Steam Fan 492 Wrote:
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> Hello,
> Thanks for all the information. It's more than I
> had hoped for and I appreciate all of it very
> much. I do not mean to be bugging the heck out of
> you, Earl, but do you mind if I ask a few more
> questions? Do you know anything about the results
> from 771's mechanical evaluation? I thought it was
> planned for her to go into rotation with 2248, but
> all I have heard is that she needs a new tender
> and boiler. Are they just completely rotted out or
> do they just need a LOT of patches? There also
> appears to be some type of exhaust for some type
> of steam powered appliance between the locomotive
> and tender on 2248, would you mind telling me what
> that was for?
> Thanks,
> John
> (P.S.) Does anyone know what color and brand of
> blue paint was used for the Tarantula paint
> scheme?
771 showed up after I left. To my knowledge nobody qualified to inspect 771 looked the engine over before Grapevine bought it. It was displayed in Victoria, TX, along the Gulf, so it got a regular cleaning by salt water laced air. There is a LOT of rust on the thing. Biggest issue I see with the 771 is it won't go around the wye into the stock yards. There is a REAL sharp curve coming in there from the north. the engine they should have kept was SP 1744, but was sold off right after FWWR leased the passenger operation of Coe Rail.
I'm not sure what you are referring to between the engine and tender. The exhaust line for the oil tank heater drains out at the front of the tender, maybe that's what you see.
As to paint colors, I have not a clue. 2248 was painted predominately gun metal gray with black running gear when I was there.
As a foot note to Russo's comment about fire train service. The only reason 2248 is still with us is because she was selected to be used in fire train service. All the other members of her class were obsolete by the late 1920's and scrapped.
