Jones & Laughlin Steel Porter 0-4-0T No. 58 Restoration
| November 13, 2015 07:10PM |
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For the past year I have been working to restore a very unusual narrow gauge locomotive to operation. It is Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. No. 58, an 0-4-0T built to operate on the 23" gauge interplant railway at the South Side Works in Pittsburgh. The locomotive has had several owners since J&L sold it, and now it is in the care of the Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation who is pulling out all the stops to get it restored by fall of 2016.
The 58, as well as its sisters 57 thru 62, were built extremely heavy for service moving ingot mold trains. As such these locomotives have solid steel frames as well as other components built much heavier than usual. At 93,000 lbs. in full working order and 200 psi boiler pressure they were rated for 16,700 lbs. tractive effort.
We are building a several hundred foot long demonstration railroad at the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Rankin, PA, where the 58 will operate on a regular basis as part of the tour of the former US Steel blast furnace plant.
J&L 58 was built with no brakes, no headlight and no bell. Just a small single chime whistle.
The type of trains that the J&L locomotives were built to move.
The 58 being loaded for its trip to Youngstown for restoration.
The 58, as well as its sisters 57 thru 62, were built extremely heavy for service moving ingot mold trains. As such these locomotives have solid steel frames as well as other components built much heavier than usual. At 93,000 lbs. in full working order and 200 psi boiler pressure they were rated for 16,700 lbs. tractive effort.
We are building a several hundred foot long demonstration railroad at the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Rankin, PA, where the 58 will operate on a regular basis as part of the tour of the former US Steel blast furnace plant.
J&L 58 was built with no brakes, no headlight and no bell. Just a small single chime whistle.
The type of trains that the J&L locomotives were built to move.
The 58 being loaded for its trip to Youngstown for restoration.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
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