If you are interested in reading the correspondence between the Erie Lackawanna and Penn Ohio Railfans, go here: www.flickr.com/photos/33523379@N03/albums/72157651488383770/
Great acquisition! It will be cool to see a fireless locomotive "under steam" and even cooler to see that big ole Todd engine doing some work. Its great you guys found a way to save another piece of history and give it some work to do. Shame there was all that damage from the original transport. Would have been cool to see it restored fully and run on some rollers or something.
I'm working to build a 3' gauge line on my property, with the practical focus being for a sawmill and solar kiln. I am able to cut 28' timbers on the mill, so rolling stock underframes are now possible. I'd love to have live steam motive power, but the first unit will be diesel powered. There is a 3' Shay not too far from me.
@YoungstownSteelHeritage My bad. I read your question too fast,and misunderstood it. I'm not really searching for rolling stock. I bought several work cars from CSX, dismantled them, and regauged the wheels to 3'. There are several axles with sprockets on them, which are chain driven, which are in turn powered by hydraulic motors. I have the setup for a "Galloping Goose" type of unit, with the rear differential from a Humvee as power to the rear, and gear reduction to the smaller front wheels. I have the ability to fabricate trucks and mainframe components. I also have a wooden pattern for casting couplers, which I made 6% oversized for casting shrinkage. I'm just mesmerized by your collection of steam.
@ well we use 100, 110 and 115 on the mainline and 70 on a couple of sidings. We just got a bunch of 85. Putting down heavy track means you do it once and it stays put. Yeah shipping is expensive. Building railroads isn't for the faint of heart!
@YoungstownSteelHeritage I have some 70. I used it where trucks cross the track to deliver logs and pick up lumber. I'm building 12' to 20' skeleton log cars to hold orders until the logs are cut into lumber. As far as storing lumber in the kiln sheds, I don't need the heavier rail. 16' flats contain 4 cords of firewood. I do want to build a caboose for the fun of it. I scored a caboose coal stove at an antique store, but I'll feed it with Locust and Hickory firewood.
We got a very similar if not same model out here in upstate NY at the Rochester & Genesee Valley RR Museum. Quaint little things. Heisler seemed to get 2 things down real well, their Geared Engines, and their Fireless’, which seem to have roved around the whole east coast pretty far and wide in their tenures. For an engine designed not to have a ton of capacity they sure got around.
I remember them setting at American fire clay, always wondered why they looked weird, no smoke box door. I was a little kid and never knew what happened to them. Thanks for the history Rick
The second Heisler fireless locomotive you spoke of previously sat for many years in front of an ex-Pennsylvania Railroad station turned restaurant in Sharon, Pa., as an advertisement for The Old Express Restaurant...
That's a neat idea that you have. I haven't seen a fireless locomotive running in rail preservation before, and this would be a welcoming change to finally get to see for newer generations to witness. But it is also a smart decision to have something that's large enough to accommodate much steam pressure needed to get the Tod Engine rolling once more. People have claimed that C&S Ohio Electric Co. number 1 was said to have disappeared and is lost, but those statements aren't true as it's obviously right in-front of them this whole time at that display museum. Just wait until they see how wrong they really are when they witness no. 1 restored under a new number in future. I also learned that there is a third member of _that_ particular class of fireless locomotives that was under the C&S Ohio Electric Co.'s name, it's preserved at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. Not far from the Age Of Steam Roundhouse Museum surprisingly. I don't think anyone talks about it all that much.
Fireless units are pretty rare. I think I saw one at Carillon Park in Dayton, but no restoration work had been done on it and it was just sitting outside.
You really got my attention when you said these locos came from Groveport Oh. I live 2 miles away from there, and had no idea. Do you know why they were there? Were they "in service" there?
It's a fine little engine, I think it would be better if you had a stationary boiler or something else to run the Tod engine and to supply the fireless engine with steam for running. But it's not my engine. You do you. I just think it would be better running on a display track.
We have multiple examples of a single heavily built boiler design. Doesn't make any sense to not use what we have. Solid fuel fired boilers are not as plentiful as they once were and certainly I doubt we would find any with a 200 psi MAWP. Any that are out there most likely need boiler work to be usable. Time is not infinite. Money is not infinite.
If you look out west at logging equipment there are a lot of steam donkeys (portable stationary boilers attached to a winch) that might be a good fit for either extending the run time or charging the fireless.
