There was a partial steam up on August 21, not open to the public, the day before I saw the #2926. It was during that time that the valve leaks were discovered. The engineer in the photo above is the same fellow I talked to about the #2926 steam up and the predictions the group has regarding the eventual operation of the locomotive.
1) They lease the siding they are on from a local company
2) They plan to operate the locomotive in 2019 but cannot say definitively that will happen in 2019
3) They have made arrangements for use of filtered motor oil as fuel because it has the right BTU content and they have made arrangements with local fire companies to provide water via hoses at various stops.
4) With regard to turning the locomotive for operation, they hope to "find a wye."
5) Interestingly, the locomotive was built with a form of automatic braking back in the forties but is not capable of being used with PTC.
6) They are negotiating arrangements with the Grand Canyon Railroad to run the same route as the Grand Canyon steamer currently not operational
I did not discuss with them the insurance issues that other railroads are facing with regard to excursions or fan trips. The fellows said they plan to pull a consist of privately owned passenger cars. Of course, on another railroad's mainline the insurance issues are going to be an issue. The locomotive has been totally overhauled although the boiler has not been lifted off of the chassis. It looks fabulous.
