CSR Engaged by Kentucky Railway Museum to Conduct Engineering Assessment of 110-year-old Steam Locomotive

The Kentucky Railway Museum (KRM), owner and operator of former Louisville & Nashville Railway steam locomotive number 152 (L&N 152), has engaged the Coalition for Sustainable Rail (CSR) to serve as consulting engineers in returning the 110-year-old locomotive to operation.

 Locomotive 152, a 4-6-2 Pacific, was the first artifact acquired by KRM upon its founding in 1954. The engine was rebuilt by volunteers from 1972 to 1985, and a series of excursions on Seaboard System and Norfolk Southern followed in the late 1980's. Since 1990, the engine has run passenger excursions on KRM's 17 miles of track, and had extensive firebox work done from 1996-1998. The locomotive was again taken out of service in 2011 just prior to its flue time expiring. KRM is undertaking this detailed study of the locomotive to determine the scope of work required to place the engine back into service.

 “Our work with KRM is a great opportunity to help educate a passionate museum volunteer force and to study in great detail the effects of nearly a century of use on locomotive boiler systems,” explained CSR President Davidson Ward. “Of particular importance is the opportunity to help newer volunteers understand acceptable standard repair practices which meet federal requirements and safety standards. This will greatly contribute to the longevity of the locomotive and the KRM steam program.”

“In making our selection of an Engineering Consultant, the Coalition for Sustainable Rail stood out because of its Team Members’ varied practical expertise. ”

— Rob Minton - KRM

 The CSR Engineering Team will work hand-in-hand with KRM volunteers and staff in completing the inspection. Already, the 152 Restoration Committee and its volunteers have begun preparing the locomotive and boiler for inspection, including removal of boiler tubes and flues, boiler jacketing, firebox components and more. Once the pressure vessel and locomotive are cleaned and ready for inspection, CSR will send a crew to inspect the boiler ultrasonically and perform an inspection of the overall locomotive and tender to determine what work needs to be done to return the locomotive to service.

 “In making our selection of an Engineering Consultant, the Coalition for Sustainable Rail stood out because of its Team Members’ varied practical expertise, including experience on successful programs such as Santa Fe 3751, and Southern 630 and 4501, and their willingness to help us meet our goals for the project,” explained KRM 152 Project Manager Rob Minton. “We wanted to partner with a group of steam technicians that were both experienced with hands-on work and detailed engineering analysis to assist our team of volunteers.”

 The KRM Steam Crew consists of about 15 volunteers led by Mark Johnson in the role of Master Mechanic and draws heavily on the experience of Joe Bratcher, Lewis Hicks, and Carl Cruger of the original restoration team. The CSR Engineering Team undertaking this work include its Senior Mechanical Engineer Wolf Fengler, MSME, Director of Project Management Rob Mangels, President Davidson Ward, and Technical Advisor Shane Meador.

 “Keeping 110-year-old locomotives under steam safely and efficiently is of extreme importance to the continued operation of historic rail equipment in the U.S.,” said CSR’s Wolf Fengler. “As we have done with our work on the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways in Germany, our Engineering Team is prepared to undertake this work with the highest regard for safety, technological soundness, and, above all, historical integrity.”

Volunteers begin process of removing superheater units - C. Buccola

Preliminary inspection on L&N 152 by KRM Volunteer Bradey Sanker - C. Buccola

Removing the cab from 152 - C. Buccola

Insulation being removed from 152 this Fall - C. Buccola

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF L&N 152

This builders photograph of sister locomotive 151 shows how the engine appeared 110 years ago.

The table below outlines the detailed technical specifications of L&N 152. From the KRM website: 

L&N #152 is a 4-6-2 Pacific type locomotive built in 1905 by Rogers Locomotive Works. #152 is the official steam locomotive of the Commonwealth of Kentucky as designated by an act of the Kentucky Legislature. It is also listed on the national registry of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

CATEGORY	L&N 152
General Classification	4-6-2
Service	Passenger
Fuel (Current)	Coal
Builder	Rogers
Year Built	1905
Tractive Force, lbs.	28,991
Weight in Working Order, lbs.	187,800
Length, Wheelbase, locomotive & tender, ft.-in.	61-7
Boiler Pressure, lbs. (Designed)	200
Firebox Grate Area, Sq. ft.	45
Engine (Bore x Stroke), in.	20 x 28
Driving-wheel Tread Diameter, in.	69

ABOUT THE KENTUCKY RAILWAY MUSEUM

 The Kentucky Railway Museum is a 501 (C) (3) Non-Profit Organization chartered in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the purpose of educating the public regarding the history and heritage of Kentucky's railroads and the people who built them. This is accomplished through the acquisition, restoration, preservation, display, and operation of historic railroad equipment. The museum owns 17 miles of track (formerly part of the L&N Lebanon Branch), and operates excursion trains between New Haven and Boston, KY.

