Steam Locomotive Frame Inspection | Pennsylvania Railroad K4 No. 1361

[@gretchenchadwick8343]

My son loves it when a steam locomotive 🚂 is being restored to operation and respects what FMW Solutions does to help and hopes they will be done soon or sooner than soon because he would really like to see 1361 run again and longer than 2 years.

[@davelewandoski4292]

Nothing worse, than walking into a project that has been torn down for years, and is known to have had substandard, sloppy work done. You have to literally go over each piece of the project. I feel for the first time in decades that 1361 is finally in good hands, and may have a chance to see her steam.

[@douglasames6495]

I experienced the same thing first hand overhauling the CAF's B-29 "FIFI" in 2006. It hadn't had any major maintenance inspections since it was dragged out of the desert in 1971. Cert. AMT 42 yrs..

[@Dani_Valykrie]

When I heard Shane's voice I was immediately like "1361 is definitely in good hands"

[@jay600katana]

Great to see 1361 getting the rebuild she deserves

[@douglasmcdermott2830]

Good to see someone who knows what there talking about in this.

[@lipsnortheasttrains9128]

Well, it seems to me like they found the right guy to tackle this incredible project the right way. Can’t wait to see more progress videos. Very exciting.

[@ronaldgartzke8658]

I missed seeing her run back in 1987. I would really like to see her under full steam again. I love steam locomotives. They are living and breathing engineering art.

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

Don’t worry. 1361 will be back under steam. We are getting closer and closer to that historic day, because many railfans and I are making donations towards this restoration.

[@larrycurran8036]

Great to see her in competent hands! 😺

[@ehadder]

Very well done! Great job Shane explaining some concepts that the general population doesn’t understand.

[@paulpickard8327]

Great video, good explanation. And thank you "plain bearing" !

[@haroldchase1881]

Happy to see an update keep I’m coming

[@tredw66]

Similar to restoring a classic automobile that has weathered several previous owners. Touch and go.

[@markshogan2642]

My dad started his career as a steam fireman with the PRR on the Pittsburgh division in 1950.

[@nicholasmedovich8691]

Even though its never gonna happen. I agree. 3254 would need a WHOLE frame rebuild. All new firebox, smoke box, backhead, free motion modification etc. 1361 is gonna look great when done. Well done FMW

[@markshogan2642]

More: he fired and later ran K4s, J1s, H 10s, I 1s, and even a leased locomotive from the Bessemer and Lake Erie. He died in 1997, without seeing 1361 run. When it’s finished, I’ll be there for my dad and me. He’ll be looking down from Heaven and will be smiling. Working for the Pennsy was his favorite job. He was laid off permanently in 1954. Interestingly enough, all the men who started one month before he did retired from Conrail.

[@James-Railyard]

I hope if 1361 is a success that 3750 could also get some love. It would be an amazing spectacle seeing both of them chuffing across horseshoe curve.

[@AdmiralColdhead]

One thing at a time. Don’t expect 3750 to come into service. She’s getting a cosmetic restoration sometime in the future, that’s confirmed, but operation isn’t in her future

[@nordisk1874]

3750 should be restored and double headed with 35 and ran on the mainline to Greenport past my house!

[@THOMAS81Z]

my son & i were in that building on a sunday & we were alone got a good look at everything , hope can get this finally done

[@chooch1764]

It will be done.

[@KPen3750]

This gives me comfort. I am training to be an engineer and honestly, I'm wondering about my future when I graduate, might look into FMW and help with this project. As a Pennsylvanian Railfan, we need 1361 back in operation. Also thank you for explaining the PRR Kiesel Truck. I've been curious to how it differs from a normal truck

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

I'm so glad you support this restoration.

[@richhood9934]

Good luck in your future endeavors, and hopefully you will be able to help keep 1361 alive, either by assisting her revival with FMW, or working to keep her going when the restoration is done. It is awesome to see some young guys with a passion for keeping steam engines running for posterity. You are definitely doing the Pennypacker name proud and I guess being a PRR fan must run in the family. I don't mean to be rude, but are you related to Bert Pennypacker? I have seen many of his photos and writings of working PRR steam, including K4s, during the 1940s and '50s

[@KPen3750]

@@richhood9934 I've been asked this question more than one time Probably like 3rd or 4th cousins. There are a LOT of Pennypackers in the Philadelphia area

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

That is very exciting! Some great progress!

