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2-8-4 #763
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2-8-0 #33
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4-6-2 #1293
4-8-4 #6325
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2-6-0 #96 |
6325--A New Face in the World of Steam
by John B. Corns -
August 3,
2001
For the past dozen years, the Tuscarawas River valley east of Coshocton,
Ohio, has echoed with the soft exhausts and mellow whistle chimes of a
trio of modest steam locomotives chuffing across the Ohio Central
Railroad System, a 500-mile regional carrier operating over tracks of the
former Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central, and Wheeling & Lake Erie.
Since 1988 the OC's weekend steam fantrips and daily, summertime steam
excursions between Sugarcreek and Baltic have become a way of life to its
gentle Amish neighbors whose horses barely notice the passing of their
iron brethren. But on Tuesday, July 31, 2001, a new exhaust was heard
thundering through that valley, and a strident whistle blast at the
bottom of Hardscrabble Hill let everyone know that a new kid was in town.
That new kid is former Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 6325, a Michigan
expatriate that found a new home and brighter future when purchased by
Jerry Joe Jacobson, the owner of seven other steam locomotives who also
serves as Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Ohio Central Railroad
System. After an extensive, three-year overhaul in the Ohio Central's
Morgan Run shop by the railroad's steam crew (with a few OC employees
temporarily transferred from other departments, and 1,000 hours of
volunteer railfan labor), the beautifully restored 6325 performed
break-in runs during the last week of July. And how she performed!
Gleaming in a coat of gloss black enamel offset with silvered wheel edges
and bare-steel rods highly polished to mirror-finish, the 6325 looked and
acted like a thoroughbred on the joyous day of its rebirth. The firebox
was filled with scrap lumber to gradually bring up the heat for the later
addition of higher b.t.u. Pocahontas coal, and Jerry lit her off with a
fusee at 7:50 a.m. Monday. Smoke and steam filled the air, and, with
just 5 pounds showing on the boiler pressure gauge, hardened steam
veterans took turns on the whistle cord like a bunch of excited kids.
And why not? After years of hard, dirty work bringing the 6325 back to
life, they finally had a new toy to play with. Under a full head of
steam, 6325 remained stationary on Monday so that crewmen could test
appliances, apply soapy water to scores of pipe connections to look for
air and steam leaks, set the release points of the boiler's three safety
valves, and tighten this and check that.
After additional work to balky injectors on Tuesday morning, about a
dozen OC employees, volunteers, invited railfans and well-wishers lined
up to watch the 4-8-4 move under its own power once again. With a
throaty blast from the engine's 6-chime Nathan whistle, Jerry opened the
throttle and 250 pounds p.s.i. of superheated steam once again surged
through pipes, valves and cylinders, pushing against 26-inch pistons.
Inertia was broken at 3:24 p.m., and 6325 took its first, tentative steps
following nearly forty-three years of retirement. Wild cheers went up
and eyes watered at the sight of 6325 moving down the track under its own
power, her open cylinder cocks baptizing the faithful with a mixture of
valve oil and steam. The 6325 and its consist of two passenger cars and
a caboose were moved by diesel through the engine house tracks to Ohio
Central's former PRR "Pan Handle" line for some mainline running. As
fireman Jason Johnson tended to the fire and water, Jerry slowly let 6325
find her former gait, widening on her throttle a little at a time until
that old "I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can" cadence returned to her step.
After a day-and-a-half of break-in operations, the 6325 was shut down for
some debugging of the balky injectors. As this is being written, 6325 is
scheduled to pull its first public fantrip between Columbus and Dennison
on September 22, so the steam crew was eager to get right back to work on
its newest locomotive. Additional tinkering to the Northern had to be
done outdoors, as OC's former Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 1293 already was
being torn down in the shop bay that had held 6325 the previous day.
