ex-US Army 2-8-0 For Sale...

[Stephen Hussar]

Here's Dwight's chance to own the 612, which I think he used to run...are you reading this, Dwight?!  
http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=1134

[Glenn Christensen]

Looks like the engine at Cass ...


Best Regards,
Glenn

[Stephen Hussar]

Hi Glenn, yes still at Cass -but owned by Robert Franzen of Steam Services of America. My understanding is that he would like to restore the 612 to operation for a buyer.
 

[Dwight Winkley]

yes, I ran the 612

[Stephen Hussar]

Dwight, is the 612 the one with poppet valves?

[Keith Taylor]

Stephen, in the picture at the site you linked to, you can see the locomotive has standard piston valves and Walschaerts valve gear. Not the Franklin cam operated poppet valves.

Keith

[Wayne Laepple]

The engine with Franklin rotary cam poppet valve gear was at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. I believe TVRM sold it a couple of years ago, but I can't quite remember to whom it was sold. I believe it was placed on display, not restored for operation, and the type of valve gear did not seem to matter.

[Keith Taylor]

, and the type of valve gear did not seem to matter.

Actually the "type of valve gear" did matter. The Franklin gear was a complete system and the drive for the valve box was a rotary motion derived from a gear box driven from an eccentric on the main driving crank. You can read the Franklin patent at this web site.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=_RFLAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1938&dq=locomotive+valve&as_drrb_ap=b&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=1940&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=1950&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2008&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=2008#v=onepage&q=locomotive%20valve&f=false
Keith

[Wayne Laepple]

I understand that, Keith. What I meant was it didn't matter since the engine was going on display, and chances are the majority of those viewing the locomotive won't know or care about the type of valve gear on it.

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

Wow...
it'd be nice if it could be fixed up and acquired by Conway Scenic. Then they'd have backup for #7470.
2-8-0's were common enough on the Mountain Division.

[Bill Sample]

When I got to Ft Eustis in 1972, only engine 607 was operational.  IIRC the 612 was being overhauled when the steam program was discontinued c. 1971 and was never fully reassembled. 607 and 612 were the last operational 2-8-0 types there, 606 and 611 were derelict and some of the 611's Franklin Rotary Poppet valve gear had already been removed.  The newer 610 had been stored behind the steam shop and was to be the next loco overhauled after 612.  Also on hand was 0-4-0ST 714, ex St Elizabeths Hospital #4, renumbered to match the rail operating battallion number.  714 had been in service in 1971 along with 607 and 612.
I was also told that 607 and 612 received new boilers around 1963-64.

[Wayne Laepple]

No. 611, the engine fitted with Franklin valve gear, was sold by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum to a private collector in western Maryland, who also owns a USA 0-6-0, I believe. The 0-4-0T that Bill mentioned above was the last conventional steam locomotive built by H.K. Porter Co. of pittsburgh and is now at the B&O Museum in baltimore.