Project RGS 41

News

 

3/30/06

JT&S Narrow Gauge Meet


3/22/06

First Run

February 25, 2006 the project RGS 41 gang was invited to the Flint Ridge and Portola Valley Railroad for the first run of #41. It was a warm and sunny day as a small group of friends gathered to witness this historic event (well historic for us). After seven and a half years of construction #41 was going to run on it's own for the first time. The Colorado and Southern tender was borrowed from C&S #10 for the first run, thank you Ron Schmidt for your generosity and a further tank you to Bill Boller, Peter Moseley and Ron Schmidt for their inspiration and mentoring during the construction of RGS 41. Without your help and help from so many others #41 wouldn't have been finished as quickly, looked as good, or run as well as it does. Enough talking on with the pictures.
 

Filling C&S #10's tender before firing up RGS #41.
Assembled group of friends eagerly await the second ever firing of RGS #41.

The three proud parents of RGS #41.
Kim was first out on the FR&PV crossing the Western Division curved trestle.

Kim crossing FR&PV Eastern Division Wildflower trestle.
Kim brings 41 to a stop after a very successful first run over the FR&PV.

Ken's turn. Can you believe we actually let him run the locomotive?
Ken pulls the first train behind #41.

Mike gets a turn behind the throttle with smiling passengers behind him.
41 takes on water for the first time at the FR&PV water tank. Mike opened the water valve while your webmaster tried to stay dry.

Brian Ratliff became the first guest engineer on RGS 41. He came up from southern California for the first run. He said he was in the bay area on business but we know the truth.		 A short video of the first run can be found at Peter Moseley's web site. Click on the RGS 41 Debut Movie link then check out the rest of his site.


2/19/06

First Steam

February 11, 2006 a group of friends meet at Kim's house to see the first steaming of Rio Grande Southern 41. Except for a safety valve set for only 10 psi and a leaking fitting on the water glass everything went well. The locomotive seems to steam and draft well. During the four plus hours of steaming four buckets of water and half a bag of coal were used. A whistle was made from a piece of copper pipe that was once used to filter home made burbon.

First run will be February 25th, weather permiting.
 

41 out in the sun for it's big day. Blowdown muffler and the problem safety valve are on the running board. The water fill pipe is just below the muffler.
Grate, ashpan, and ashpan door before steaming.

Bucket used in place of tender.
Kim gets ready to light the fire.

Wood pellets soaked in kerosene used to start the fire.
First signs of life from 41. Kim, the seldom seen third partner in 41 Mike, and web guy Chris look on.

Releasing steam after only 10 psi because of a faulty safety valve. 41 didn't want to loose pressure.
Kim and Ken smile after a successful day steaming their new engine.


12/31/05

2005 has come and gone.

A lot of work has been done to the locomotive and tender in the last two years. The boiler is finished (and tested), the tender tank is nearly done; all rivits are in and the tank sides have been seam welded to the tank bottom. Except for some finish metal work and the construction of a new "operating" roof, the cab is done.


Boiler construction pictures.

Tender construction pictures.

Cab and freight car construction pictures.




41 has taken trips to Golden Gate Live Steamers, Bitter Creek Western Railroad, Monterey & Salinas Valley model railroad in Salinas, the Crossroads Shopping Mall in Carmel and The Joshua Tree & Southern Railroad Museum.

Some pictures of these trips.

 

News Archive