We are much more than just trains. Railroads serve an important part of the project but unlike other museums, we don't have trains for their own sake. We have them here to do work, just as they did in the real world.
using the fireless as a steam accumulator sounds interesting but i thought they need to be filled with superheated steam and if i saw that right 58 doesnt have one? whats the steam temperature of the boiler type used on 58?
Are y'all gonna restore it and run it on the mainline? There aren't many of these in preservation in the US. Let alone many running ones (for understandable reasons)
he talks about this "fireless" locomotive but I have NO friggin idea WTF that means!!! It would be nice to have a clear explanation of these things for us who are not mind readers.
Short version, there's no fire or heat, you pressurize a big old air tank from an outside source, like a power plant boiler or other locomotive and it runs for as long as it's pressurized. He touches on it briefly, think something akin to a hand pump rocket or the old Air Hogs pump-planes from the early 2000s.
If you are interested in reading the correspondence between the Erie Lackawanna and Penn Ohio Railfans, go here: www.flickr.com/photos/33523379@N03/albums/72157651488383770/
Nice that you're saving another neat piece. I love that very STOUT little flatcar behind it too. 🤠👍
It is a former Sharon Steel ingot mold car. It is even more heavily built than it appears in the video!
@YoungstownSteelHeritage Cool piece too. 💪🤠👍
50mph in a fireless is absolutely crazy 🤣
Might be the fastest fireless ever recorded.
It will be interesting to see you folks bring this back to life. I'm glad you're saving it.
Great acquisition! It will be cool to see a fireless locomotive "under steam" and even cooler to see that big ole Todd engine doing some work. Its great you guys found a way to save another piece of history and give it some work to do.
Shame there was all that damage from the original transport. Would have been cool to see it restored fully and run on some rollers or something.
I'm working to build a 3' gauge line on my property, with the practical focus being for a sawmill and solar kiln. I am able to cut 28' timbers on the mill, so rolling stock underframes are now possible. I'd love to have live steam motive power, but the first unit will be diesel powered. There is a 3' Shay not too far from me.
What size rail will you be using? I know of some potentially available three foot equipment but can't run on tiny rail.
@YoungstownSteelHeritage I've been looking for years. 30lb would be good, but heavier is fine. All I can find is 90lb. Shipping is a huge deterrent.
@YoungstownSteelHeritage My bad. I read your question too fast,and misunderstood it. I'm not really searching for rolling stock. I bought several work cars from CSX, dismantled them, and regauged the wheels to 3'. There are several axles with sprockets on them, which are chain driven, which are in turn powered by hydraulic motors. I have the setup for a "Galloping Goose" type of unit, with the rear differential from a Humvee as power to the rear, and gear reduction to the smaller front wheels. I have the ability to fabricate trucks and mainframe components. I also have a wooden pattern for casting couplers, which I made 6% oversized for casting shrinkage. I'm just mesmerized by your collection of steam.
@ well we use 100, 110 and 115 on the mainline and 70 on a couple of sidings. We just got a bunch of 85. Putting down heavy track means you do it once and it stays put. Yeah shipping is expensive. Building railroads isn't for the faint of heart!
@YoungstownSteelHeritage I have some 70. I used it where trucks cross the track to deliver logs and pick up lumber. I'm building 12' to 20' skeleton log cars to hold orders until the logs are cut into lumber. As far as storing lumber in the kiln sheds, I don't need the heavier rail. 16' flats contain 4 cords of firewood. I do want to build a caboose for the fun of it. I scored a caboose coal stove at an antique store, but I'll feed it with Locust and Hickory firewood.
We got a very similar if not same model out here in upstate NY at the Rochester & Genesee Valley RR Museum. Quaint little things. Heisler seemed to get 2 things down real well, their Geared Engines, and their Fireless’, which seem to have roved around the whole east coast pretty far and wide in their tenures. For an engine designed not to have a ton of capacity they sure got around.
A lot of these fireless lokies ran up into the 1980s, and so would have definitely had the opportunity to have been abated while in service.
In Germany they are still running for some chemical plants
I remember them setting at American fire clay, always wondered why they looked weird, no smoke box door. I was a little kid and never knew what happened to them. Thanks for the history Rick
The second Heisler fireless locomotive you spoke of previously sat for many years in front of an ex-Pennsylvania Railroad station turned restaurant in Sharon, Pa., as an advertisement for The Old Express Restaurant...
