The Lion

[Stephen Hussar]

We've talked about the Lion in the past, and wouldn't it be neat to see the locomotive restored for Maine's bicentennial, etc. Here's an idea for transporting the Lion around by rail...not just throughout Maine, but all around New England...

The linked photo shows the Southern's "Best Friend of Charleston" replica being transported by Norfolk Southern.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=309630&nseq=8

[Stephen Hussar]

Just to refresh your collective memories...an old photo of the Lion.  

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Nice pics Stephen. It's amazing how nice the restored version is as compared to the much older picture.
Duncan

[Mike Fox]

I believe that picture was taken after the railroad shut down. The Lion does not look it's best, but at almost 50 years of service on a lightly built railroad, with the many derailments that were common on that little line, it doesn't look all that bad.

[Ed Lecuyer]

The Lion today:
http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=614

[Paul Horky]

With no cab she must have been miserible to run in the wintertime. The picture looks like she is sitting on a ramp maybe being loaded out to go to the State Museum? When was she Donated?

[Stephen Hussar]

The linked color photo in my first post is of Southern's "Best Friend of Charleston" replica...not the Lion. In my original post I was merely musing at how nice it would be to see the Lion restored, then transported around by rail like the "Best Friend of Charleston" replica. 

[Keith Taylor]

In my original post I was merely musing at how nice it would be to see the Lion restored, then transported around by rail like the "Best Friend of Charleston" replica. 

Stephen, the Lion IS restored, as much as it ever should be. If by "restored" you mean restored to operation, it would involve replacing the boiler and virtually all of the appliances connected to the boiler. I doubt seriously that the Maine State museum would ever agree to the loss of so high a percentage of the historic fabric of the locomotive. What would make sense would be to build a working replica of the Lion, which could safely be used to demonstrate what a very early locomotive was like in operation. An example of this philosophy can be seen at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum, where they build replicas of pioneer era aircraft to demonstrate early flight, without risking damage to the ever dwindling supply of original historic aircraft.
There is a precedent fot this in the railroad world. The Pennsylvania RR built a replica of the "John Bull" to use at railroad and historic exhibitions. The original thus not being subjected to the potential for damage.
Keith

[Wayne Laepple]

Over 30 years ago, a replica of "Locomotion," the first practical steam locomotive in the world, was built at a vocational school in Darlington, England, and is currently in operation at the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish, near Newcastle. Since then, at least one more replica of Locomotion has been built. The original is on display at Darlington North Road Station, along with several other significant northeastern steam locomotives. The early locomotive, like Locomotion and Lion and Pennsylvaia's Stourbridge Lion, were quite simple machines and could relatively easily be replicated.

[Josh Botting]

Before the Lion went to the Maine State meusm, it resided at the university of Maine, in Orono.  It used to be in the Crosby Lab.

[Stephen Hussar]

Thanks, Josh!

Where 'ya been?!  

Stephen  

[Ira Schreiber]

Where there is a will, there are two lawyers fighting over it!

Build a replica and leave the original fabric intact.