A Although the 4-6-2 is in the process of returning to the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum for restoration, it could still return to operation some day. The Pennsylvania Railroad donated No. 1361 to the city of Altoona on June 8, 1957, and it has been part of the museum’s collection for two decades. In 1985-87, the engine was restored at Conrail’s Altoona Shops, then the engine returned to service for excursions. A major main bearing and axle failure in 1988 sidelined the engine again. In spring 1995, the engine went on flatcars to Steamtown, where a mechanical crew hired and staffed by Altoona museum employees commenced a mechanical rebuild of the engine using a combination of private and state funding and a public-private partnership that involved using the University of Scranton, Steamtown’s facilities, and National Park Service staff expertise.
In summer 2007, after 13 years of on-again-off-again work and $1.6 million, the project ground to a halt. In 2010, Altoona museum management decided to complete the restoration by returning the engine to Altoona. Current plans call for the completion of a quarter-size roundhouse (page 26) where No. 1361’s reassembly will continue under the guidance of an experienced steam locomotive mechanic and possibly limited on-site operation at a reduced boiler pressure. While the Altoona museum has not ruled out excursions on local short lines, Norfolk Southern, which operates the main line and the active trackage adjacent to the museum, has rejected operations on its system due to policy and insurance issues. The K4’s drivers, cab, tender and other parts returned to Altoona in 2010, while other engine parts are at the East Broad Top in Orbisonia, Pa. Initially, crews will reassemble the locomotive to appear cosmetically complete before resuming operational restoration. The work will likely take years to finish, subject to available funding. – Kurt Bell, former archivist at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, and conductor for Strasburg Railroad Co.
