Canadian Pacific 1286: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Preserved CP G5d class 4-6-2 locomotive}} |
{{short description|Preserved CP G5d class 4-6-2 locomotive}} |
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{{Cleanup|reason=The article has full of unreliable sources.|date=April 2023}} |
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{{Infobox locomotive |
{{Infobox locomotive |
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| name = Canadian Pacific 1286 |
| name = Canadian Pacific 1286 |
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| image = Ex-CPR 1286 at PC station, Marlboro, MD on August 14, 1969 (34182487770).jpg |
| image = Ex-CPR 1286 at PC station, Marlboro, MD on August 14, 1969 (34182487770).jpg |
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| caption = |
| caption = CP No. 1286 coupled to an [[excursion train]] at Marlboro, [[Maryland]] in 1969 |
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| powertype = [[steam locomotive|Steam]] |
| powertype = [[steam locomotive|Steam]] |
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| builder = [[Canadian Locomotive Company]] |
| builder = [[Canadian Locomotive Company]] |
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| tenderweight = {{convert|191000|lb|kg t|1|abbr=on}} |
| tenderweight = {{convert|191000|lb|kg t|1|abbr=on}} |
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| locotenderweight = {{convert|420500|lb|kg t|1|abbr=on}} |
| locotenderweight = {{convert|420500|lb|kg t|1|abbr=on}} |
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| fueltype = |
| fueltype = Coal |
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| fuelcap = {{convert|28000|lb|kg t|abbr=on}} |
| fuelcap = {{convert|28000|lb|kg t|abbr=on}} |
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| watercap = {{convert|11529|usgal|0|abbr=on}} |
| watercap = {{convert|11529|usgal|0|abbr=on}} |
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| operatorclass = G5d |
| operatorclass = G5d |
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| numinclass = 15 of 30 |
| numinclass = 15 of 30 |
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| fleetnumbers = {{ubl| |
| fleetnumbers = {{ubl|CP 1286|ACRR 1286|VCRR 1286}} |
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| officialname = |
| officialname = |
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| firstrundate = |
| firstrundate = |
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| lastrundate = |
| lastrundate = |
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| retiredate = 1959 {{small|(revenue service)}}<br/>1997 {{small|(excursion service)}} |
| retiredate = 1959 {{small|(revenue service)}}<br/>1973 {{small|(1st excursion service)}}<br/>October 31, 1997 {{small|(2nd excursion service)}} |
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| restoredate = 1965 {{small|(1st restoration)}}<br>1975 {{small|(2nd restoration)}} |
| restoredate = 1965 {{small|(1st restoration)}}<br>1975 {{small|(2nd restoration)}} |
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| preservedunits = |
| preservedunits = |
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| currentowner = Private owner |
| currentowner = Private owner |
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| disposition = Stored out of view |
| disposition = Stored out of view |
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}} |
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'''Canadian Pacific 1286''' is a preserved G5d class [[4-6-2]] "Pacific" type [[steam locomotive]] built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull [[excursion train]]s in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his [[Allegany Central Railroad]] from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the [[Prairie Dog Central Railway]]. |
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== History == |
== History == |
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=== Revenue service === |
=== Revenue service === |
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No. 1286 was constructed in June 1948 by the [[Canadian Locomotive Company]] in [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]], |
No. 1286 was constructed in June 1948 by the [[Canadian Locomotive Company]] in [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]], Ontario as the fifteenth member of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]'s (CP) G5d class. It was initially assigned to pull [[passenger train]]s and [[Commuter rail|commuter trains]] throughout [[Alberta]] and [[British Columbia]]. As steam locomotives were being replaced by [[diesel locomotive]]s on the CP, No. 1286 served as an emergency backup locomotive, until it was retired in 1959. |
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=== Early preservation === |
