SP 786 Restoration Update - Ep. 1
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- čas přidán 14. 07. 2024
- Dr. Robert Schoen, board president, gives an update on the status of finishing the restoration of 786.
The SP 786 was completed by the American Locomotive Company’s Brooks Works of Dunkirk, New York in August of 1916. The locomotive was one of the group of 20 Southern Pacific Mk-5 class 2-8-2 Mikados (numbers 775 to 794). SP 786 was placed in service on the Houston & Texas Central subsidiary of the SP in September of 1916.
The locomotive received several upgrades throughout its career, including: Original extended smokebox shortened in the 1920’s, boiler pressure upgraded from 200 to 210 psi at Houston in 1930, installation of a feedwater heater and superheaters at Houston in 1941, and a brand new tender in 1942.
SP 786 was retired from service and donated to the City of Austin in March of 1956. It was placed on display near the firehouse on Trinity between 4th and 5th streets. It would remain there for 34 years. In 1989 the SP 786 was leased to the newly-formed Austin Steam Train Association and was removed from display the following year.
Restoration of the locomotive began in June of 1990 at the Westinghouse Motor Co. shops in Georgetown, Texas. A team of both professional and volunteer crews completed the intense restoration in a relatively brief amount of time. For three days in December 1991 the operational SP 786 and one coach car were at the center of a celebratory festival in downtown Austin. The first passenger excursion pulled by the restored SP 786 arrived in Burnet on July 25, 1992.
After seven years of reliable service, SP 786 was temporarily sidelined in July 1999 following the discovery of cracks in a key component of the locomotive. This discovery sidelined the SP 786 for a repair which turned into a complete rails-to-stack rebuild which continues to this day.
Ways to support us
Donate to the SP 786 restoration - www.austinsteamtrain.org/dona...
Volunteer - www.austinsteamtrain.org/abou...
Ride - www.austinsteamtrain.org/make...
0:00 Intro & History
1:02 Discovery of Cracks
2:41 Recasting Cylinder Casting
3:28 Boiler Work
3:52 Reinstalling Casting
4:22 Shop Building
5:31 Work Without a Shop
6:23 Driving Boxes, Shoes, & Wedges
9:59 Commitment to the Restoration - Zábava
Thanks for watching the video! To donate to the SP 786 restoration, please visit www.austinsteamtrain.org/donate-786-fund/
If you would like to volunteer on our weekend excursions, or help us maintain and restore our vintage train, please visit www.austinsteamtrain.org/about-asta/volunteer/
You guys are doing incredible work! Keep it up!! 🚂
Thanks! You guys do great work, too!
How horrifying - of all the things to come up with that many faults with - the cylinder saddle is just about the worst. Goodness. The amount of effort and nuance that it takes to get a new saddle done up is... significant. Great to see it all coming together. Thank you for the update!
Awesome to see this comment mark
Had the opportunity to fire 786 before the shut down. Glad to see work still progressing. Been involved with steam locomotives for decades and most people have no clue how much work and money is needed to keep them safe and running.
Very informative update video! Also learned something new about wedges in the frame and why they are so important in the locomotive’s operation. Another thing worth mentioning is that this is one of multiple SP steam locomotives that are on their way to return to operation.
SP 745 in New Orleans, LA
SP 786 in Austin, TX
SP 982 in Houston, TX
SP 1744 in Sunol, CA
SP 2479 in Sunol, CA
Southern Pacific steam is making a big comeback!
we need some sorta meet up one day with all of the ol SP engiens
@@trainnerd25 Heh.... with even 4449 making an appearance as well? :)
Now maybe we should have the same done for New York Central steam!
@@amtrak1214 True. :)
Let's not forget the P-8 sisters; 2472 which only recently started her most recent rebuild, and 2467 which, while not planned for operation at any point in the near future, she is famously stored in 'operational' condition. Plus SSW 819, which is technically still being restored, and is also technically an SP engine.
Also worth noting the many SP first gen diesels that would have had a short window operating alongside steam; Niles has their black widows for example, CSRM has 6051, etc.
Another thing I'd mention is the amazing condition some of the non operational steamers are in, for example 2353(which previously operated for a while), 5021, and 4294, to name the top 3.
For a railroad that didn't seem to care much about preservation, they sure seemed to get really lucky with preserved and restored equipment later down the line.
Always kind sad to me when steam locomotives break to such a degree that large casted parts are rendered useless. I hope you guys can eventually get 786 operational again someday. Maybe I’ll be able to pitch in some green sometime as well.
Whoa! A whole new casting?! What a tremendous amount of work and money!
