Chinese 2-10-2s coming to the USA?

A friend related that some company in New Jersey has purchased 5 Chinese steam locomotives from the batch that just ended the final use of mainline steam in the world a few weeks ago. Most of the others are being scrapped, but these are supposedly being overhauled by the Chinese before being shipped over here. Can anyone confirm this, what company is it, and what use will they be put to here? Whatever it is, it's certainly better than cutting them up in this day and age.

Well, I hear, that a few short lines... out west are using some old 2-8-0's built by the chinese... also I hear that there are also Mikes...

Well, there goes steam....

NYSW in NY/NJ, Knox and Kane in PA don't really qualify as out west. Boone Valley in Iowa (?) is midwest, if I recall my grade school geography correctly. Those engines are 2-8-2s, not 2-8-0s, and aren't terribly old, either. They are the only Chinese steam presently in the US.

I thought some of the Western Tourist Lines used Chinese steam... maybe I am wrong.

Steam wrote:A friend related that some company in New Jersey has purchased 5 Chinese steam locomotives from the batch that just ended the final use of mainline steam in the world a few weeks ago. Most of the others are being scrapped, but these are supposedly being overhauled by the Chinese before being shipped over here. Can anyone confirm this, what company is it, and what use will they be put to here? Whatever it is, it's certainly better than cutting them up in this day and age.

While there would not be any reason that the locomotives couldn't be brought over here they certainly would not be permitted to operate. Chinese built steam locomotives do not meet the ASME codes for fired pressure vessels in the United States. The few 2-8-2 locomotives that were imported from China years ago took many years of design revisions, training of the fabricators and much testing before the regulating boards in the states would approve operation of the boilers.

You want liability insurance for a large used boiler that never met US regulations? Not going to happen!!

Could they be reboilerd to code once here? Seemingly that would be cheaper than building a similar locomotive from scratch. It will be interesting to see if there is any truth to this story.

http://www.multipowerinternational.com/locomotives.html

Check that link out if you want some Chinese steam. Two classes of Mikes and a class of 2-10-2 and all can be reboilered by this company to run in the us. Also check out their fabrication of narrow gauge steam locos.

I found a website for a Multipower International, in Towaco, NJ which lists the above described engines as being available.

They also advertise that they will make new boilers, etc. as necessary.

Anyone know anything about them?

This is very interesting news: 5 QJ?? 2-10-2 Locomotives. Does anyone know what numbers? I'm assuming they were off the Jitong line.

Steam wrote:I found a website for a Multipower International, in Towaco, NJ which lists the above described engines as being available.

They also advertise that they will make new boilers, etc. as necessary.

Anyone know anything about them?

As far as I know, Multipower is the one of the only companies remaining that still deals in standard and narrow gauge steam locomotives and parts and the only company in New Jersey to my knowledge that has contact with Chinese railroad works. I've purchased a brass 5 chime whistle from them as well as a refurbished air compressor when they were on sale.

I'm very interested in following this story.

Ummm thats who my link is for is mltipower.

That's interesting!

I'd like to know more about the scheme of reboilering steam locos to ASME code. But building a new boiler for an existing locomotive while keeping to the historical outline one would not want to repeat design faults surely included in such old designs, faults that may or may not have been revealed by years of service (if a proper record has been kept on failures and repairs and their causes have properly been traced up) - or would you? So, who really knows what exactly needs to be the specific detailed design of a new boiler for such locomotives in order to give best performance and reliability?
Juniatha

There is a thread about the locomotives on the Trains forum.A pair of 2-10-2's arrived at a Texas port on 6-12 and are being shipped out on heavy flatcars.

Hopefully they keep them as close to original as possible. It'd be a shame to have such well known locomotives all "Americanized" and modified.

They updated their website: http://www.multipowerinternational.com/

Watching the lineup yesterday ( friday) I saw where the GALKCK came up from Kansas on the Brookfield sub to Galesburg . Intstead of on the Marceline, due to hi wide loads in the consist. My guess is this is the 2-10-2's were on board.
Hopefully they will be in Rock Island sometime today ( if thats them)or tommorow.
My thoughts is AMERICANIZE THEM!!!! I wont ride the one at Boone due to the whole Chinese stand on how they treat people. Make them up like the free Chinese if you want to honor their heritage. But no CHINESE COMMUNIST flags! Sorry my opinion.