The 100-year-old official state locomotive of Pennsylvania needs a new welded boiler at an estimated cost of at least $1 million and its driving axles must be converted to roller bearings, Levin told members of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society gathered in the famed railroad shop town for their annual meeting.
“There is movement going forward,” he says.
Levin says the 4-6-2 locomotive will be restored to pull a replica 1940s and 1950s PRR passenger train of six P70 coaches and B60 baggage cars that will tour the Keystone state as an educational tool. He also said he will work for a legislative remedy to alleviate liability insurance problems plague excursion trains. That would mean that excursion operators would no longer need Amtrak’s liability insurance to operate on freight railroad tracks.
He says the restoration effort will be privately funded and that no additional government money will be involved. He said that retired Norfolk Southern Chairman Wick Moorman is also supporting the restoration. “We believe there are financial partners out there to sustain the operation,” he said.
Levin said that a survey of the boiler shows that it should be replaced so that it can be reliable once more. He said that boiler manufacturers such as Foster-Wheeler and the shop in Germany that produced a new boiler for a 4-6-2 in England in 2008 will be under consideration.
He called the current operating environment for historic equipment “fragile.” A special train behind Levin’s Pennsylvania Railroad E8s and private cars to Altoona this week was cancelled after Amtrak said it would no longer handle charter trains earlier this year.
Levin has worked tirelessly for railway preservation projects nationwide for years, much of the work in obscurity. The PRR holds a special place for him. “This is going to be my last hurrah,” Levin said. “We need to solve the problem.”
The locomotive was display on Horseshoe Curve from 1957 to 1985 when it was restored to operation over a 2-year span. An axle problem sidelined the engine in 1988, and it was partially restored at Steamtown before that effort was abandoned and the boiler moved to the East Broad Top shops in Orbisonia, Pa. The boiler was returned to Altoona and a small crew has been working on components over the last year.
I am just wondering where all the parts went to after steam town and is any progress being made ?
I’m glad that they are getting the K4 back up and running again. Me and my father Robert C. Bixler and some of his friends worked on the K4 1361 when it was in Altoona in the car shop before they moved it. It was a great experience for me I will never forget them days.
Nice to see Mr. Levin taking on the 1361. If anybody can get it done, he can.
And Mr. Perkins, you know what they say. You get what you pay for.
Trains staff, watch your grammar, please! Regarding “to alleviate liability insurance problems plague excursion trains”, should be either “problems that plague”, or “problems plaguing” … And the special train to Altoona was cancelled “after Amtrak earlier this year said it would no longer handle charter trains” is more sensible phraseology. Thank you!
FYI rollers were installed on at least one K-4 by the Pennsy as a trial. It makes a lot of sense; less rolling resistance, no chance of hot box, lower maintenance, etc. The original Timken design prints are still in existence, and will be used.
Nothing wrong with a new boiler if that’s what it takes, and roller bearings as well. Remember, if they do it right they won’t be restoring it for someone to run ten years from now, but possibly 100 years from now, God willing!
Daniel, it isn’t that big of a deal. A boiler is just a component, and the rollers will be practically unnoticeable. I don’t like rollers on tenders and trailing trucks, but lots of engines these days have rollers on the drivers, and if done right it is great! I am always for 100% accuracy, even when it comes to silly things, but without modern boilers lots of engines from Sierra 3 to WW&F 9 would be static.
Well thank goodness! If Bennett Levin’s involved you can bet it’ll get DONE!
I still can figure out how a locomotive restored to operation in the 80’s was FUBAR’d into worthlessness in the 90’s…
New welded boiler and rollers on the drivers? As much as I want to see a K4 in steam maybe it’s time to re-stuff the 1361 and build a full size replica.
If this doesn’t pan out they should return the engine to its old spot at Horseshoe Curve. If it does then a similar locomotive from the Pennsylvania RR museum at Strasburg should be relocated there.
With so much uncertainty in the mainline excursion world now, it’s heartening to see people still moving the ball forward on big steam locomotive restorations. I hope that the situation with Amtrak is worked out soon so that this isn’t all for naught.