Shipped from American Locomotive Company's Schenectady Works on February
5, 1942, the 6325 was among 25 class U-3-b Northerns purchased that year
by the Grand Trunk Western to speed World War II passenger and freight
trains between Chicago and Detroit. Equipped with roller bearings on
pony, trailing and tender truck axles, these dual-service 4-8-4s raced
across Michigan on 73 inch Boxpok driving wheels. In 1956, one U-3-b
reportedly attained a speed of 106.5 mph with 12 passenger cars near
Lapeer, Michigan, and in 1948 the 6325 itself had the honor of pulling
President Harry Truman's campaign train on its run across Grand Trunk
rails. The U-3-b engines were equally at ease heading 80-car manifests
across GTW's Chicago Division, and were perfectly suited to the road's
track profile across the state of Michigan.
For improved water circulation these 4-8-4s carried Nicholson thermic
syphons in the firebox, and utilized economical, lower maintenance Elesco
exhaust steam injectors, sometimes called the "poor man's feedwater
heater." Cramped, vestibuled, all-weather cabs protected head-end crews
from the wrath of Michigan's worst winters, and were trailed by small
Vanderbilt tenders with a capacity of just 14 tons of coal and
14,500-gallons of water. For the fireman's safety during winter weather,
exhaust steam from the stoker engine could be piped to heating radiators
underneath tender running boards to prevent ice build-up from water
splashed during refilling of the cistern.
Upon its retirement early in 1959, the 6325 was chosen for display in
Battle Creek, the heart of Grand Trunk Western operations. Located there
were GTW's main classification yard, division headquarters, system
locomotive back shop, and 40-stall roundhouse. To protect 6325 from the
weather and guard against vandalism, everything on the locomotive was
welded shut during its preparation for display. A Grand Trunk shopman
even autographed his work by welding his name on the stoker tube in the
cab--"Cronkhite 10-19-59". Four days later a shiny 6325 was enshrined
adjacent to the depot as a monument to the days of steam. Yet, a handful
of its U-3-b sisters continued in service over on the Detroit Division,
and would bring down the curtain on regular U.S. steam-powered passenger
trains the following March.
Through the years thieves scavenged many of the locomotive's brass,
copper and bronze fittings, and after twenty-five years the city desired
to scrap the 6325 because a highway construction project needed the land
on which the 4-8-4 was displayed. Thankfully, in 1985 the locomotive was
sold for one dollar to the Greater Battle Creek Foundation, a non-profit
group of GTW fans that moved 6325 to a new location, and had ambitious
plans to restore and operate the engine. However, funding and enthusiasm
gradually ran short, and the project foundered. The stripped-down 6325
was sold for $10,000 to Jerry Jacobson in November 1992, with the
proceeds being distributed to local historical endeavors such as the
Durand Depot Foundation. The following month Jerry proudly sent out
Christmas cards of his 6325 depicted in a beautiful Howard Fogg painting.
Along with the tender from GTW sister 6314, the down-but-not-out 6325
found its way to Ohio Central's Coshocton headquarters the following
September. The sad-looking 4-8-4 would wait another five years until a
second attempt would begin toward its restoration.
Working to comply with--and even exceed--the FRA's new steam regulations,
the OC stripped 6325 down to nothing more than a bare boiler sitting on
an empty frame. Crewmen performed extensive frame, boiler and firebox
inspections, and found that the 6325 had been run hard with little or no
maintenance in its last years on the GTW. The pedestal openings had worn
so badly that they were several inches out of alignment and had been
heavily shimmed, causing problems with the driver journal boxes, shoes,
wedges and driver tire wear. Both the pony and trailing trucks were
removed for inspection, but were completely rebuilt when uneven flange
wear was discovered, indicating that the trucks had been out of tram for
years when in GTW service. The locomotive's four sets of driving wheels
and axles were shipped to Chattanooga where members of the Tennessee
Valley Railroad Museum reprofiled 6325's eight driving wheel tires;
turned, polished and quartered the crank pins; then turned and polished
the driver journal boxes.