I had never heard of a “fireless” locomotive. Thank you for explaining. And braving the Ohio cold [9° F here this morning].
The snowy railway yard reminds me so much of the Frosty TV special by Rankin/Bass!
Thanks Rick, We have a Fireless Porter here in a Sault Ste Marie park.
That's a neat idea that you have. I haven't seen a fireless locomotive running in rail preservation before, and this would be a welcoming change to finally get to see for newer generations to witness. But it is also a smart decision to have something that's large enough to accommodate much steam pressure needed to get the Tod Engine rolling once more. People have claimed that C&S Ohio Electric Co. number 1 was said to have disappeared and is lost, but those statements aren't true as it's obviously right in-front of them this whole time at that display museum. Just wait until they see how wrong they really are when they witness no. 1 restored under a new number in future.
I also learned that there is a third member of _that_ particular class of fireless locomotives that was under the C&S Ohio Electric Co.'s name, it's preserved at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. Not far from the Age Of Steam Roundhouse Museum surprisingly. I don't think anyone talks about it all that much.
How lovely. 😊
Very cool!
Great idea😊
Thats awesome🤘🏻
Erie says "We investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong!"
Yeah sure!
Fireless locomotive on display in Harbor Beach, Michigan. Used in agricultural products plant until recent time.
Fireless units are pretty rare. I think I saw one at Carillon Park in Dayton, but no restoration work had been done on it and it was just sitting outside.
You should have seen the sister to that one, the "Rubicon" that they have on display just a little ways away inside.
fitting ngl
You really got my attention when you said these locos came from Groveport Oh. I live 2 miles away from there, and had no idea. Do you know why they were there? Were they "in service" there?
It's a fine little engine, I think it would be better if you had a stationary boiler or something else to run the Tod engine and to supply the fireless engine with steam for running. But it's not my engine. You do you. I just think it would be better running on a display track.
We have multiple examples of a single heavily built boiler design. Doesn't make any sense to not use what we have. Solid fuel fired boilers are not as plentiful as they once were and certainly I doubt we would find any with a 200 psi MAWP. Any that are out there most likely need boiler work to be usable. Time is not infinite. Money is not infinite.
If you look out west at logging equipment there are a lot of steam donkeys (portable stationary boilers attached to a winch) that might be a good fit for either extending the run time or charging the fireless.
Thank goodness you've come back to highlighting trains.
We are much more than just trains. Railroads serve an important part of the project but unlike other museums, we don't have trains for their own sake. We have them here to do work, just as they did in the real world.
The fiberglass insulation may actually be rockwool
@@choodude4660 very well could be. Probably is now that you mention it!
Great video Rick. Thanks! Great seeing another narrow gauge prices have a chance for use. How is the Todd and your other mill projects coming along?
using the fireless as a steam accumulator sounds interesting but i thought they need to be filled with superheated steam and if i saw that right 58 doesnt have one? whats the steam temperature of the boiler type used on 58?
@maurice9457 most of them used saturated steam so what our boilers produce will work
Fireless 2:52 😢 2 2:52 :52 2:52 2:52 2:52
Be neat to see it run but I don't think duel gauge should be added to that project list!
@@TheSantaFeGuy No dual gauge!!!
So now it'll be a... *Steam Booster?*
Are y'all gonna restore it and run it on the mainline?
There aren't many of these in preservation in the US. Let alone many running ones (for understandable reasons)
I am not aware of any operating in the US currently.
@YoungstownSteelHeritage Neither am I. Godspeed on restoring it!
Thermos locomotive
Oh im 1st!!
he talks about this "fireless" locomotive but I have NO friggin idea WTF that means!!! It would be nice to have a clear explanation of these things for us who are not mind readers.
Short version, there's no fire or heat, you pressurize a big old air tank from an outside source, like a power plant boiler or other locomotive and it runs for as long as it's pressurized. He touches on it briefly, think something akin to a hand pump rocket or the old Air Hogs pump-planes from the early 2000s.
This may help explain what they are: ua-cam.com/video/aym2V73J-mE/v-deo.htmlsi=ozCc1B0vCNR7swOp
@@Chaos42666it's steam, there's definitely heat. Air locomotives are another kind entirely