=== Early preservation === |
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After sitting in storage for five years, No. 1286 was purchased directly from the |
After sitting in storage for five years, No. 1286 was purchased directly from the CP in 1964 by former [[Reading Company]] employee George M. Hart, who founded Rail Tours Incorporated to host several steam excursion trains throughout the Northeastern United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gallantly Saving Railroad History: The Adventures of George M. Hart, Founding Director of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania|url=http://paheritage.wpengine.com/article/gallantly-saving-railroad-history-the-adventures-of-george-m-hart-founding-director-of-the-railroad-museum-of-pennsylvania/|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> No. 1286 was restored in 1965, and it began pulling tours on the [[Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad]] (MPA) in [[York County, Pennsylvania|York County]] alongside other steam locomotives, including CP G5c [[Canadian Pacific 1238|No. 1238]], CP [[4-6-0]] [[Canadian Pacific 972|No. 972]], and Reading [[0-6-0]] [[Tank locomotive|st]] [[Reading 1251|No. 1251]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Preservationist George Hart dies {{!}} Trains Magazine|url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/preservationist-george-hart-dies/|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Trains|language=en-US}}</ref> On August 1, while No. 1286 was pulling an excursion over the MPA near York, it derailed and bent its cowcatcher after hitting a pile of gravel created by heavy rain.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine |date=January 1966 |title=A hit and a miss |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/magazine/archive-access/trains-january-1966/ |url-access=limited |access-date=February 4, 2024 |magazine=Trains |publisher=Kalmbach Publishing |page=13 |volume=26 |issue=3}}</ref> A diesel locomotive was brought in to help rerail No. 1286, which subsequently returned to service without having its cowcatcher repaired. On some occasions, No. 1286 pulled a series of roundtrip excursion runs on the [[Western Maryland Railway|Western Maryland]] (WM) mainline between York, [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]], [[Williamsport, Maryland|Williamsport]], [[Hagerstown, Maryland|Hagerstown]], and [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], and it was accompanied by CP No. 972 during some of the trips.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Harvp|Paulus|2017}}</ref> |
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Beginning in 1967, [[Ross Rowland|Ross E. Rowland]], the owner of the High Iron Company (HICO), began leasing Nos. 1286 and 1238 from Hart to pull his own excursion trains over the [[Central Railroad of New Jersey]]'s (CNJ) mainline between [[Jersey City, New Jersey]] and [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]]. |
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Beginning in 1967, [[Ross Rowland|Ross E. Rowland]], who founded the High Iron Company (HICO), loaned Nos 1286 and 1238 from Hart to pull his own excursion trains over the [[Central Railroad of New Jersey]]'s (CNJ) mainline between [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]] and [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Railroad Engines : STEAM, Part 6, at www.ebpm.com|url=http://www.ebpm.com/rr/regpix/glry_rr_steam06.html|access-date=2022-01-17|website=www.ebpm.com}}</ref> In early February 1968, however, the [[Steam generator (boiler)|boilers]] at the Reading Steam Heat and Power Company had broken down, resulting in the city of [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]] to lose power and warmth for many of their buildings and districts. Hart had loaned both of his G5s to the city, so that their [[Fire-tube boiler|boilers]] would supply heated steam for the city while the plant's own boilers were under repairs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-02-25|title=History Book: For a second time, Reading ran out of steam|url=https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article_ebba993a-2731-54e2-8211-992652eb1a0c.html|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Reading Eagle|language=en-US}}</ref> With Nos 1286 and 1238 temporarily out of commission, Rowland had loaned fellow CPR G5d [[Canadian Pacific 1278|No. 1278]] from [[Steamtown, U.S.A.]] and [[Great Western Railway of Colorado|Great Western]] [[2-10-0]] [[Great Western 90|No. 90]] from the [[Strasburg Rail Road]] to pull the doubleheaded excursion trains he had hosted that same month.<ref>{{Cite web|last=CNJ 3676|title=February 1968: The Strasburg 90 On The Main Line|url=https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/february-1968-the-strasburg-90-on-the-main-line|access-date=2022-01-16|website=O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum|language=en}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | Once the plant's |
