Steam Locomotive Fans

Here's some other steamers that are either being restored, restored, or just sitting on display.

Paul Strubeck

LIRR #39 is a 4-6-0 class G5 locomotive. It was built by the Junita Shops in 1929 for the LIRR, a subdivision of the PRR. It was used to haul passenger trains at high speeds. It last ran at LIRR's Steam Ceremony in 1955. It's currently being restored and will be operational sometime in late 2005 or early 2006.

She currently resides in Long Island, NY, just of the LIRR main.

GTW 5632 on display in Durand, MI.

Grand Trunk Western #5632 is a class K4b 4-6-2 Pacific, built by Baldwin in 1929. This engine served on the GTW's passenger trains until the late 1950s when she was retired. It was donated to the city of Durand, MI. The locomotive is currently displayed there with a GTW passenger car next to the old Ann Arbor right of way and the current CN line.

N&W 4-8-0 #475 sizzles at the station of the Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg, PA.

Norfolk & Western #475 is a rare 4-8-0 Mastadon. The 4-8-0 was really a 2-8-0 with a 4 axle leading truck added for better tracking capabilities. When they were first built in the late 1800's, these locomotives were considered absolute monsters and were normally assigned to heavily graded territory. Unfortunantly, the 4-8-0 was too large and heavy for most of the railroads in that time, and with the advent of the more powerful 2-8-2 Mikado in the early 1900s, the 4-8-0 fell out of favor. Thus, the 4-8-0 never became a very popular type. Southern Pacific had the largest roster, and N&W also rostered a large fleet. #475 was built in 1906. It now serves on the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania, frequently pulling excursions. The day I was there, #475 and Canadian National #89, a 2-6-0, were handling all the passenger trains as their main engine, 2-10-0 #90 and their 0-6-0 were down for maintainence. I rode right behind #475 on one of the open car's platforms and thuroughly enjoyed the sight, sound and smell of a steamer at work.

#475 prepares to run around the train at the end of the run.

DRGW #464 renumbered as the 453 for the 2006 Huckleberry RR Railfan Weekend. Jay Tester

Denver & Rio Grande Western #464 is a narrow guage class K-27 2-8-2 Mikado. Narrow guage uses a small track guage than standard guage (as the name implies), 3 feet as apposed to 4 feet 8 1/2 inches. The K-27's were rebuilt from standard guage 2-8-0s, ranking them among the largest North American narrow guage steam. #464 was rebuilt from a 2-8-0 in the early 20's and was put to work hauling freight and passengers on Rio Grande's legendary narrow guage route, which traverses some of the best railroad scenery in the world. She was not as large as the Grande's other narrow guage 2-8-2s (the K-36's were the largest and are considered the zenith of narrow guage DRGW steam), and as a result her and most of the other K-27's were retired in 1960, still quite late for any North American steamer. Rio Grande narrow guage steam, and the narrow guage system would continue on until 1963 when it was shut down entirely. Today two sections remain, now operated as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR and the Durango & Silverton RR.

#464 being readied for the days runs.

#464 survives today at the Huckleberry Railroad in Genessee County, MI, just north of Flint at the Historic Crossroads Village. #464 and the road's other steamer, HRR #2, carry passengers around a 5 mile point to point loop of former Pere Marquette Railway standard guage trackage, reguaged to narrow guage when the park was being constructed. #464 is one of 2 K-27's still in existance and is used extensively by the Huckleberry. For the 2006 railfan weekend at the park, it was dressed up as the #453, complete with the "dog house" on the tender deck.