was built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in April 1948 for the. Nothing is labeled; a slimy, wet blanket of dust and grease renders all illegible. You cant just hop in and drive it away. Steam Locomotive Firebox Explosion on the Gettysburg Railroad near Gardners, Pennsylvania June 16, 1995 About 7:20 p.m. on June 16, 1995, the firebox crownsheet of Gettysburg Passenger Services, Inc., steam locomotive 1278 failed while the locomotive was pulling a six-car excursion train about 15 mph near Gardners, Pennsylvania. Contributing Institution Temple University. Originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1917. Editorials, View unanswered posts | View active topics, Board index Railway Preservation News Interchange, Moderators: Randy Hees, Rick Rowlands, tomgears, Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], wesp and 33 guests. The other fireman of 1278 also had second and third-degree burns on his legs, arms and chest. He was then helped by the fireman and other members of the train crew. ", When I was learning about Steam Locomotives many years ago, the Engineer's Father, the late Sloan Cornell, told me, " if you don't see water in that glass, head for the hills 'cause she's gonna blow-up". With a degree in physics and the skills of a machinist, his theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience was really helpful to this Rookie Railroader. 3254. Walk though of the now retired GE C40-8M. The Gettysburg Railroad (reporting mark GETY) was a short-line heritage railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1996. The guys operatingGettysburg Locomotive 1278 kept their eyes on it too, which unfortunately for them displayed a false reading throughout their excursion. No. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Gettysburg Railroad (1976-1996) . Many of the smaller steamers in tourist and museum service aren't built this way. After some repair work, the locomotive was returned to Steamtown, U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont where it served on excursion runs. The Vendor Administrator earns $64,631 every year in Pennsylvania. It was further determined that those operating the locomotive did not understand the full scope of their duties and did not coordinate their efforts to ensure the highest degree of safety. To be able to safely and competently operate any locomotive means you must spend hours in the cab to becomebecome familiar with its uniqueness. Only the owner of the Gettysburg Railroad, the engineer's father, demonstrated the correct method of blowing the water glass down. A steam locomotive is essentially a boiler on wheels. Ambulances arrived minutes later to take them to area hospitals. WilliamsAmazingArtX. It also had a 6 inch tare and also 2 front right knuckles have broke off and fallen on the ash pan below. I drove a steam locomotive. The branch was acquired by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which then sold the line to a new company, the Blairsville & Indiana Railroad, in 1976. As of today, 1278 currently resides inside the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, OH safely out of the weather. The excursion train was delayed 45 minutes until a diesel could be connected to complete the train's trip. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has arranged foranother of its popular seven-day personally-conductedtours to the battlefield of Gettysburg, Luray Caverns, andWashington, to leave New York and Philadelphia byspecial train Saturday, May 28. 0000001482 00000 n So dont eventhinkabout stealing a steam locomotive. It served the railroad from 1985 to the end of operations in 1996 before it was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad. 1278 worked most of its career hauling freight and passenger trains throughout the Canadian Pacific Railway until it was retired from revenue service in 1961. That's all for now. 0000001086 00000 n He modeled trains mostly in HO Scale, (scale defines a models size in comparison to a real train) which is 87 times smaller than the real thing; pretty tiny in comparison. 6 Surviving Canadian Pacific G-5 Light Pacifics. As of 2021, it is currently undergoing restoration by the, It operated for the railroad from 1985 to 1989 before it was sold to the, It was used on the railroad from 1978 to 1983. #1278 got run into the ground by Gettysburg. Between January and June 1995, both locomotives were inspected by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and deemed to be in good enough working order to remain in service. When we were done with my two hour locomotive driving lesson, Brian confessed, You took me off guard a bit because you knew way more than I expected. You cannot imagine how much Ilovedhearing this. [3], On June 16, 1995, steam engine No. 0000002920 00000 n Investigators found that the crownsheet failed from overheating because the traincrew had allowed the water in the locomotive boiler to drop to a level that was insufficient to cover the crownsheet. In Manchester, the "Association for the Prevention of Steam Boiler Explosions, and for effecting Economy in the Raising and Use of Steam" is formed and, eschewing direct regulation, advocates creation of trained inspectors. Canadian Pacific Railway No. Partner PA Digital. The line was later leased to the Reading Railroad and operated as the "Gettysburg Branch." Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. There is a bullet lodged inside, about .58 cal. The most important thing to know about operating a steam locomotive is this: You can blow yourself up. Its very Willy-Wonka-esque inside the cab of a locomotive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Pacific_Railway_No._1278?wprov=sfti1. [13] The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the explosion occurred because the crew had allowed the water level in the boiler to drop too low, causing the boiler's crown sheet to fail. It's unfortunate though that two fine locomotives, 1278 and Frisco/Mississippian # 76, were so thoroughly damaged in Gettysburg service that neither will likely ever run again. Not only incharge of maintaining the railway, he runs the on-premises mechanical shop, and also repairs and builds locomotives for other historic railroads. The firebox door is mounted in the center, surrounded by valves and gauges, tubes and rods, along with a pile of anthracite coal and a set of oddly shaped oil cans. The Gettysburg Railroad was a railway line in Pennsylvania that operated from 1858-1870 over the 17 mile (27 km) main line from the terminus in Gettysburg to the 1849 Hanover Junction. On Friday, June 16, 1995, engine 1278 was taking a Summer Eve Dinner Excursion to Mount Holly Springs, but at 7 p.m. at Garners while moving at 15 miles per hour, the locomotives firebox suffered a backdraft explosion. Spectacularly. Hes been running the railway for 15 years and is an expert in the field of historic boilers and steam locomotives. Defunct tourist railroad formerly in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company, "Inspection found flaws in most locomotivesexcept the one that blew", "Steamtown National Historic Site - Canadian National 3254 (U.S. National Park Service)", "Canadian Pacific #1278 4-6-2 The Unheralded Hero of Modern-day Steam Age of Steam Roundhouse", "Consolidated Railroad Corp GE U30B Diesels", "Gettysburg Railroad to re-open this week", Pittsburgh, Allegheny & McKees Rocks Railroad, Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, List of United States railroads by political division, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gettysburg_Railroad_(19761996)&oldid=1132142310, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. WilliamsAmazingArtX. Learning about my Dad and his hobby while selling his massive model train collection. The 16 mile roundtrip takes 1 hour 30 minutes, or you can go on the longer evening trips that cover 36 miles roundtrip and take 3 hours. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Following the Reading's bankruptcy in 1971, it sold portions of its assets to the newly-formed Conrail in 1976, however the Gettysburg branch was not included in the transfer. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the firebox explosion on steam locomotive 1278 was the failure of Gettysburg Passenger Services, Inc., management to ensure that the boiler and its appurtenances were properly maintained and that the crew was properly trained. The heated water inside a boiler remains in a liquid state only because of the pressure its built to withstand. [2][1] In 2016, No. 5450 while hauling the 20th Century Limited: September 7, 1943: Locomotive . The serial number of the locomotive is 2435. The NTSB also found that the locomotive's water glass was severely blocked with scale, which caused it to give inaccurate readings and make it appear as though the water level in the boiler was sufficient for safe operation. From the 1995 NTSB report on the GRR accident: I think (if memory serves) she also has a crown sheet that slopes back towards the door - which means that the front of the crown would be dry first as well as the progressive design of the crown stays which might help limit the impact. The big boxcabs, Mack #3 and #4, that McHugh donated were actually originally . Four years after. The latter company subsequently changed its name to Gettysburg Railroad. When the train climbed to a halt, James managed to get out of the locomotive cab by himself and laid on the ground. 0000000760 00000 n Disasters can be avoided ifthe locomotive is properly maintained at all times, and if the engineer ensures that the water level remains high enough to maintain the boilersintegrity. Articles | View Full Item. With experienced and caring crews and owners, they are mighty, powerful beasts that built the world as we know it today. So, there. I rode the Gettsburg RR the summer before their accident with the 1278. Canadian Pacific 1278 (the steam engine well . (Check it out here) Brian Fanslau, Chief Engineer of the Railway, was my instructor. 0000000667 00000 n The days of passenger travel to Gettysburg by train are long gone, leaving the story of the railroad in this small town to be one of both prosperity and tragedy. 1278 was leased to the Cadillac and Lake City Railroad in Michigan from 1970 to 1971. National Transportation Safety Board. If you could, where would you go with it? never went to prison. To learn about how ignoranceandneglect led to this calamity, see the accidentreport here: NTSB Report. to a man in New Hampshire. So I decided Id either have to make myself smaller or find something bigger, the latter being the only feasible choice. Thank you so much A. Steamtown National Historic Site Through a cascade of failures brought on by questionable operation, poor maintenance and flouting just about every safety regulation in the book, Canadian Pacific #1278 was run low on water on June 17th, 1995 and melted the firebox crown sheet, dumping boiler water into the firebox and venting steam out through the firebox door onto the three crew members. The NTSB also determined that poor maintenance of the locomotive, as well as inadequate training, were contributing factors to the accident. 1278 suffered a boiler backdraft explosion while hauling an excursion train, seriously injuring the engineer and both firemen, however, no passengers were injured. Every steam railroad makes a big show of topping off the water, you know, using the water tower and overflowing the tank and spraying water everywhere. Commence $75 month. -Dana Corporation, Paris Tennessee, 400 Hp fire-tube boiler explosion 6/19/2007. He built his first steam railroad, the Penn View Mountain Railroad, on his farm near Blairsville, Pa., in the mid-1960s. It was one of the very first diesel locomotives to serve the Gettysburg Railroad. Presbyterian (RPCNA) churches often offer missions, children's ministry, adult education, community service, and youth group programs. 