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In early February 1968, a furnace broke down at a power plant in [[Reading, Pennsylvania]], and Nos. 1286 and 1238 were both transferred to the plant to provide emergency warmth.<ref name=":4">{{Cite magazine |date=May 1968 |title=Steam News Photos |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/magazine/archive-access/trains-may-1968/ |url-access=limited |access-date=February 27, 2024 |magazine=Trains |page=13 |volume=28 |issue=7}}</ref> Rowland consequently had to replace the two G5's on a February 18 excursion with fellow [[Canadian Pacific 1278|CP G5d No. 1278]] and [[Great Western Railway of Colorado|Great Western]] [[2-10-0]] [[Great Western 90|No. 90]].<ref name=":4" /> |
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⚫ | On May 18, 1969 |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | Once the plant's furnace was fully repaired, Hart removed both locomotives from the city. Rowland continued to use Nos. 1286 and 1238 to pull more excursion trains he had hosted, including the Wilkes-Barre Limited between Wilkes-Barre and [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], and they were still owned by George Hart until August 1968. With Hart losing sentiment to keep Nos. 1286 and 1238, he sold both of them to John F. Rowe of the Red Clay Valley Railway Equipment and Leasing Company, and he made plans to use both locomotives to power his own excursion trains.<ref name=":9">{{Cite magazine |date=November 1968 |title=Steam News Photos |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/magazine/archive-access/trains-november-1968/ |url-access=limited |access-date=February 8, 2024 |magazine=Trains |page=12 |volume=29 |issue=1}}</ref> |
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⚫ | On May 18, 1969 Nos 1286 and 1238 pulled a doubleheaded twenty-car excursion train from [[Baltimore]], Maryland to [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]] over two [[Penn Central Transportation Company|Penn Central]] [[branch line]]s for the Baltimore Chapter of the [[National Railway Historical Society]] (NRHS). The trip, however, was plagued with various mechanical issues. The [[Fireman (steam engine)|fireman]] who was in control of No. 1286 that day allowed the fire inside the [[Firebox (steam engine)|firebox]] to burn through one of the fire grates, causing the locomotive to lose steam pressure. With No. 1238 having [[Running gear (rail transport)|running gear]] problems, No. 1286 pulled the train to Harrisburg unassisted, in spite of its firebox issues. After a photo session took place at the [[Harrisburg Transportation Center|station]], a Penn Central diesel locomotive was coupled in front of the two G5s to pull the train back to Baltimore after dawn. By 1973, No. 1286 was no longer in service under John Rowe’s ownership. |
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=== Jack Showalter ownership === |
=== Jack Showalter ownership === |
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In 1973, No. 1286 was purchased along with No. 1238 by Jack Showalter, and he moved both locomotives to [[Covington, Virginia|Covington]], |
In 1973, No. 1286 was purchased along with No. 1238 by Jack Showalter, and he moved both locomotives to [[Covington, Virginia|Covington]], Virginia to be extensively overhauled. Showalter was the founder of the Alleghany Central Railroad (ACRR), which was a fifteen-mile [[Heritage railway|tourist railroad]] that originally lied over the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]]'s (C&O) [[Hot Springs, Virginia|Hot Springs]] branch between [[Intervale, Virginia|Intervale]] and Covington. Crews repaired No. 1286's bent cowcatcher during its overhaul and repaint. The locomotive was brought back under steam in 1975, and it began pulling tourist trains at fifteen miles per hour along a [[tributary]] of the [[James River]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Allegheny Central's Jack Showalter inspired many – Trains Magazine – Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms|url=https://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2014/12/16/allegheny-central-s-jack-showalter-inspired-many.aspx|access-date=2022-01-17|website=cs.trains.com}}</ref> On one occasion, an ex-[[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad|Chicago, Burlington and Quincy]] [[Private railroad car|office car]] derailed after dawn with several ACRR crews off duty, so Showalter gathered two [[railfan]]s and some of his friends to help him rerail it, using chunks of wood, and No. 1286 was used to push the car back. After the 1984 operating season, however, the ACRR was forced to vacate the Hot Springs branch after ownership disputes took place, and the branch was subsequently ripped up. |
