The Saga of ALCo Steam Locomotive URR #77 - M&NFRR #14 - CFSRR #77 - K&T #14

Manufactured by American Locomotive Company, Schenectady, NY 1944 c/n 71323

Wheel Configuration 0-6-0

Weight - 90 tons on drivers

Cylinders 22x28"

Drivers 51"

Heavy switcher Union RR #77 photographed at Hall, Pa, May 15, 1954.  The Union RR was a US Steel subsidiary railroad in the Pittsburgh, PA area that carried coal, coke, iron ore, steel and steel products.  At 90 tons, #77 was over 10 tons heavier than the largest USRA type 0-6-0 switch engine.  Another curiosity is that she is a Lima Locomotive works design built by American Locomotive Co. in 1944 during WWII. (photo courtesy of William Nixon Collection)

Union RR #77 photographed at Hall, Pa, May 15, 1954.  Soon, she'll be leaving for her new home at the Morehead & North Fork Railroad in Clearfield, KY where she'll go to work hauling lumber, clay and fire brick products.  Sadly, all of her sister URR steam locomotives except one will meet the scrapper's torch, leaving her one of only two URR steamers left in existence. .  (photo courtesy of William Nixon Collection)

#77 in her new life as Morehead & North Fork RR #14, Clearfield (Rowan Co.) KY.  She would serve here until 1967 when she'd be relocated to the Cumberland Falls Scenic Railway/Tombstone Jct. near Cumberland Falls, KY (photo by John B Allen - courtesy of Ghost Railroads of Kentucky, Indiana University Press)

She's back in her old number 77 at Tombstone Junction (McCreary Co., KY) in the late 1960's.  She had a punishing job pulling 4 passenger cars (converted wooden B & O cabooses) up the mostly 4% , 6% and 8% mountain grade.  (photo courtesy of Mark Vanover)

Here she is near the end of her life under steam in the summer of 1990.  Soon, Tombstone Junction would suffer a devastating fire and close forever.  Essentially abandoned, worn-out, sitting outside and vulnerable to the elements and vandals, the old heavy switch engine faced an uncertain future.  (Photo by Bill Fuehring)

In the mid 1990's, an auction was held to liquidate the remaining assets of Tombstone Junction and #77 was purchased by Harmon Taylor of Stearns, KY who moved the locomotive to Stearns.  The locomotive was then acquired by Bill Singleton who made a generous donation of the locomotive to the McCreary Co. Heritage Foundation in hopes of returning her to service some day.  In 2002, she was placed on the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway steam locomotive roster and the long process of restoring the old engine was begun.  As the previous K & T steam locomotives were numbered 1-12, the next logical number was #14 (certainly not unlucky 13!) so she will coincidentally be carrying her old Morehead & Northfork RR number.

Steam Locomotive #14 Restoration Project

Project management and consultation services provided by: 

Steam Operations Corporation, D. Scott Lindsay, President

P.O. Box 101981 

Birmingham, AL 35210

205/908-6104

email: dslsteamwizard@aol.com

(Photo mockup courtesy of Matt Cole)

Sorry, no public tours of the steam restoration project are available at this time.  Please check this page periodically as we'll be posting new pictures as they become available.

Locomotive #14 sitting in the K & T Steam Shops, Hemlock, KY June 9, 2002

#14 during disassembly in K & T Hemlock Diesel Shops, November 2002

Interior view of boiler looking at rear flue sheet, throttle rod, and radial stay bolts, May 1, 2003

Interior view of boiler looking at front flue sheet, May 1, 2003

Suspended boiler awaiting flatcar, May 23, 2003

Lifting frame from wheels, May 23, 2003

Loading tender frame onto flatbed truck, May 23, 2003

#14 gets a new smoke box, August 2003

Locomotive frame sandblasted and ready for additional restoration work August 28, 2003

'

Locomotive frame in primer coat of paint on September 18, 2003

New firebox flue sheet January 16, 2004

Some of the restoration crew January 16, 2004

l-r Don Powell, Scott Lindsay, Mark Jordan, Gary North, Ron Larson, Gary Bensman, Paul Anderson, Larry Thompson

Burning out damaged studs - March 2004

Rods, crossheads & guides, pistons and other parts arriving from machine shop - March 2004

Scott Lindsay, Mark Ray and Paul Anderson setting newly machined crosshead guides in place

Installing more parts on frame - March 2004

Ron Larson burning out old mounting studs - March 2004

New tender tank awaiting installation - July 8, 2004

Newly delivered rebuilt tender frame and new trucks awaiting timber and tank installation - 10/2/04

Drivers with side rods attached - 10/4/04

Paul Anderson (l) and Gary North have completed fitting the driver journal assemblies 10/8/04

Getting ready to set frame on wheels 10/8/04

Setting tender tank on its frame 10/8/04

It's not quite looking like a locomotive yet on October 8, 2004 but it's getting closer!

To be continued . . . . . . .

rev. 10/28/06