but if its just displayed then its fine where it sits. That would be an engine I wouldn't mind owning one day...Common Lotto! :) anyways why the camelback?! That engine is huge and I bet no one has any experience operating a camelback except the folks at strasburg. Other than former cass scenic railroad shay #1, i cant name any other good cantidates.

Look in your back issues of Trains and there are photos of #1 under steam at the B&O museum. I believe she has a cracked frame, and obviously the museum has two other functional steamers today.

When I was a little boy Family Lines exhibited her at the Louisville shops open house with a shop steam line piped to her whistle. The cab was open and you could sit in the engineers seat and blow the whistle!

The steam supply must have been only 50 psi, because you only got one good toot out of the whistle each pull, and you had to wait between pulls.

i sure hope the frame isnt cracked. Well consider it only 1, 0-4-0T #4 is the only one that actually pulls anything. The only reason i can think of as to why #25 never pulls anything is her PSI level. Such at the INYO at the Nevada state railroad museum. Because she uses her original boiler the state rules only allow it to go to 75 I believe. Not enough to pull more than a little combine on some ocasions. Is #25 the same way?

I believe the Mason lacks either legal air brakes, or air brakes, period.

As to locomotives at the B&O museum with cracked frames, my understanding was that it is Ten Wheeler C&O 377 that has a cracked frame, supposedly acquired in the early '70's when it was leased to the original Toledo, Lake Erie & Western. I had a chance to ride behind it in the Summer of '71 there. That might be a bum rap on the TLE&W though.

The Mason has no air brakes at all. For the filming of Wild Wild West the tender was fitted with an air brake setup that ran off a compressor in one of the coaches. The boiler is rated at 75 psi, but its plenty to pull a short train with. For "Gods and Generals" it pulled two coaches, an iron box car, anda pot hopper.

Incidentally, the #4 is currently wearing the Clinchfield #1's: whistle

Regarding the Camelback, she's a mainline loco, unique, much beloved as an east coast design. I was referring to running other mainline steamers from the collection, not a small, local, operation. This is not an attempt to highjack the thread, either. Back to Clinchfield #1.

no wonder #4s whistle sounds so good. And richard i didn't care that you mentioned the camelback but the B&O railroad museunm wouldnt need such a huge engine like that.

Dick -

For the record, Clinchfield #1 was built in Logansport, Indiana. Ties to the Hoosier state!

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

She did operate at the B&O Museum in 1982 (me thinks). I rode behind her in a Chessie steam special open air car on the "First Mile".

The B&O Museum operated #1 as Tom describes in 1983 and 1984. I don't know if they steamed her after 1984.

They hauled passengers with the William Mason along the "First Mile" in 1999 and 2000 (I don't know if they did it after 2000). They used a flatcar outfitted with seats and railings along with the 4-wheel caboose. Cabrides (actually tender rides) on the Mason were offered in at least 2000. I got one of those cabrides and enjoyed watching some good old fashion "Reverse Lever Braking Action!"

Regards,
Jim Robinson

Wonder why they stopped using #1. She may be old but so is the william mason :p