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In 1988 |
In 1988 Showalter approached the Scenic Railroad Development Corporation (SRDC), who agreed to allow the ACRR, who changed their name to the Allegany Central Railroad, to use their newly restored trackage, which was formerly operated by the WM. After Showalter's equipment was moved to [[Ridgeley, West Virginia|Ridgeley]], West Virginia, the ACRR began operations in 1989 to host trains from [[Cumberland, Maryland]] through the [[Allegheny Mountains]] to [[Frostburg, Maryland]] and back. Since No. 1286 was due for an overhaul, it was undergoing repairs in Ridgeley, and it didn't return to service until May 1990. No. 1286 pulled the last train the ACRR hosted on the Cumberland line on December 8, 1990, before Showalter and the SRDC ran into ownership disputes that prevented them from renewing their leasing contract. The SRDC subsequently changed their name to the [[Western Maryland Scenic Railroad]] to begin operating their own trains with their own locomotives, such as [[Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad|Lake Superior and Ishpeming]] [[2-8-0]] [[Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 734|No. 34]], and eventually, C&O [[2-6-6-2]] [[Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1309|No. 1309]]. |
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[[File:VCRR1286.jpg|thumb| |
[[File:VCRR1286.jpg|thumb|CP No. 1286 stored underneath a [[Tarpaulin|tarp]] in [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]], Virginia in 2006.]] |
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By 1992, No. 1286 was moved along with the rest of the ACRR's equipment to [[Gordonsville, Virginia]] for temporary storage, while Showalter was in search for a new home for his equipment.<ref>{{Citation|title=Virginia Central Move|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8DvF-lqlGg|language=en|access-date=2022-01-17}}</ref> On October 23, 1993, No. 1286 lead a tripleheader in front of No. 1238 and EMD gp9 No. 40 to pull the ACRR's equipment to [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]] over the [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] mainline, but not before the ACRR further changed their name to the [[Virginia Central Railroad]] (VCRR). Subsequently, No. 1286 lead two doubleheaded excursion trains on October 30 and 31, with the first train running between [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] and [[Clifton Forge, Virginia|Clifton Forge]] and the second train running between Charlottesville and Gordonsville. The following month, however, CSX began rising the insurance costs, and Showalter could no longer afford to run his trains on their mainline trackage. No. 1286's last run occurred in October 1997 before it was put into storage on the [[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (short-line)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]] (SVRR), with Showalter living inside a [[Caravan (towed trailer)|camping trailer]] to protect his equipment from [[Vandalism|vandals]]. In 2004, No. 1286 was moved to [[Verona, Virginia|Verona]] to be stored while covered with [[Tarpaulin|tarps]]. In November 2014, Showalter had passed away. |
By 1992, No. 1286 was moved along with the rest of the ACRR's equipment to [[Gordonsville, Virginia]] for temporary storage, while Showalter was in search for a new home for his equipment.<ref>{{Citation|title=Virginia Central Move| date=October 21, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8DvF-lqlGg|language=en|access-date=2022-01-17}}</ref> On October 23, 1993, No. 1286 lead a tripleheader in front of No. 1238 and EMD gp9 No. 40 to pull the ACRR's equipment to [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]] over the [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] mainline, but not before the ACRR further changed their name to the [[Virginia Central Railroad]] (VCRR). Subsequently, No. 1286 lead two doubleheaded excursion trains on October 30 and 31, with the first train running between [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] and [[Clifton Forge, Virginia|Clifton Forge]] and the second train running between Charlottesville and Gordonsville. The following month, however, CSX began rising the insurance costs, and Showalter could no longer afford to run his trains on their mainline trackage. No. 1286's last run occurred in October 1997 before it was put into storage on the [[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (short-line)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]] (SVRR), with Showalter living inside a [[Caravan (towed trailer)|camping trailer]] to protect his equipment from [[Vandalism|vandals]]. In 2004, No. 1286 was moved to [[Verona, Virginia|Verona]] to be stored while covered with [[Tarpaulin|tarps]]. In November 2014, Showalter had passed away. |