[@douglasames6495]

Fascinating Captain 🖖

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

Awesome

[@BoxcarBruce]

Has anyone checked the alignment of the cylinders to the frame? It was pretty far out the last time it was checked. The shim in the saddle is due to the swapping out of one cylinder halves with one from a different locomotive. Also, keep an eye open for saddle bolt hole cracks due to the hammering in of the tapered bolts and the cast iron (?) cylinder castings.

[@douglasames6495]

Shimming would be common when swapping previously machined cast iron components. The variances of those frames are pretty large I'm thinking. Everything is aligned during the initial manf.

[@jpaulkepler4638]

Getting 1361 back in steam is going to be the biggest challenge in restoration to date. Some of the work done in the eighties was hastily done and poorly engineered. Given the condition it was in when placed on display by PRR, that they were able to get it running was amazing and that it didn't have a catastrophic failure even more so. There has to be a way to put those roller bearings in a carrier that allows that 3/4" lateral movement needed .

[@maxwellwalcher6420]

Look at that Number 1361 is getting steam.

[@NW-gi1cp]

Awww *tears up*

[@turdferguson4124]

This poor locomotive’s prior ‘restorations’ were so mismanaged and resulted in so many undocumented, unsound modifications, it has really made it difficult to resume the restoration work properly. As the FMW team mentioned in another video, they can’t take for granted that the original PRR drawings match the current state of the engine. They can’t even assume (in the case of some rivets used in excursion-era boiler work) that the materials in the locomotive currently were properly selected or documented. It’s really a mess, but I have confidence in this team that they will correct all the problems of given sufficient time and resources.

[@PRRFanDoesTrainz]

UPDATE #2 BABYYYY

[@maestromecanico597]

Very well done. And the training truck is not "different." Everyone else was different. After all this is my PRR we are talking about.

[@fmwsolutions]

A very "standard" refrain! ;)

[@maestromecanico597]

@@fmwsolutions "Standard of the World," thank you.

[@richhood9934]

Oooh! Shots fired!!

[@brianfalzon6739]

1361: I'll be back!

[@texasandpacific610]

Will she join the other main line steam locomotives?

[@davemckolanis4683]

VERY GOOD Explanation Of What Is Being Done, The Initial DESIGN Of The Moving Parts On The Drive Train Of A Locomotive, And It's Framework. It Was MORE Interesting Than Just The Boiler And The Pipes Inside Of One. Story Goes That These Steam Locomotives Spent As Many Days Per Month IN THE SHOP Being Repaired, As They Spent On The Road Hauling Freight. And By Watching Films Of The Rods And Wheels On Them Spinning And Working At Higher Speeds, You Can Imagine The CONSTANT Ware And Tare Those Locomotives Endured...WOW... JOB SECURITY For The Mechanics In The Lokey Shop Indeed, Where My Grandfather Worked In The BR&P Shop In DuBois PA...

[@animal16365]

I'm curious about the Firebox and the installation of a mechanical stoker.

[@ethanbell7870]

Is 1361 going to have a black roof or a red roof for the cab?

[@PowerTrain611]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here... one small step at a time.

[@Im_TheLineageLifter]

This locomotive only lasted a year in service 1987 and 1988 only two k4’s survive NO. 1361 and 3750 out of the 425 built, It always gets me because how did two survive I know there has to be more of them they are probably stored somewhere and never been heard of

[@DerpyPossum]

it’s extremely unlikely there are more out there.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

well, I guess we can hope. Maybe an NYC hudson while you're at it...so we can race 'em!

[@porthuronerieproductions9980]

Quick question: Will 1361 be painted black or will she painted in PRR Brunswick Green? I might be jumping the gun really early but its just a simple question.

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

One of the volunteers at the museum told me the tender is getting ready for the next phase, stay tuned for that. 😉

[@AndrewHager02]

If you guys are open to ideas for your project, why not look into building a GPCS firebox that feeds on biocoal, making the locomotive more eco-friendly? Drop me an email and I’ll show you a link to the article I got the idea from.

[@richhood9934]

That is very interesting and, with all of the hysteria over climate change and war on fossil fuels, it is great to know that there are other methods for keeping steam locomotives running. What exactly is biocoal made of?

