#8 History?

[Tom Casper]

Sadly only one! But its my favorite The Illinois Railway Museum! 

Matt,  when will steam return to IRM?

Tom C.

[Bill Sample]

Thanks for the MNGRR review, Bill.  More eveidence that "the second coming" of the Maine Two-Footers has
an interesting history in itself.

[Matthew Gustafson]

Sadly only one! But its my favorite The Illinois Railway Museum! 

Matt,  when will steam return to IRM?

Tom C.

Sadly thats what I want to find out as well as you do!

[Matthew Gustafson]

Is #8 going to run this year while #7 is geting restored?

[Ed Lecuyer]

Since #8 needs even more work than #7, the answer would be, "no."

[Bill Piche]

No #8 won't be running, #7 probably won't be finished this year, either. The boiler work will probably be done, but there are a LOT of parts that have to go back on in the order that they came off the frame, beginning with the boiler.

Baring any new developments, however, #4 will be back again this spring, ready to haul happy families up and down the Eastern Promenade in Portland.

[Matthew Gustafson]

Will #8 get the much needed overhall after #7 comes back from the restoration shops in the future once we start with the funds to get it to FRA standards?

[Hans Brandes]

From someone who has been in the business world for 25+ years...it's all about the money. If you know of someone with deep pockets out there, have them get in touch with me. How fast we can do this is a function of how much money is available.

- Currently, there is $0 which means zero possibility of this happening.
- With some money, we can do this as we do other projects by maximiizing the number of volunteer hours in order to save as much money as possible.
- With lots of money, we could have #8 sent off site and be completely redone with professional money.

[Matthew Gustafson]

Hi Matt/Ed,
B&SR #8 made the trip also in 1993, and was used on special occasions and as the secondary steam locomotive through the end of the 2002 season. By the end of the 2002 season, #8 had developed a steam leak somewhere on the engineer's side of the running gear. That problem led to the decision to move engine #7 to Maine early the following year. When the National Narrow Gauge convention was announced for Portland, Maine in 2007, a Form 4 waiver was applied for to put #8 back in steam for that week, but was withdrawn when crown sheet ultrasounds revealed that she would only be able to be steamed to approx 95 PSI.

So will this problem be fixed once we have enough money to restore her back to operation with its sister #7. Plus can #8 pull more cars then #7 can since its the largest suriving steamer in the USA or do they both have the same pulling power? 

[Bill Piche]

So will this problem be fixed once we have enough money to restore her back to operation with its sister #7. Plus can #8 pull more cars then #7 can since its the largest suriving steamer in the USA or do they both have the same pulling power? 

Hi Matt,
As Hans and I have stated before, anything is possible as long as there is money to foot the bill.

As for pulling power, for all intents and purposes, #7 and #8 are the same locomotive, it's just that #8 has a bigger boiler. They have the same size drive wheels (I know), cylinder size and stroke (I believe), and the same operating pressure (that last one assuming no problems and that the boilers were new, like they were in 1960). That eliminates any possible mechanical advantages. However, #8 is 5 tons heavier than #7, so it can probably pull a bit more than #7 could in similar conditions.

Anyone else have anything else to add on that?

[Hans Brandes]

Yes. I emphasize what Bill said. Right now #8's pulling power is zero. It sits in an engine house, silent and cold due to lack of money to bring it back into service. It could be brought to life. We are seeing this with #7. #8 needs many of the same repairs as #7. Send us a check for $60,000 and that can change.