Website: www.kyrail.org
Office phone:  800-272-0152
Facebook: The Kentucky Railway Museum and Crew 152

New CSR Advisor - D. Shane Meador

Shane Meador stands beside 4501 as he starts up its cross compound air pump.

On this #techtuesday, we are pleased to announce that CSR has appointed D. Shane Meador to serve as a technical advisor of the organization. Meador is no stranger to steam, having led the rebuilding of Southern Railway steam locomotives 630 and 4501 at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM). He began his railroad carrier as a summer steam locomotive fireman at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in 1994 and qualified as a locomotive engineer in 1996 on steam and diesel locomotives. After being honorably discharged from the United States Navy, Meador began working for Norfolk Southern Railway as a Machinist in Chattanooga, while still continuing part time duties at TVRM coordinating the Southern 630's restoration.

Starting in 2010, Meador was offered the opportunity for a 3 year leave of absence from Norfolk Southern to manage the steam locomotive projects for use on Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program at TVRM. During that time, he successfully led the extensive restorations of Southern steam locomotives 630 and 4501 back to mainline service. By creating a safe, positive, and educational atmosphere, he was able to recruit and retain volunteers throughout the project which helped to reduce labor costs significantly. Shane has operated all 4 steam locomotives currently participating in the Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program on 6 Divisions traversing thousands of miles on mainline track.

Meador keeps a close eye on cylinder boring work on Southern 630.

Meador's background, leadership, and experience in locomotive management, personnel management, restoration project management, maintenance, and safely operating these unique and historic machines will be of significant benefit to CSR as it continues its dedicated work to keeping historic machinery operating safely and efficiently in the 21st Century. We are excited to have his input here at CSR moving forward.

HSB Update - a Primer on the Master Mechanics' Front End

On this #techtuesday, learn all about the Master Mechanics' Front End and how CSR is implementing one on a 1918-built 0-4-4-0T on Germany's Harz Narrow Gauge Railways. Read all about it in CSR's RESEARCH section.

This image shows Harz Narrow Gauge Railways 2-10-2T number 99 7241 as it battles the 3.3% grade between Schierke and the Brocken. Locomotive 7241 was built in the mid-1950's in East Germany and is one of 17 on the HNGR (currently 12 are in service). Known as the "new build" locomotives, these sizable engines are the standard power in the Harz.

John Philip Sousa: 3 | Steam Trains: 0

Perhaps no musician gets played more on the Fourth of July than John Philip Sousa. He was a prolific composer and band leader, traveling the world in the time of passenger trains and steam ships (the band traveled more than a million miles by train!).

Little known is the fact that Sousa and his band were involved in no fewer than three train accidents throughout their career. This image shows band members standing in front of their train, which had experienced a head on collision on the The Northern Pacific Railway in 1899 as they headed from Portland to Spokane. Sousa's band also endured two other derailments in the 1920's, one near Rochester, New York and one near Walsenberg, Colorado.

See Tracks? Think Train!

Wishing all a happy, and safe, Fourth of July!

New CSR White Paper

CSR released today a new White Paper that outlines the thermo-mechanical behaviors associated with steam locomotive fireboxes (including the firebox sheets, tube sheets, tubes and staybolts). This technical paper was originally written by modern steam engineer Livio Dante Porta in 1984 / 1985 during his work on the ACE 3000 modern steam project in the U.S. As such, the White Paper also includes information specific to tests undertaken with C&O steam locomotive 614 and issues it had with staybolt leakage.

This White Paper has been digitzed by CSR from the original hand drawn and hand written piece, with slight editing for clarity. Be sure to read it, and all of the other CSR papers, on the CSR White Paper Program page.

Watch HSB Steam Engines Battle to the Brocken

The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB) hauls more than one million passengers a year, and to do so it utilizes its equipment to the fullest potential. The following video shows unmodernized HSB 2-10-2T steam locomotives lugging trains up the 3.3% grade between Schierke and the Brocken in July 2009.