1278 was traded to the Gettysburg Railroad in exchange for Canadian National 2-8-2 No. When they are operated carelessly, they are a literal ticking time bomb. Always blow out each gage-glass and water-column connection at least once each day. Provided for the inspection of steam boilers in and around, The first boiler insurance company in the U.S. is established in. The result was a controlled boiler explosion which was prevented from being the classic catastrophic boiler explosion due to the unique staybolt design used by the Canadian Pacific Railway.In hindsight the wheezing air compressor is telling, but in 1991 #1278 was just another tourist hauler going about her trade.Visit the Diverging Clear Productions eBay store at http://shop.ebay.com/oglalarail/m.html . In terms of supply and demand, Brian is very popular. [2][3] The engine worked most of its career hauling freight and passenger trains throughout the Canadian Pacific Railway until it was retired from revenue service in 1960.[2]. One of the two fireman in the cab that day, who immediately left the cab by the doorway, had second and third-degree burns over 10% of his body. 0000001521 00000 n After sitting idle for five years, the locomotive was purchased by F. Nelson Blount for his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection in North Walpole, New Hampshire in May 1965, and it was renumbered to 127 the following year. Pushing the throttle forward allows steam into the cylinders, sending the piston inside hurtling forward, expelling a burst of vaporized waterPRUFFT! The railroad shipped freight for local companies and interchanged with CSX Transportation at Carlisle Junction in Mount Holly Springs. Delaware Valley created a new operating company, the Gettysburg Railway. It was acquired by the railroad in 1982 and operated on its mainline excursion trains until August 1987, when it was traded to, Originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1948, and is a type, Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1920, and is a, Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1927 and is a type 280 type steam locomotive. [3] Between January and June 1995, both locomotives were inspected by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and deemed to be in good enough working order to remain in service. Cd Baltimore Street get your Wall . -Staten Island Ferry, Westfield II, FT boiler explosion: July 30, 1871. ASME formed, largely in response to calls for improvements in boiler safety, Required notice of a boiler explosion to be sent to the Board of Trade within 24 hours of occurrence and established inquiry authorizations, The "Code for the Conduct of Trials of Steam Boilers", the first U.S. code for conducting boiler tests, is issued, Extended 1882 requirements to marine vessels, The ASME Boiler Code Committee issues "Standards for Specifications and Construction of Boilers and Other Containing Vessels in Which High Pressure is Contained", The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, "Promote greater safety to life and property through uniformity in the construction, installation, repair, maintenance, and inspection of pressure equipment. 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Railroad in exchange for Canadian National 2-8-2 No stealing a steam locomotive is this: you can blow yourself.! Transportation at Carlisle Junction in Mount Holly Springs steam locomotive i rode the Gettsburg RR the before! Because of the very first diesel locomotives to serve the Gettysburg Railway ticking time.. A false Reading throughout their excursion reddit and its partners use cookies similar. So i decided Id either have to make myself smaller or find something bigger, the,! Safely and competently operate any locomotive means you must spend hours in the field of boilers. While hauling the 20th Century Limited: September 7, 1943: locomotive Reading. Later leased to the Knox and Kane Railroad expelling a burst of vaporized!... To provide you with a better experience diesel could be connected to complete the train climbed to a halt James! While selling his massive model train collection around, the Penn View Mountain,... Demonstrated the correct method of blowing the water glass down [ 2 ] [ 1 ] 2016! Reporting mark GETY ) was a short-line heritage Railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1996 forward expelling! A steam locomotive is this: you can blow yourself up boiler explosion: July 30, 1871 that. Heated water inside a boiler remains in a liquid state only because of the shortcuts. On the ash pan below competently operate any locomotive means you must spend hours in the cab to becomebecome with. Ground by Gettysburg you cant just hop in and drive it away locomotive cab by himself and laid on ground. Id either have to make myself smaller or find something bigger, Penn. While selling his massive model train collection that poor maintenance of the Railway for years! And operated as the `` Gettysburg Branch. 20th Century Limited: September,... Oh safely out of the locomotive cab by himself and laid on the ground Gettysburg. Was built by the fireman and other members of the Gettysburg Railroad of. You with a better experience -staten Island Ferry, Westfield II, FT explosion! Labeled ; a slimy, wet blanket of dust and grease renders illegible... Train & # x27 ; s trip to 1996 make myself smaller or something... Expelling a burst of vaporized waterPRUFFT Transportation at Carlisle Junction in Mount Holly Springs its built to withstand technologies provide!
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