Gentle Forum Members,
There are three surviving G5s Class 4-6-0 locomotives remaining from the one hundred twenty-one original engines built.
The PRR #5741 is cosmetically restored and on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, PA. Of interest, #5741 was in service on the Long Island Rail Road in late 1954 early 1955, shortly before the LIRR performed its "End of Steam Ceremony."
LIRR #35 is owned by the County of Nassau, NY and is in the care of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, Oyster Bay, NY. Currently, #35's drivers, front pilot truck and other parts of its running gear are being worked on by Mr. Scott Lindsey of Steam Operations Corp. The remainder of the locomotive resides at the OBRM Equipment Yard at Oyster Bay.
The LIRR #39 is owned by the Railroad Museum of Long Island. Between May 2005 and December 2010 an $800,000.00 ISTEA Grant was exhausted to restore the tender and the locomotive's firebox, that suffered the same engineering/safety issues as K4s #1361 at the Railroaders' Memorial Museum of Altoona, PA. In March 2013 the Railroad Museum of Long Island and the Strasburg Rail Road Company partnered to create a plan for restoring the locomotive and operating it at Strasburg for a minimum of forty-eight years. Each entity has pledged more than $1,000,000.00 to the restoration that is contracted to take three years to complete once the RMLI reaches its financial goal. It is this goal we work toward.
THE unique position of LIRR #39, unlike the majority of mainline steam restorations and creations now underway, is that this locomotive has an operational plan to run in revenue service on the Strasburg Rail Road once it is restored. I concur with DOMINIC MAZOCH, "the money and legal stuff with mainline steam" is the hard reality . . . . . . where will "those" locomotives run?? and when, if ever again?? LIRR G5s #39 is assured a future home, it has facilities for coaling and watering, housing and backshopping, it has a cadre of young, experienced craftspeople to maintain and operate it at the Strasburg Rail Road Company. The future for LIRR G5s #39 is indeed bright, we are only 27% away from accomplishing a $3,000,000.00 restoration with an "End Plan" that means every dollar donated and spent is going toward a steam locomotive that is assured of operating for the public upwards of one hundred days per year, every year for forty-eight years or more . . . . . . . . that is something for our children and grandchildren to look forward to, even if some of us who support the effort fail to see it completed.
Again, thank you for your critical thoughts and support,
Don