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=== Disposition === |
=== Disposition === |
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After Showalter's passing |
After Showalter's passing his equipment was auctioned off as part of a liquidation sale, and in 2015, No. 1286 was purchased with No. 1238 by a private owner from Alberta. In July of that year, the locomotive was towed back to Staunton to be lifted onto a [[flatcar]] with its tender on a separate car with No. 1238's tender, and it was subsequently moved on the CSX mainline before it interchanged with the CP to be hauled to [[Manitoba]]. On September 13, No. 1286 arrived in [[Winnipeg]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boyko|first=Steve|title=Steam Coming Home|url=https://blog.traingeek.ca/2015/09/steam-coming-home.html|access-date=2022-01-18}}</ref> and as it was lifed off of the flatcar, it touched Canadian soil for the first time since it was sold to Hart in 1964. As of 2023, No. 1286 is still stored under private ownership in Winnipeg. |
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== Film history == |
== Film history == |
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* In the fall of 1991, Nos. 1286 and 1238 were two of five mainline steam locomotives slated to be filmed in [[Illinois]] for ''Night Ride Down'', an action historical movie set around a 1930s labor union strike.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |date=October 1991 |title=Movie steam in Chicago |magazine=Railfan & Railroad |publisher=Carstens Publications |page=47 |volume=10 |issue=10}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine |date=November 1991 |title=Chicago Movie Dropped |magazine=Railfan & Railroad |publisher=Carstens Publications |page=52 |volume=10 |issue=11}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Frook |first=John Evan |title=Studio Talk of Production Cost Cuts Turns into Action |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-09-12-9103090113-story.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2021-06-09 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> The other locomotives planned to be filmed were [[Nickel Plate Road 765]], [[Nickel Plate Road 587|587]], and [[Reading 2100]], and many other locomotives were considered.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> One of the two CPR G5’s was reportedly considered to be cosmetically altered to represent [[Pennsylvania Railroad K4 class#No. 3768|Pennsylvania Railroad K4 No. 3768]].<ref name=":1" /> [[Paramount Pictures]] executives decided to cancel production, due to the [[early 1990s recession]], and when lead actor [[Harrison Ford]] left the project over script changes.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /> |
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* No. 1286's last run under Showalter ownership occurred on October 31, 1997. It was fired up that day while being fitted with a fake diamand smokestack specifically to be filmed in Staunton for the 1998 [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]] film ''[[The Love Letter (1998 film)|The Love Letter]]'', which starred [[Campbell Scott]], [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]], and [[David Dukes]], and it was directed by [[Dan Curtis]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Curtis|first=Dan|title=The Love Letter|date=1998 |
* No. 1286's last run under Showalter ownership occurred on October 31, 1997. It was fired up that day while being fitted with a fake diamand smokestack specifically to be filmed in Staunton for the 1998 [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]] film ''[[The Love Letter (1998 film)|The Love Letter]]'', which starred [[Campbell Scott]], [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]], and [[David Dukes]], and it was directed by [[Dan Curtis]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Curtis|first=Dan|title=The Love Letter|date=February 1, 1998|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140340/|type=Fantasy, Romance|publisher=Hallmark Entertainment, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions|access-date=2022-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Love Letter|url=https://www.hallmarkdrama.com/the-love-letter|access-date=2022-01-18|website=Hallmark Drama|language=en}}</ref> |
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== Surviving sister engines == |
== Surviving sister engines == |
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* No. 1201 is currently on static display inside the [[Canada Science and Technology Museum]] in |
