Susquehanna Steam Express

[@RailsofMichigan]

Saddens me that Susquehanna's first mikado they ordered 141 was lost at sea but its interesting how fate and life changed things for both the Susquehanna and Valley Railroad. 1647 ran at the Valley for a few years and then was sold to Susquehanna to become there 142 and fulfill the dream of Walter Rich and then 18 years later the Valley Railroad would acquire (1658)3025 from Knox and Kane after its demise and shop fire and in the end both railroads and locomotives are operating happily well today.

[@evanf1293]

not entirely, 142 has been out of service for a rebuild since the end of 2017.

[@nileadam7336]

5:26 The tender has been cut in half!

[@atsfevan0242]

I wonder how old 142 was when she first arrived in America?

[@railfanjordan8141]

She was built in 1989 and arrived in America in 1990. Her first steam up was in March 1990. So she was only a few months old at the time.

[@atsfevan0242]

@@railfanjordan8141 seems like this Chinese Mikado never got to spend it's First I years of life in China. But not gonna agrue since it's was the idea for the man who brought her to America but still glad she got to spend her first 2 decades running and has been undergoing an overhaul for 2 years now and hopefully in a year or 2 she'll be back and running

[@nicholasmedovich8691]

My uncle actually is friends with J David Conrad. I met him in person

[@Nashvillesteam42]

I have a Chinese SY railroad screw spike it was used in 1950 in TongShan china

[@atsfevan0242]

Never knew 3025 originally numbered 1658 and arrived in America the same time as 142 and 8419 did and that a 7th Chinese steam locomotive almost came and to operate in america but didn't since it fell into the ocean while the ship it was on stopped in Kong Kong And i bet if it was lifted out it might of been scrapped and I bet it's still down there today that's rusted

[@railfanjordan8141]

1698 is probably still down there. I've tried looking up photos of it, but haven't seen any of it down in the Sea of Bengal.

[@atsfevan0242]

@@railfanjordan8141 she hasn't ran since fall 2017 but I've heard that her rebuild might be completed in the next few months

[@railfanjordan8141]

@@atsfevan0242 I'm quite ready for 142 to comeback after the rebuild is complete

[@atsfevan0242]

@@railfanjordan8141 well I've heard she's nearing completion so maybe sometime next year or in 2022 she'll be back.

[@texasandpacific610]

Thats when she was in her best. They still build those type of locomotives right?

[@railfanjordan8141]

Not anymore sadly.

[@evanf1293]

China stopped building steamers in the 90s.

[@TaraGautam-v9i]

142……… crazy ching chong engine who had a sister fall into the sea

[@eriknewland3686]

They've since given the engine an American whistle. For those familiar with Chinese locomotives and the Russian engines they were based on, the whistle in this video sounds very similar to just about all locomotives from those parts of the world.

[@railfanjordan8141]

Russian and Chinese steam locomotives have always fascinated me growing up. I tent to watch them more often than I do with the ones here in America as other railways across the world are a wonder to want to do research and travel to see and experience

[@michaelramsey82]

The SY class was actually (loosely) based on a 1920s American design, originally design by Alco for export to Korea. It has more in common with a typical American engine than most Chinese steamers, so it's somewhat fitting that two ended up being imported back to the US so many decades later.

[@OfficialSEIC2K6]

Yep this mikado is Chinese.