Official Steamtown 2016 Thread

[arcticrevive]

Please feel free to post anything regarding Steamtown here. I thought a central place for us to speak our minds about the site and anything going on there would be a great thing to have!

[arcticrevive]

Quote from Steamtown NPS.gov website:

"Steamtown NHS is not currently operating mainline steam locomotives. We are in the process of a major maintenance and rebuild of our locomotive power fleet. We are currently focusing our attention on our 1929 Baldwin Locomotive Works #26, an 0-6-0 switcher." "The next steam locomotive to return to service is expected to be our Boston and Maine #3713...When completed, the locomotive will replace our Canadian National #3254 2-8-2 Mikado-type locomotive for mainline excursion power." "Following completion of these projects, we plan next to repair and restore 1923 Canadian Pacific #2317 to operating condition. CP #2317 will be used for motive power on our mainline excursions."

The important things to remember from this quote are that B&M #3713 will replace CN #3254. Also, after they are done restoring #3713 they will be working on CP #2317. NOTE: This quote makes no mention of plans to restore #3254, but makes plans to restore both #3713 and #2317!

The part about #3713 "replacing" #3254 is pretty ambiguous. I would assume that they don't mean indefinately but #3254 has enough issues at the moment to warrent a change in the order of restoration. This message on NPS.gov used to say in short that #26 was 1st, #3713 was 2nd, #3254 was 3rd, and #2317 was 4th (the order for restoration to operation). Now that order has changed and the language has changed. I am worried about CN #3254's future as an operating locomotive and based on other fourms I have read others are as well.

[Dabba]

So I just went to steamtown with my girlfriend and I must say I'm very disappointed, but mostly mad at myself. I scoured the website and didnt see that message. I found out they weren't running excursions a couple of days prior but assumed there would still be live steam locomotives moving about the yard. I last went 15 years ago when I was a kid and the whole park was alive with people and locomotives moving about. Now it's a ghost town.

I'm not sure what happened between now and then but I was really planning for awhile to show my girlfriend live steam locomotives and all we saw was static displays.

Still, the museum was nice to see again as an adult as well as the locomotive shop tour, but I was shocked at the lack of activity and patrons. I'm going to try to make n it back during an excursion.

At least we still have the coal mine tour!

[SteelRail]

We are heading down to Steamtown with my toddler son on the 17th for the dedication of #26. They will be using it to pull the short yard train rides all day. The added bonus is that it's National Parks Week, so there's no entrance fee, just the $5 to ride the train.

[arcticrevive]

Dabba,

I know, it's a shame, really. I wish they had at least one engine mainline engine running! I'm keeping it together though by imagining 3713 when she's finally done, storming up the Pocono mainline. That will be a sight to behold.

[Backshophoss]

CP 2317 was the active Steam loco at Bellows Falls Vt,B&M 3717 had a cosmetic restoration at Bellows Falls.
The slow running on the GMRC trackage,did not allow CP 2317 to show "off" as a mainline Steam loco it can be.

[Dabba]

I was really surprised. Me and the girlfriend just missed baldwin #26 coming back into service but it was probably going to be crazy anyway. We decided to skip town early saturday to check out strasburg and the museum there across the street. I've never been there so I didnt know what to expect but I was blown away.

What a drastic different between steamtown and strasburg, its sad. I got to see LIRR #39 too.

[alewifebp]

Indeed. I went to Steamtown about 2-3 years ago, and was just as surprised as anyone that steam wasn't a part of "Steam" town. Still, it is a nice museum, and plenty to look at in the yard. Went to Strasburg last year, and what a difference. Strasburg is a quality organization no doubt, and the museum across the street is a real treat.

[SteelRail]

Here's #26 pulling the second train of the day.

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