Indiana museum test fires narrow gauge Porter 2-6-0 NEWSWIRE

HESSTON, Ind. — A restored 3-foot gauge Porter 2-6-0 has test fired at the historic Hesston Steam Museum in northern Indiana.

The 1911 locomotive was heavily damaged in the disastrous May 1985 fire that also damaged the museum’s Shay No. 7, previously returned to operation, and destroyed several narrow gauge Rio Grande freight cars.

Since then the Mogul has seen a complete frame off restoration and fitted with a new boiler and turret. In addition, a new larger tender frame and superstructure has been fabricated with new brake rigging added to replace the old highly modified and patched tender. Also, most everything has been renewed or replaced on the locomotive.

“The 2 was like building a new locomotive … everything was modified in the field so really the only things left from the original build was the frame, wheelsets and, engines. We’ve set her up for ease of maintenance and will be economical for us to operate for years to come. Once we complete our steam tests and shake down runs it will be our primary motive power and will insure we can run steam every weekend for our guests. We’ll then roll her into our maintenance schedule with our other operational locomotives, ” says Ted Rita, director and general manager of the Hesston Steam Museum

No.2, H.K. Porter serial No. 4841, is a 17.5 ton 2-6-0 and was built in 1911 for the United Fruit Co. as No. 1 and was sent to the company’s banana plantation in Guatemala. Many Porter locomotives were used by United Fruit in the company’s banana plantain operations in Guatemala, and the company would prove to be one of Porter’s largest customers.

Shortly after 1950, No. 2 was decommissioned and left to decay. By 1961, the locomotive had become derelict, but it was saved from scrap by Elliott Donnelley of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Printing. After a stop at the Black Hills Central in South Dakota, the locomotive was shipped to the Burlington Route shops in Clyde, Ill., where it underwent running gear repair.

The Hesston Steam Museum renumbered the locomotive as No. 2 and put her into service on the museum’s challenging two-mile railroad with 5.5 percent grades and tight curvature, resembling a logging railroad.

After additional steam tests this fall it is hoped that the locomotive will join the museum’s operational roster of locomotives in the Spring. With the unveiling of No. 2, the museum’s railroad will also be relaunched with a new name that will better reflect a 1929 theme and geographical location of the museum campus.

Next projects for this organization include completion of a disabled-accessible caboose and continued work on a second, larger H.K. Porter 2-6-0, No. 17.