timtrain488 Wrote:
=======================================================
> I personally know a few that work at "Earl's Shop"
> and they would probably be quite upset at that
> remark. A couple in particular have been working
> on that loco since before Earl even arrived there.
> It is the TSRR Shop.
>
> Just saying.....
>
> OD out
I didn't see the original post, but #7's return to service is largely the work of Steven Butler. When I arrived here the project had pretty much stalled. Getting Steven involved initially as a consultant then as the CMO got the project moving again and saw it to completion. Steven and I looked over the crew we had, found their strengths and he got them motivated and put the guys to work. The result was guys who really wanted to see the engine run well and look good. No longer is there a "that's good enough" mentality in the shop. His gang of thugs did a great job including applying the deepest, shiniest gloss black paint I have ever seen on an engine. All I did was paint the smokebox and trim and put on the lettering. The artwork for the one-of-a-kind lettering font and numbers was done by Bruce Blaylock, to whom I am very grateful.
To toot my own horn a bit, I was the one who pushed creating Magma Arizona RR #7 through the Texas Historical Yayhoos who didn't understand the significance of what I was trying to do. This was the same group that refused to grant funding to overhaul the locomotive in the early 2000's because it had no history of running in Texas. Eventually a loophole was discovered when it was found #7 did travel across Texas from Louisiana to Arizona. The fact that it was hauled dead was conveniently forgotten. This delay was the engines saving grace as it would have been reboilered like the 316 and the ATSF 1316 and face the same boiler troubles these two engine have with the new construction. #7 still has it's 1917 boiler that was repaired by our own crew in Rusk. I dare say it will probably be running with that boiler after all the new boilers here return to dust.
Being an Arizona Boy, and growing up seeing #7 at work, restoring this engine as Magma Arizona #7 JUST HAD TO BE DONE.
Back in July, 1967 my Dad and I went on our first of many rail fan adventures together. That year we did a circle trip to Durango, down through eastern Arizona and back to Phoenix. We saw the 498 leaving Bondad Tank headed north on the Farmington Branch, rode and saw the Silverton Branch running in two sections, saw 473 head north with a train of dump gons, saw 487 and 498 head east to Chama, rode behind and in the cab of Santa Maria Valley #100 on the White Mountain Scenic RR in McNary, AZ and on the last lap into Phoenix, came across Magma Arizona #7 charging up the 2% grade into Superior. In that week we saw as many steam freights as we saw passenger trains.
Lately, every time I look at #7, it makes me smile to remember what a great trip that was.
Thanks, Dad.
We are running #7 on It's first fan trip on May 3. #7 will pull a 7 car mixed train from Palestine to Rusk and return. Lots of runbys.
Be there or be square.