Ohio Central crewmen marked 6325's boiler into hundreds of small squares
for the ultra-sound testing of the thickness of the remaining boiler
steel; it was found to be well within established tolerances. More than
200 new staybolts were threaded into position around the firebox, and
over 600 staybolt caps and sleeves were welded into place. All-new
22-foot tubes and flues were swaged and rolled between 6325's front and
rear flue sheets, and a complete set of superheater units (with their
complicated bends) was fashioned at Morgan Run and stuffed into the
4-inch diameter flues. New driver springs were installed, engine and
tender springs rebuilt, and all brake rigging was renewed. For
off-the-shelf availability of repair parts anywhere in the country, the
4-8-4's old 6ET brakes were converted to the current-day 26NL air brake
system. During 6325's Ohio Central restoration, parts clearly stamped
"6317" and "6331" were discovered.
"A lot has changed for the operators of steam locomotives under the
regulations of the Federal Railroad Administration's 'New Steam Rules',
related Tim Sposato, OC's Chief Mechanical Officer who oversaw 6325's
rebuild. "In one way they give us greater latitude in scheduling engine
repairs based on actual days of service, yet in another way the new rules
are tougher in order to prevent boiler mishaps from low maintenance and
poor employee training. The Ohio Central helped the FRA write these new
rules because of our concern for safety in operating yesterday's steam
locomotives in today's world." Part of that concern dealt with OC's
addition of a second, cross-compound air compressor to 6325's pilot deck,
a mechanical alteration that cosmetically changed the appearance of the
front of the 4-8-4.
"A few railfans have voiced their disapproval of our decision to add the
second compressor and alter the face of 6325," said Jason Johnson, "but
the Ohio Central is more concerned with safety and sound mechanical
operation than with cosmetics. In addition to charging the train's
airbrake line a lot faster on a long passenger train, that second air
pump will serve as a spare. We are an operating railroad, not a museum,
and think that our choice was a sound one."
If anything, the addition of the second air compressor and a full pilot
shield have improved the former lop-sided appearance of 6325 when it
sported just one, pilot-mounted pump and half a shield. The face is now
symmetrical, yet still belies that old Grand Trunk heritage of top-mount
bell, triangular illuminated number board, and that big, bold, red and
brass front number plate suspended beneath the headlight. Today, the
words "Ohio Central" have proudly replaced the number plate's former
"Grand Trunk Western" lettering.
While not as large as some of the other 900 Northern-type locomotives
constructed in the U.S., Grand Trunk's U-3-b's have been referred to as
"vest pocket 4-8-4s." With its short, 38-foot Vanderbilt tender, 6325
measures just 95 feet between couplers, which is about 12 to 15 feet
shorter than many other locomotives of this same wheel arrangement. Its
tractive effort of nearly 60,000 pounds compares favorably with that of
other medium-size 4-8-4s, enough to easily haul 16 passenger cars over
most Midwest terrain. Without tender, the 6325 weighs 403,000 pounds in
working order, and has a lighter axle loading than other Northern-type
locomotives currently in excursion service. Its relatively small size is
a big asset today, as this 4-8-4 can tread on lighter rail and move
around sharper curves that restrict most larger engines. The 6325 can go
wherever an SD40-2 can go.
"I am really glad to see 6325's restoration completed," commented a
perspiring--but grinning-- Jerry Jacobson in the 4-8-4's all-weather cab
after the initial test run. "She is a wonderful piece of machinery that
is well-suited to fantrip duties--neither too big nor too small. The
Ohio Central steam crew has done an outstanding job in bringing her back
to life for all of us to enjoy. I love steam engines, and hope to see
the beautiful 6325 operate on several railroads next year."
Worthy of note is the fact that 6325 is the largest American steam
locomotive purchased and completely restored to operating condition
totally with private funds from one individual's wallet. Known for his
modesty, Jerry Jacobson doesn't brag about how much it has cost him to
see 6325 steam again, but let's just say the figure easily exceeds
3/4-million dollars. Numerous railroads and cities already have
contacted the Ohio Central about leasing the 6325 for fantrips, and an
aggressive schedule of Midwest mainline excursions is being prepared for
the year 2002.
Based on the enjoyment that rail buffs and many communities shall receive
from seeing the 6325 back in operation, it appears that all of us will
benefit from Jerry's lifetime love of steam.
This article is copyright of John B. Corns it may not be reproduced without written consent. |
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