Surfed upon this on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4LVqTmU2kU

She was a fine runner back then. Last I heard she was under restoration in Colorado. Maybe in steam in the next two years?

Wow! Back in the day when the more smoke you had the better the fireman!!! LOL!

Actually, was (is?) the 148 still set up for burning oil, as originally built for the FEC, or had it been converted to coal. Judging by the smoke coming out of the stack I would guess she's being heavy-fired on oil, but does anyone know for sure? Our sister locomotive, Georgia Northern 107 (ex-FEC 88) was converted to burn coal when the GN Ry. purchased her back in 1931. S&A 750 was also converted to burn coal although I'm not sure when that happened. The 113 and 153 down at Gold Coast Railroad Museum are still oil burners.

Wow, that clip does bring back memories. Jimmy Lyons, the Erie road foreman of engines, sure liked to make 148's whistle moan. 148 was burning oil in those images, as it was never a coal-burner. Built for FEC as such, and that continued in New Jersey. Waste lube oil was the usual fuel, and I do seem to recall a few times that some "lighter volatile liquids" were "traded" at some of the region's diesel loco fuel racks, for a tender-load of diesel fuel.

EDM, were you the one making all that smoke on the Erie?

Howard P.
Collins Curve, NJ

HP-

No, most of the firing at Ridgewood was done by the ex-Valley Forge guys, although I managed to fire one trip with LLC running. I was taught to fire oil with no more than a light blue haze, unless the engineer shut off and didn't warn me, or I didn't see it. Teamwork is important.

Most of my time that week was spent back in the Stillwells, figuring out the electrical cabinets, and trying to get the batteries to take a charge, while at the same time riding herd on all manner of small and not-so-small children.

The other thing that Jimmy Lyons was known for was keeping the old girl in the corner for way too long. I think the line was something like "Bob, she needs draft" on the deadhead move over to the the Valley a few weeks later.

Yes, the fuel oil dealer was somewhat disappointed with how little fuel 148 took at Raritanport, and very few excursions have had a better matched set of coaches than the Blue Comet. The right lubricants can work wonders.

EDM
Specific Gravity, NJ

All,

The D&RG guys are awaiting the availibility of the truck and crane to separate the boiler from the chassis. Locomotive has been prepped and all bolts removed as necessary to allow the pick to be made. Boiler will be sent to Western Boiler in Denver for overhaul.

Rob Gardner

Rob,

Question: Does the commitment to at least examine the boiler mean that the Colorado chaps are committed to 148's eventual revival, or is there any chance this will become another in a long line of "back burner" projects? In other words, should we get our hopes up?

I believe a UT survey has been done on the boiler barrel. There was a goodly bit of discussion about this on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum about six months back. From the appearance of the numbers posted, I think there may be a thin spot but the rest looked pretty good. I doubt they would go through the expense of sending the boiler to Denver ($10K I'd bet) if they didn't consider the boiler a good candidate for rebuild.

It may be possible that the engine COULD (don't know enough to say) be in operation within the next 5 years, depending on what shape the running gear is in--among other things.

I wish them luck!

I got to see this engine while it was pulled apart at Traverse City, MI for a proposed restoration by some local eccentrics that never went anywhere. The tender is a piece of rust on wheels, the running gear was rumored to have been damaged on the trip north, and overall the word is that this engine is very worn out. It will take big $$$ and a lot of work to get this engine running again.

Chris.

I agree with Chris but in our business if we don't dream nothing will ever happen. There are guys with dreams running everything from speeders on the old Ma & Pa to the guys running super power steam.

Guys,

Mike Spera has the running gear just about ready to go. The boiler is ready to be lifted, and from what I saw on the outside this summer, no obvious deterioration to the barrel sections is visible. There was a lot of disucussion that the time spent in the phosphate mine in Florida led to deterioration of the boiler exterior. Personally, I didn't see anything to that effect. A noted steam expert from the east has taken a look at her and came to the same conclusion, too. The tender is also ready to go. The boiler is not being shipped to Denver to be examined, it's being sent to be repaired for service. I can't or won't say anything about a timetable, but I'm pretty sure she will be back in steam in less than 5 years.

Keep in mind that Don Shank spent a great deal of money to purchase the Creede Branch, has spent a lot of money acquiring MOW equipment, acquiring and moving 148 from MI to CO, a nice B23-7 that operates from time to time on the SL&RG and has also spent a lot of money battling the town of Creede on the failed effort to gain legal access to the ROW within the town limits. He lost that battle, but I would put my money on this operation taking off in the next 2 years or so. They started running limited trips with a large enclosed motor car this past year and have cleared the line of most of the boulders that blocked passage in the early days. Some crossings have been rehabbed and plans are in the works for track rehabilitation as well.

The best thing we all could do is schedule a day in South Fork next summer while on vacation to take a ride up towards Wagon Wheel Gap, take in all the beauty that the Rockies have to offer and help this organization get to the next level.

Rob Gardner

Guys,

Mike Spera has the running gear just about ready to go. The boiler is ready to be lifted, and from what I saw on the outside this summer, no obvious deterioration to the barrel sections is visible. There was a lot of disucussion that the time spent in the phosphate mine in Florida led to deterioration of the boiler exterior. Personally, I didn't see anything to that effect. A noted steam expert from the east has taken a look at her and came to the same conclusion, too. The tender is also ready to go. The boiler is not being shipped to Denver to be examined, it's being sent to be repaired for service. I can't or won't say anything about a timetable, but I'm pretty sure she will be back in steam in less than 5 years.

Keep in mind that Don Shank spent a great deal of money to purchase the Creede Branch, has spent a lot of money acquiring MOW equipment, acquiring and moving 148 from MI to CO, a nice B23-7 that operates from time to time on the SL&RG and has also spent a lot of money battling the town of Creede on the failed effort to gain legal access to the ROW within the town limits. He lost that battle, but I would put my money on this operation taking off in the next 2 years or so. They started running limited trips with a large enclosed motor car this past year and have cleared the line of most of the boulders that blocked passage in the early days. Some crossings have been rehabbed and plans are in the works for track rehabilitation as well.

The best thing we all could do is schedule a day in South Fork next summer while on vacation to take a ride up towards Wagon Wheel Gap, take in all the beauty that the Rockies have to offer and help this organization get to the next level.

Rob Gardner

Any recent news on the 148?

When I drove through Monte Vista in September, 2012, she looked in the same place and same condition as when I last saw her 4 years earlier.

Eric