[@AndrewHager02]

@@richhood9934 Biocoal, or torrefied biomass, is made of wood from hybrid poplar trees (or at least the kind I found). You can also make it from hemp.

[@richhood9934]

@@AndrewHager02 Wow, that's amazing! The amount of things that can be done and made with hemp is also astounding. Its too bad hemp is only associated with drugs and marijuana in most people's minds.

[@nicholasmedovich8691]

6:04 sweet torch. Oxyacetylene, or carbon subnitride

[@rogerlollar4325]

Where will she operate once restoration is complete

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

Several railroads have express interest in having 1361 operate on. That announcement will come later, when the project is further along. This restoration moves at the pace of fundraising, so please spread the word about the restoration to get others to donate to this project.

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

@Julian R Which is now Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad.

[@davemckolanis4683]

I Didn't Know That A Locomotive HAD A SEX!!! What Makes It A FEMALE??? Does It Have Little Baby Locomotives While It's In The Shop Getting Fixed??? Are The Engineers Have Sex With It In The Cab Somehow While They're Running It Down The Tracks??? I Think It Sounds Sexist Against MALES That Built IT, Repaired IT, And Operated IT Down The Tracks... Sounds Really Sex Exclusive Calling IT A SHE...

[@rogerlollar4325]

@@davemckolanis4683 that's not true big boy is a male

[@davemckolanis4683]

@@rogerlollar4325 So What Makes Big Boy A MALE??? How Do Inanimate Objects All Of A Sudden Have A Sex??? Do Boy Locomotives Have Sex With Female Locomotives When Nobody Is Around??? And Then One Day The Mechanics Come To Work And Find A Baby Locomotive In The Shop??? How Can They Have Sex And Reproduce??? YOU Have Been Brought Up In A Bi-Polar Indoctrination Of EITHER/OR, And Seem To Be Stuck There.

[@drby0788]

How long are we looking at for her to come back??

[@AdmiralColdhead]

At this point, maybe a couple of years. I’d guess around 2024-2025

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

It all depends on the pace of fundraising.

[@davemckolanis4683]

Maybe Since It's Known As A FEMALE By Calling IT A SHE, They'll Have To Wait Until SHE Gets HER Hair Done, Fingernails Polished, And Better Makeup Applied...

[@jeremylando40]

This will still run before 2102 and 1309

[@peterrosenquist]

What makes you so sure when both are nearly completed?

[@richardheizmann2756]

1309 MAYBE this year, 2102 next year, 2100 and EBT 16 in two years, 1361 in 4-5 years is my guess. I've been sending all these people money as my investment accounts are doing pretty well recently. Also I helped RCT&HS over what they thought would be the financial "hump" for their new protective building at Hamburg and turned a shovelful at the start. But with all these projects there is always an unforeseen "hump" lurking in the future. No medals or monuments please. Burt Lancaster in "Atlantic City", "We do what we can, Sinatra gave hospital wings." Rick

[@jeremylando40]

@@peterrosenquist it’s more of a joke because they keep saying sometime next year especially for 2102 which has been next year since 2018

[@regularguy7266]

You wanna say that again?

[@jimsutter149]

Will this steam locomotive run in 2023?

[@chooch1764]

Not likely. However, the more donations made to this restoration, the sooner it will be back together and return to service.

[@ohpoleez]

Someone told me there was a group trying to build a 2-4-4-2....they were absolute garbage even the Pennsylvania hated them. So why rebuild that from scratch? Why not a truly great engine like an NYC Hudson? Hell, a Dreyfus Hudson? Why that POS?

[@chooch1764]

First off, It’s a 4-4-4-4. Second, You have a lot to learn. The prototype Pennsy T1s were slippery and that was addressed with changes made to the spring rigging for the production versions. Where did you get that information saying the Pennsy hated them? That makes no sense. If you care so much about a NYC Hudson, why not you start an organization and put your all of your life savings towards building one from the ground up yourself and other Hudson fans will follow your dream too. Right now, you’re just all talk and lazy to start a project like that and not doing something about it. It’s the T1 Trust’s project, not yours. Just keep your opinions to yourself. Negative opinions don’t contribute to preservation.