Roaring Camp Locomotive #5 "Bloomsburg" as stored in the yard on April 26, 2019.

A 501(c)3 organization known as the R. W. H. Foundation is undertaking the rehabilitation to operation Roaring Camp's Locomotive #5, a 50 ton, class B (two-truck) Climax, C/N 1692, out-shopped in December of 1928 as a standard gauge locomotive. Originally built for the Elk River Coal and Lumber Company of Swandale, WV as their #3, the engine went to the Clinchfield Coal Company, also in Swandale, in 1958, but did not operate there. Sometime later in 1958 C/N 1692 went to the W. M. Ritter Lumber Company, still in Swandale. In 1962 the engine was acquired by the Carroll Park and Western Railway in Bloomsburg, PA where it was re-gauged to 48". Finally, sometime in 1972, C/N 1692 was acquired by Roaring Camp and brought to Felton, CA [Thompson, Dennis Blake; Richard Dunn; Steve Hauff (2006). The Climax Locomotive. Arlington, WA. Oso Publishing]. In keeping with the tradition of naming the locomotives for the communities they came to Roaring Camp from, locomotive #5 will be called "Bloomsburg".

Work began on April 26, 2019 when Phil Reader and I spent the first day of a three day work weekend cleaning up the yard around the locomotive. The goal was to have the trucks removed and the frame set on shop trucks. By Sunday, with the help of Tom Shreve and Steve Mello, we accomplished our goal. I returned in June and October to tear down the trucks and begin the design effort for the new truck parts. Fabrication of the new parts will begin as money becomes available.

The greatest mechanical challenge to this project is re-gauging the trucks to 36". The re-gauge from standard to 48" was accomplished by simply pushing in the wheels on the axles. The wheels could be pushed in further to 36", but that would create a very large bending moment where the axle leaves the outside hub of the wheel. This bending moment could lead to axle failure. For this reason, the decision was made to re-gauge the trucks by fabricating new bolsters and spring boards from steel plate and structural shapes, and new axles from 4140 steel round bar. Other new truck components will include arch bars; ring and pinion gears; ring gear carriers; journal, lineshaft, and carrier bearings; and brake rigging.

The original boiler for #5 was sent to Dixon Boiler Works in Los Angeles, CA sometime in 1978 to have a new boiler fabricated. The plan was for the boiler to be worked on as fill-in work as money was made available. Unfortunately with the unexpected passing of Roaring Camp's founder Norman Clark in 1985 and Dixon owner Richard Dixon in the 1990's the boiler was never completed and the original and fabricated components were scrapped. In the late 1990's, Tom Shreve traveled to the Sumpter Valley Railroad to inspect a Climax boiler that was sitting unused. The boiler spent the end of its operating career as a stationary steam supply and is in very good condition. A deal was struck to trade Westside Lumber Company coffin (tank) car #5 and another Westside flat car for the boiler. Eventually the flues will be removed from the boiler and a complete survey will be made to determine what repairs, if any, are needed to operate the boiler at its original design pressure of 200psi.

Donations can be made at the R.W.H. Foundation website. Click on the "Support the Foundation" tab then scroll down to the "Donate" button.

-Paul Boschan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2020 05:24PM by Paul Boschan.