* [[Canadian Pacific 1201|No. 1201]] is currently on static display inside the [[Canada Science and Technology Museum]] in Ottawa, [[Ontario]] in Canada. |
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* [[Canadian Pacific 1238|No. 1238]] is currently with No. 1286 in storage at the [[Prairie Dog Central Railway]] in |
* [[Canadian Pacific 1238|No. 1238]] is currently with No. 1286 in storage at the [[Prairie Dog Central Railway]] in Winnipeg, [[Manitoba]] in Canada. |
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* [[Canadian Pacific 1246|No. 1246]] is currently in storage at the [[Railroad Museum of New England]] in [[Thomaston, Connecticut|Thomaston]], |
* [[Canadian Pacific 1246|No. 1246]] is currently in storage at the [[Railroad Museum of New England]] in [[Thomaston, Connecticut|Thomaston]], Connecticut in the United States. |
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* [[Canadian Pacific 1278|No. 1278]] is currently on static display at the [[Age of Steam Roundhouse]] in [[Sugarcreek, Ohio|Sugarcreek]], |
* [[Canadian Pacific 1278|No. 1278]] is currently on static display at the [[Age of Steam Roundhouse]] in [[Sugarcreek, Ohio|Sugarcreek]], Ohio in the United States. |
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* [[Canadian Pacific 1293|No. 1293]] is currently on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio in the United States, waiting for a rebuild. |
* [[Canadian Pacific 1293|No. 1293]] is currently on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio in the United States, waiting for a rebuild. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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<references /> |
<references /> |
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== Bibliography == |
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{{Commons}} |
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*{{Cite book |last=Paulus |first=Brian |title=The Western Maryland Railway: Baltimore to Cumberland & the New Line |publisher=[[AuthorHouse]] |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-5246-5118-3}} |
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[[Category:CLC locomotives]] |
[[Category:CLC locomotives]] |
Latest revision as of 05:01, 20 September 2024
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: The article has full of unreliable sources. (April 2023) |
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Canadian Pacific 1286 is a preserved G5d class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull excursion trains in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.
History
[edit]Revenue service
[edit]No. 1286 was constructed in June 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company in Kingston, Ontario as the fifteenth member of the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CP) G5d class. It was initially assigned to pull passenger trains and commuter trains throughout Alberta and British Columbia. As steam locomotives were being replaced by diesel locomotives on the CP, No. 1286 served as an emergency backup locomotive, until it was retired in 1959.
Early preservation
[edit]After sitting in storage for five years, No. 1286 was purchased directly from the CP in 1964 by former Reading Company employee George M. Hart, who founded Rail Tours Incorporated to host several steam excursion trains throughout the Northeastern United States.[1] No. 1286 was restored in 1965, and it began pulling tours on the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad (MPA) in York County alongside other steam locomotives, including CP G5c No. 1238, CP 4-6-0 No. 972, and Reading 0-6-0 st No. 1251.[2] On August 1, while No. 1286 was pulling an excursion over the MPA near York, it derailed and bent its cowcatcher after hitting a pile of gravel created by heavy rain.[3] A diesel locomotive was brought in to help rerail No. 1286, which subsequently returned to service without having its cowcatcher repaired. On some occasions, No. 1286 pulled a series of roundtrip excursion runs on the Western Maryland (WM) mainline between York, Gettysburg, Williamsport, Hagerstown, and Cumberland, and it was accompanied by CP No. 972 during some of the trips.[3][4]
Beginning in 1967, Ross E. Rowland, the owner of the High Iron Company (HICO), began leasing Nos. 1286 and 1238 from Hart to pull his own excursion trains over the Central Railroad of New Jersey's (CNJ) mainline between Jersey City, New Jersey and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
In early February 1968, a furnace broke down at a power plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, and Nos. 1286 and 1238 were both transferred to the plant to provide emergency warmth.[5] Rowland consequently had to replace the two G5's on a February 18 excursion with fellow CP G5d No. 1278 and Great Western 2-10-0 No. 90.[5]
