Chattanooga to host steam locomotive restoration

fmwsolutions · **Joined:** Fri May 14, 2021 10:57 am **Posts:** 28

Quote:

CHATTANOOGA, TN - FMW Solutions has expanded its Tennessee operations through the lease of a portion of the Lucey Boiler Company, increasing its railroad restoration shop capabilities in the region. Lucey Boiler will host the complete overhaul of historic Atlantic Coast Line steam locomotive No. 1504, which was relocated to the region from Jacksonville, Florida in an effort assisted by the City of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley Railway Museum.

“We’re genuinely thrilled to be growing our company’s craft in Chattanooga,” said Shane Meador, VP - Mechanical of FMW Solutions. “In addition to our machine and fabrication shop in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, our firm is capable of taking on mechanical and restoration projects of any scope, including complete steam and diesel locomotive overhaul, at remote locations across the U.S.”

The 52,000-sq foot Lucey Boiler Company facility is slated for redevelopment into Lucey Quarter by Southern Spear Properties. This investment in the Highland Park Neighborhood aims to transform the century-old industrial complex into a mixed-use community gathering place adjacent to the East Line pathway and the former Belt Railway of Chattanooga.

Full press release and photos: https://www.fmwsolutions.com/newsroom/2 ... contractor

CA1 · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:17 pm **Posts:** 246

that's awesome.

I guess the between the lines is that the 4-6-2 will be tested on the TVRM route.

Will be cool to see the inevitable 4501/1504 special weekend.

Congrats to all involved.

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 635

Inevitable? Maybe not. It’s certainly possible that the locomotive gets treated like RGS 20 in Strasburg. I imagine it gets mostly completed in Chattanooga but the finishing touches and finer details are added in Clewiston.

Would be cool to see them together, but until US Sugar gives it the go ahead I’d say it’s not quite inevitable.

CA1 · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:17 pm **Posts:** 246

the RGS 20 is narrow gauge.

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 635

I’m aware that the RGS 20 is narrow gauge. But I don’t see how it would be any different here.

Just because 1504 is getting restored in Chattanooga doesn’t at all guarantee it will ever run at TVRM for trials. Like RGS 20, it could be mostly finished by the contractor at hand, and then shipped back to where it will operate.

It could operate at TVRM, but there’s certainly no guarantee.

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2021 9:07 pm

CA1 wrote:

the RGS 20 is narrow gauge.

What they mean is that RGS 20 was mostly done in Strasburg and they finished it in Colorado. Nothing about narrow vs. standard gauge.

QJdriver · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:34 am

May I say BEST OF LUCK and ISN'T IT WONDERFUL ?? Especially since I don't have to do any of the work and I don't have to pay for it. Florida sure has a fantastic variety of interesting steam power, aside from the saddletanker of my dreams. I don't know about anybody else, but this project makes me happy.

PRR8063 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2021 8:14 am

Steamguy73 wrote:

I’m aware that the RGS 20 is narrow gauge. But I don’t see how it would be any different here.

Just because 1504 is getting restored in Chattanooga doesn’t at all guarantee it will ever run at TVRM for trials. Like RGS 20, it could be mostly finished by the contractor at hand, and then shipped back to where it will operate.

It could operate at TVRM, but there’s certainly no guarantee.

I think what was meant is that since RGS 20 is narrow gauge, there was no where to do break in/test runs at Strasburg since SRC is standard gauge... I believe Strasburg shops ultimately ended up sending a small crew to Colorado to oversee final assembly and testing.

LVRR2095 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2021 8:56 am

PRR8063 wrote:

I think what was meant is that since RGS 20 is narrow gauge, there was no where to do break in/test runs at Strasburg since SRC is standard gauge... I believe Strasburg shops ultimately ended up sending a small crew to Colorado to oversee final assembly and testing.

Actually there was a place relatively close to Strasburg where they could have tested the RGS 20….the East Broad Top. Keystone Light Railways tested 3’ gauge locomotives on the EBT before sending them to Hawaii.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:22 am

The 148 was rebuilt at US Sugar shops in Florida. Why start 1504 in Tennessee?

southern154 · **Joined:** Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:54 pm **Posts:** 320

softwerkslex wrote:

The 148 was rebuilt at US Sugar shops in Florida. Why start 1504 in Tennessee?

I believe it was mentioned that the Clewiston shops was busy working on the passenger cars.

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 635

The testing of Hawaiian locomotives on the EBT happened decades ago. Like early 1970’s.

When the RGS 20 got fixed up by Strasburg, the EBT was still in limbo at that time. Wouldn’t have been a sufficient test site for the locomotive at that time because, well, it wasn’t available for anything.

LVRR2095 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:29 pm

Steamguy73 wrote:

The testing of Hawaiian locomotives on the EBT happened decades ago. Like early 1970’s.

When the RGS 20 got fixed up by Strasburg, the EBT was still in limbo at that time. Wouldn’t have been a sufficient test site for the locomotive at that time because, well, it wasn’t available for anything.

True….I should have been clearer. After spending buckets of cash on a professional restoration I am sure that the owners of the newly restored locomotives would prefer to have the first runs occur on THEIR lines.

Andrew Durden · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:31 pm

softwerkslex wrote:

The 148 was rebuilt at US Sugar shops in Florida. Why start 1504 in Tennessee?

The major components of 148 were restored/remanufactured in various shops (boiler at Continental Fabricators, running gear at Strasburg, etc.) and reassembled at Clewiston. It appears that 1504 will be done in a similar fashion, but with most of the work being done in the Chattanooga area.

Steve Freer · **Joined:** Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:24 pm **Posts:** 380

Obviously this isn't the first steam locomotive restoration "in Chattanooga", and certainly won't be the last (think TVRM).

It isn't even the first 'contemporary' steam locomotive restoration at Lucey Boiler(!) World famous Southern #4501 was rehabilitated at Lucey in 1966 prior to its trip to the Richmond NRHS Convention (which unofficially launched the SR Steam Excursion Program).

Here is a photo taken by Herman Lamb at Lucey Boiler in 1966:

Attachment:

Lucey Boiler 4501 in 1966.jpg [ 286.44 KiB | Viewed 7036 times ]

There is an additional view in Kalmbach Publishing's "Locomotive 4501" book by David Morgan.