Hello,

Back in the late 1970's I worked at a machine shop in Gettysburg, PA. Hulcher had a depot east of town. We may have done some repairs for them. As I recall, one of our shop guys said you do not mess with the Hulcher guys, they were brutes......probably equal to drill rig roughnecks.

Regards,

Randy

Hulcher also has a large business using side-booms to clean up derailments.

[/quote]They used 4 side-boom Caterpillar tractors (2 near the front and 2 near the back). These kinds of tractors are often used for laying BIG, heavy pipe in trenches. It looked like a good, safe way to accomplish a move like this.[/quote]

Holy cow. Is that a bronze pin? It looks like it must weigh at least 200 pounds.

Yes! It does weigh close to 200 pounds!

Some other photos, not necessarily in sequence:

https://twitter.com/WMSRsteamtrain/stat ... 7116552192

https://twitter.com/WMSRsteamtrain/stat ... 4181516289

https://twitter.com/WMSRsteamtrain/stat ... 4181516289

I wonder what the counterpart from a Challenger, a Big Boy, or an Allegheny would be like.

Another photo, this one with 1309 on the flat. Looks like the locomotive at least is almost ready to ship out; being on that low flat, it looks like there shouldn't be any clearance problems. I would almost say she looks like she could go in a regular train.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

Just posting more photos from various sources as they turn up:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

Now that is a nicely planned move. With the front engine removed, this big locomotive snuggles right down so her center of gravity and overall height are kept as low as possible. I presume the front engine, tender body, and tender trucks will travel on conventional flats.

Well done!

Steve Hunter

Another photo, looks like there will be plenty:

https://twitter.com/WMSRsteamtrain/stat ... 5908903936

Video clip of the lift. Surprising how this outfit makes it look easy--of course, we know better! They make it look easy because they're good! It's also interesting to note how the locomotive sinks on its springs as it is set down--and that the flat visibly sinks a bit as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgoR91x6xC0

And a couple of pix:

https://twitter.com/WMSRsteamtrain/stat ... 8357510145

https://twitter.com/WMSRsteamtrain/stat ... 1822935040

I'm glad this is working out so well--but I still can't say how much I wish CSX would allow steam again on its lines.

Dunno if this has been determined yet, but does WMSR plan to keep 1309 as C&O 1309 or paint it as a WM engine, keeping in line with the rest of their roster.

I know that paint is a LONG way off, but I was just curious if that's been determined or not.

Is the rear engine stationary or does it also pivot on a pin?

Wesley

The rear engine is stationary, much like a conventional locomotive. The fact that only one engine is articulated rather than both caused Lionel Werner to label the Mallet type a "semi-articulated locomotive" in his book, "Articulated Locomotives."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallet_locomotive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_locomotive

It's cartoonish, but there is a segment at about 5:45 that shows how this articulation system works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4BWsYbJROQ

The front engine, by the way, is not on a center pin like a diesel or car truck, but is hinged at its rear, sort of like an enormous two-wheel lead truck. Bearing plates at appropriate places support the front of the boiler and give adhesive weight to the front engine.

The business of the lead engine swiveling about its center, and the rear engine doing the same, is the work of model railroad manufacturers trying to get their models of huge locomotives around impossibly tight curves!

A quick youtube search turned up this video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNuUsycg6KQ

It does a great job of showing how the front engine was separated form the rest of the articulated locomotive, and then loaded on to the low flat car for transportation.

/Andrew