Once the plant's furnace was fully repaired, Hart removed both locomotives from the city. Rowland continued to use Nos. 1286 and 1238 to pull more excursion trains he had hosted, including the Wilkes-Barre Limited between Wilkes-Barre and Newark, and they were still owned by George Hart until August 1968. With Hart losing sentiment to keep Nos. 1286 and 1238, he sold both of them to John F. Rowe of the Red Clay Valley Railway Equipment and Leasing Company, and he made plans to use both locomotives to power his own excursion trains.[6]
On May 18, 1969 Nos 1286 and 1238 pulled a doubleheaded twenty-car excursion train from Baltimore, Maryland to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over two Penn Central branch lines for the Baltimore Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS). The trip, however, was plagued with various mechanical issues. The fireman who was in control of No. 1286 that day allowed the fire inside the firebox to burn through one of the fire grates, causing the locomotive to lose steam pressure. With No. 1238 having running gear problems, No. 1286 pulled the train to Harrisburg unassisted, in spite of its firebox issues. After a photo session took place at the station, a Penn Central diesel locomotive was coupled in front of the two G5s to pull the train back to Baltimore after dawn. By 1973, No. 1286 was no longer in service under John Rowe’s ownership.
Jack Showalter ownership
[edit]In 1973, No. 1286 was purchased along with No. 1238 by Jack Showalter, and he moved both locomotives to Covington, Virginia to be extensively overhauled. Showalter was the founder of the Alleghany Central Railroad (ACRR), which was a fifteen-mile tourist railroad that originally lied over the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's (C&O) Hot Springs branch between Intervale and Covington. Crews repaired No. 1286's bent cowcatcher during its overhaul and repaint. The locomotive was brought back under steam in 1975, and it began pulling tourist trains at fifteen miles per hour along a tributary of the James River.[7] On one occasion, an ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy office car derailed after dawn with several ACRR crews off duty, so Showalter gathered two railfans and some of his friends to help him rerail it, using chunks of wood, and No. 1286 was used to push the car back. After the 1984 operating season, however, the ACRR was forced to vacate the Hot Springs branch after ownership disputes took place, and the branch was subsequently ripped up.
In 1988 Showalter approached the Scenic Railroad Development Corporation (SRDC), who agreed to allow the ACRR, who changed their name to the Allegany Central Railroad, to use their newly restored trackage, which was formerly operated by the WM. After Showalter's equipment was moved to Ridgeley, West Virginia, the ACRR began operations in 1989 to host trains from Cumberland, Maryland through the Allegheny Mountains to Frostburg, Maryland and back. Since No. 1286 was due for an overhaul, it was undergoing repairs in Ridgeley, and it didn't return to service until May 1990. No. 1286 pulled the last train the ACRR hosted on the Cumberland line on December 8, 1990, before Showalter and the SRDC ran into ownership disputes that prevented them from renewing their leasing contract. The SRDC subsequently changed their name to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to begin operating their own trains with their own locomotives, such as Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2-8-0 No. 34, and eventually, C&O 2-6-6-2 No. 1309.
By 1992, No. 1286 was moved along with the rest of the ACRR's equipment to Gordonsville, Virginia for temporary storage, while Showalter was in search for a new home for his equipment.[8] On October 23, 1993, No. 1286 lead a tripleheader in front of No. 1238 and EMD gp9 No. 40 to pull the ACRR's equipment to Staunton over the CSX mainline, but not before the ACRR further changed their name to the Virginia Central Railroad (VCRR). Subsequently, No. 1286 lead two doubleheaded excursion trains on October 30 and 31, with the first train running between Charlottesville and Clifton Forge and the second train running between Charlottesville and Gordonsville. The following month, however, CSX began rising the insurance costs, and Showalter could no longer afford to run his trains on their mainline trackage. No. 1286's last run occurred in October 1997 before it was put into storage on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad (SVRR), with Showalter living inside a camping trailer to protect his equipment from vandals. In 2004, No. 1286 was moved to Verona to be stored while covered with tarps. In November 2014, Showalter had passed away.
