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| 25 May 2002 USA | (ex-C&O 4-8-4 614) Ross Rowland's "Greenbrier" moved from NJ Transit's Hoboken, NJ facilities (where it has been based since 1996) to the Reading & Northern's Port Clinton, PA yard today. It will be stored there for the foreseeable future. There are no firm plans to return the locomotive to service at this time. (Thanks to Michael Tillger and Wayne Laepple.) | |
| 1 May 2002 United Kingdom Swanage Railway | (Royal Steam) Royalty and steam are intricately connected in the UK these days. To mark the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, on 9 April 2002, the Swanage Railway placed a wreath on the smokebox of "Battle of Britain" class 4-6-2 34072 "257 Squadron." It was an appropriate gesture: the locomotive is named after one of the Hurricane squadrons that defended London during the Blitz, where the Queen Mother won the hearts of her subjects by refusing to leave for Canada, and being a constant reassuring presence. LMS "Princess Royal" class 4-6-2 6201 "Princess Elizabeth" (named for the current Queen Elizabeth), will be returning to the main line on 11 May with a trip on home rails, Carlisle to Crewe via the West Coast Main Line and Shap. And the Royal Train (once referred to as the "Grove" on LMS rails) will be steam-hauled for the first time since 1967 when "Duchess" class 4-6-2 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" handles the train over the North Wales Coast line. Is is too much to hope that "Princess Elizabeth" will substitute to carry her namesake in the Queen's Jubilee Year? Keep a good thought. (Thanks to Andrew P. M. Wright and David Rogers.) | |
 "Battle of Britain" class 34072 "257 Squadron" bears a wreath to mark the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, on 9 April 2002. Photo by Andrew P. M. Wright. Copyright 2002 Andrew P. M. Wright, all rights reserved. | ||
| 8 April 2002 USA Great Smoky Mountains Railway 30-sec MPEG (2.65MB) | (ex-USA 2-8-0 1702) This is so embarrassing. For several weeks now the North American staff of SteamCentral Worldwide (that would be Jim Wrinn and me) had been looking forward to its strategic planning retreat at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. We booked a conference room at Kleinrath Hall, put together a weighty agenda, and had covered agenda items 1 (breakfast) and 2 (a nap), and were working on item 3 (lunch) when we heard what sounded like a steam whistle. I looked at Jim, he looked at me. "Nahhh, can't be," he said just three seconds before it sounded again, right outside our door. Sure enough, there sat the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 2-8-0 1702 just below us. Agenda item 4 (2003 April Fool stories) was tabled so that we could give chase. All during the rest of the day we tried to understand just how this intelligence failure occurred. In the end we simply decided to blame Kevin Gilliam, who was nowhere to be seen all day. OK, maybe it didn't happen QUITE like that. But 1702 did put on a fine show during GSMR's opening weekend, hauling a train sponsored by three nearby NRHS chapters to Andrews. | |
 GSMR 1702 takes its train along the Nantahala River on the first weekend of the 2002 season. Photo by John Craft. Copyright 2001 John A. Craft, all rights reserved.  SteamCentral staff on the case (no cracks, please, about this being our best side): L-R Pam Wrinn, Jim Wrinn, Danah Craft, John Craft. Photo by John Craft. Copyright 2001 John A. Craft, all rights reserved. | ||
| 8 April 2002 USA | (Florida 0-4-0Ts) ex-Solvey Process 0-4-0T no. 1, long displayed in Jacksonville, FL, and owned by the North Florida - NRHS, has been sold to the Whistle Stop Antique Mall in Franklin, NC. A 36"-gauge 0-4-0T also owned by the North Florida Chapter was sold to Ken "Daddy Rabbit" Riddle, who is currently taking it apart and may reboiler the engine for eventual use on the Doe River Gorge line. | |
 Solvey Process 1 at its new home in Franklin, NC. Photo by John Craft. Copyright 2002 John Craft, all rights reserved. | ||
| 2 April 2002 USA Golden Gate Railroad Museum | (ex-SP 4-6-2 2472) Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472 has been putting on quite a show recently, and Sam Reeves has been there capturing the action and helping out with ticket sales, etc. No. 2472 will be getting her boiler inspection soon - let's hope all goes well, and quickly, and that we get a chance to see doubleheaded Pacifics again soon. (Thanks to Sam Reeves.) | |
 SP 2472 leaves San Francisco on its 16 March test run. Photo by Sam Reeves. Copyright 2002 Sam Reeves, all rights reserved.  SP 2472 exits Tunnel 4 at East Bayshore on its 30 March public excursion. Photo by Sam Reeves. Copyright 2002 Sam Reeves, all rights reserved. | ||
| 1 April 2002 USA Whippany RR Museum | (ex-USATC 0-6-0 4039) The Whippany Railroad Museum's ex- Virginia Blue Ridge 0-6-0 no. 5 has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Built as US Army 4039 in 1942, the engine came to New Jersey in 1963 when the VBR sold it and ex-Southern 2-8-0 385 to the Morris County Central. The beneficiary of a $200,000 TEA-21 grant, the Museum hopes to return 4039 to service soon. (Thanks to Steven Hepler.) | |
| 1 April 2002 USA Horseshoe Curve NRHS | (ex-PRR 4-6-2 1361) Changes are afoot in the K4 restoration project: Chris Ahrens has left the project, and has been replaced by Bill Fredrickson and Barry Claar. The Railroader's Memorial Museum has set a "firm" deadline of May 30, 2003 for completion of the project has been set. Mr. Fredrickson has been working on B&M 4-6-2 3713, sharing shop space with 1361 in Steamtown's Scranton, PA, facility, and previously worked with Andy Muller's ex-Reading 2102 and ex-GM&N 425. As we get more information we'll let you know. | |
| 1 April 2002 China | (Steam in China) The end is nigh for steam in China, at least on the main line. Officially only 276 steam locomotives remain active on China Rail, and progress on dieselization and electrification make even their days numbered. Diesels have been seen on the formerly all-steam Jingpeng Pass, and there is speculation that China Rail will drop its last fire some time in 2002. As there are still several industrial lines (which look and act like main line railroads) operating steam with ready access to retired China Rail engines, it is probable that for a few more years China will remain the "big show." But in the 175th year of steam's reign, the final blow for the main line may come. (Thanks to Trevor Heath.) | |
| 1 April 2002 Canada West Coast Railway Association | (ex-CPR 4-6-4 2860) Royal Hudson 2860 will soon be on its way to Squamish for display and, if the West Coast Railway Association gets its way, eventual return to service. The WCRA, in partnership with other groups (see below), is also working to maintain the Vancouver-to-Squamish tourist runs in 2002. The group is sponsoring a public excursion with Canadian Pacific's "common Hudson" 2816 in May - see the schedules page. | |
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