What powers fake steam engine #4 at Sandy River and why?

[Matthew Gustafson]

I just want to know?

[Steve Klare]

Last I heard it was a fairly serious V8 salvaged from a 1969 Mustang. When I was very active up there it was a Ford 292 V8 through an automatic transmission, then a second truck transmission for more gear reduction, and then the gearing at the rear axle. The automatic transmission always ran red hot and the fluid was colors transmission fluid was never meant to be!

http://www.srrl-rr.org/Projects/Loco_4/Loco_4.htm

The "why" is because the new SR&RL started with little except ingenuity and determination and this was a way they could have a full sized locomotive for little more than some salvaged parts and home made labor. Also, since she's pretty much a turn key piece of equipment the operating expenses are pretty light.

Wesley Spear, who built #4, told me that compared to a lot of logging equipment projects he's done it was actually fairly simple.

The new Sandy River number 4 deserves a place of honor in the history of the two footers: she represents the beginning of the restoration era in Maine. I have a feeling no matter what kind of more historical equipment they get up there she'll always have a stall in the Old Stone Fort.

[Matthew Gustafson]

Okay then. Thanks Steve!

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

As the web page explains, #4 had a major rebuild few years ago.  In addition to the new V8 engine, the rear truck was rebuilt and the brake system  upgraded.  I have ridden behind #4 and it's a nice pulling engine.  As Steve said, much credit goes to Wes Spear for the original design and construction.   Yes, it is the first piece of re-born Maine two foot operation and has been in service for over 35 years.  Even with those standard gauge (freight car) driver wheels I think she's a nice looking engine.

[Josh Botting]

I thought the engine was kind of neat the frist time I saw it.  Its certainly resoursefull, in the spirit of  good old maine common sense, which of course is appearant in all of the 2 footers!
 

[Steve Klare]

The fun part is the Lionel style smoke generator: a little drip of used motor oil into the exhaust stream and you get a nice plume out the stack!

If I remember right her whistle was once on a trolley car. I was in Phillips for Old Home Days one year when a man came to the museum and donated it. He said it would sound much better than the original whistle, which was from a sawmill.

I have some black and white movie film shot of number 4 and her train in 1985 and it looks pretty convincing.

PS: the engineer's seat looks like a front bucket seat from a '64 1/2 through '66 Mustang! Very satisfying for somebody who loves trains and old cars.

[James Patten]

Is acceleration and braking done through foot pedals or hand levers?

[Steve Klare]

Both are via hand levers.

Once again if I remember right (We're going back at least 15 years here), the air brake lever is marked "National Pyle".

There is (or maybe was) the remains of a steering column poking up vertically through the cab floor (without the steering wheel). This was the gear selector for the automatic transmission

Air for the whistle and brakes was and probably still is supplied by an engine belt driven compressor charging a reservoir.

I was an honorary brakeman for a while. I used to ride in the cab and drop off and throw the switches for the engine shed and Old Stone fort sidings and guide the engineer back so he could couple up gently. Here and there I'd drop down and watch the track under the train when Mack Paige felt something funny under there and I'd swing back up when she passed by again and let him know what I saw so we could come back later and fix it.

One time I was on the platform at Phillips encouraging the passengers to stand back. We were running with a coach and the caboose that day. The crowd had thinned a little so Mack decided to drop the caboose off. Unfortunately a couple of car lengths short of the mark somebody on the ground (who will remain anonymous) pulled the lever and the caboose rolled free. So here I'm standing watching this caboose rolling towards me at a brisk walk. I briefly thought about grabbing on and "stopping" it, but then my brain did the math about the relative masses of the caboose and myself and I just yelled "Everybody back up!!!" and we all dove against the station  wall. The caboose banged into the first Brookville and stopped, the first Brookville bounced into the second, which rolled back into the coach behind, which did this awesome flex (and groan) and then launched the second Brookville back into the first. This set off this very complicated resonance of caboose, Brookvilles and coach that took a good 5 seconds to settle down. To this day it was one of the most impressive sights I’ve ever seen first hand.


If today you ride the Sandy River line, you will see safety chains dangling between each piece of equipment.

- the incident above was the moment when they decided to install them.


PS: When one 12 Ton Brookville collides with a second 12 Ton Brookville a sound is produced which is a lot like a really big church bell.

-not that you ever really want to hear this!

[Matthew Gustafson]

The fun part is the Lionel style smoke generator: a little drip of used motor oil into the exhaust stream and you get a nice plume out the stack!

Got to love those Lionel Trains. I have a L shape O gauge layout in my basement with a train load of Lionel Trains on it.