Disposition
[edit]After Showalter's passing his equipment was auctioned off as part of a liquidation sale, and in 2015, No. 1286 was purchased with No. 1238 by a private owner from Alberta. In July of that year, the locomotive was towed back to Staunton to be lifted onto a flatcar with its tender on a separate car with No. 1238's tender, and it was subsequently moved on the CSX mainline before it interchanged with the CP to be hauled to Manitoba. On September 13, No. 1286 arrived in Winnipeg,[9] and as it was lifed off of the flatcar, it touched Canadian soil for the first time since it was sold to Hart in 1964. As of 2023, No. 1286 is still stored under private ownership in Winnipeg.
Film history
[edit]- In the fall of 1991, Nos. 1286 and 1238 were two of five mainline steam locomotives slated to be filmed in Illinois for Night Ride Down, an action historical movie set around a 1930s labor union strike.[10][11][12] The other locomotives planned to be filmed were Nickel Plate Road 765, 587, and Reading 2100, and many other locomotives were considered.[10][11] One of the two CPR G5’s was reportedly considered to be cosmetically altered to represent Pennsylvania Railroad K4 No. 3768.[10] Paramount Pictures executives decided to cancel production, due to the early 1990s recession, and when lead actor Harrison Ford left the project over script changes.[11][12]
- No. 1286's last run under Showalter ownership occurred on October 31, 1997. It was fired up that day while being fitted with a fake diamand smokestack specifically to be filmed in Staunton for the 1998 Hallmark Hall of Fame film The Love Letter, which starred Campbell Scott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and David Dukes, and it was directed by Dan Curtis.[13][14]
Surviving sister engines
[edit]- No. 1201 is currently on static display inside the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Ontario in Canada.
- No. 1238 is currently with No. 1286 in storage at the Prairie Dog Central Railway in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada.
- No. 1246 is currently in storage at the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, Connecticut in the United States.
- No. 1278 is currently on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio in the United States.
- No. 1293 is currently on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio in the United States, waiting for a rebuild.
References
[edit]- ^ "Gallantly Saving Railroad History: The Adventures of George M. Hart, Founding Director of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania". Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Preservationist George Hart dies | Trains Magazine". Trains. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ a b "A hit and a miss". Trains. Vol. 26, no. 3. Kalmbach Publishing. January 1966. p. 13. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ Paulus (2017)
- ^ a b "Steam News Photos". Trains. Vol. 28, no. 7. May 1968. p. 13. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ "Steam News Photos". Trains. Vol. 29, no. 1. November 1968. p. 12. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Allegheny Central's Jack Showalter inspired many – Trains Magazine – Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms". cs.trains.com. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Virginia Central Move, October 21, 2011, retrieved January 17, 2022
- ^ Boyko, Steve. "Steam Coming Home". Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Movie steam in Chicago". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 10, no. 10. Carstens Publications. October 1991. p. 47.
- ^ a b c "Chicago Movie Dropped". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 10, no. 11. Carstens Publications. November 1991. p. 52.
- ^ a b Frook, John Evan. "Studio Talk of Production Cost Cuts Turns into Action". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Curtis, Dan (February 1, 1998), The Love Letter (Fantasy, Romance), Hallmark Entertainment, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, retrieved January 18, 2022
- ^ "The Love Letter". Hallmark Drama. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
Bibliography
[edit]- Paulus, Brian (2017). The Western Maryland Railway: Baltimore to Cumberland & the New Line. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-5246-5118-3.