I found the information about the different conservation methods to protect all the pieces very interesting. Thank you for sharing
I was at one time involved with the Louisiana steam train association, and SP 745. A lot of work, but in the end it is definitely worth it.
Glad to see that a video was done to showcase the effort so far and to help bring awareness to 786, as many people don’t know of her existence. Looking forward to more update videos!
Where can one purchase a 786 hat?
Thanks! The 786 hat is 1990s vintage and was handed out to our volunteers.
It’s about time!!! Getting 786 operational and New Workshop. About time.
I had read the status years ago about the damage that had been found, but actually seeing it really puts in perspective just how devastating it was. I'm looking forward to 786 coming back to life, and riding her once more now that I'm old enough to appreciate it. I just might have to drive up to Austin and volunteer as well.
can’t wait for this beauty to run again! The more southern pacific steam we have running, the better this world will be.
It's gonna be great seeing this Mikado run again.
I remember seeing this locomotive on the vhs tape what do you want to be when you grow up the railroader edition
The Texas preservation Trust fund...would be worth looking into...for maybe helping you guys out..I mean.if you could get the locomotive to be approved for Historical status..which it should be..for the State of Texas....Anything to help all of you at the Austin Steam train association...would definitely be worth looking into..
Very good video..of what needs to happen.
Thanks for the update Doc. I miss not being able to volunteer.
We miss you, too!
I'm glad to see this shit still has momentum
Nice to see these updates on the status of the engine and the railroad as a whole
I remember when this train was in the park when I was a kid.
I am a personal friend of the remarkably-talented original engineer who spearheaded the rebuilding of this engine after he worked through the City Council to save this engine and ran it from downtown to the site. I saw the hundreds of hours spent in the initial rebuild and rode the train to BURNET WHEN IT WAS BEING RUN EFFICIENTLY. It is unconscionable that you don’t give credit where it is due!!😅 years ago, a volunteer told me that sloppiness created the breaks.
Very well thought out and professional explanation. I subscribed for that reason.
love the restoration so far!
Great video! I learned a lot along the journey and look forward to seeing the progress. Keep up the good work 🚂
I was fortunate to have had a cab ride in 1995 in #786 😊
We've seen your video on that! I think the engineer that day was Doc Schoen (The guy in this video)!
Thanks for the update great info.I am a volunteer with the TRPA the group restoring SP 982 in Houston.
Thanks for the update! Haven't had the pleasure to make it out to the railroad yet but I'm planning to soon with my family. I grew up in the Northeast and was pretty much raised at Strasburg Railroad and am a huge steam locomotive fan. I remember reading that they did some work for this engine. I am sure their work and consultation isn't cheap, but I'm willing to bet if there is anywhere or anyone who can help get that engine running again its them. I hope you get that shop built, as getting the 786 running again is the just the first step. It needs to be stored properly and maintained afterwards.
But hey, I'll just got in and volunteer for the Austin Steam Train Association, I'll be working on restoration and maintenance like fixing locomotives and railcars and i might work on Southern Pacific 786 because i love steam locomotives and this is going tonbe my first time to put my hands on all things railroading. Im in.
We look forward to seeing you!
Keep up the good work.
I remember seeing this train on that one show "What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Railroaders Edition". I watched that VHS tape a million times as a kid!
I even found the video here on CZcams: czcams.com/video/vba0BLlO3m0/video.htmlsi=FqhHiocSsTIxZmez
Hope restoration on that engine will be successful & I would love to see that run again cuz I never seen this locomotive before in real life but I saw the Sister engine in San Antonio TX but not this engine.
I’ve been working wit Southern Pacific 1673 fora couple years, she’s a M-4 class mogul but i know what im doing with SP power, do you guys take new workers? I’d love to help bring the old gir back to life!
We always take in new volunteers! To volunteer, please visit www.austinsteamtrain.org/about-asta/volunteer/ and email our volunteer coordinator at volunteers@austinsteamtrain.org that you are interested in joining our restoration team. Thanks!
I love Steam and wish I didn't live so far away so I can come and help!
I remember seeing a video of 786 with a Missouri Kansas Texas railroad 3 chime whistle back in april of 1994.
*reallt hope when its back up and running, that M-K-T 3 chime or maybe a replica M-K-T whistle in the future*
I bet San Antonio would help appropriate funds for a shop with some kind of deal to keep #794 in said shop if/when they decide to restore her.
That's an idea. Maybe talk to SARHA about moving 794 up to Cedar Park and restoring her once 786 is back in operation. Bring the two sisters back together as running mates.
I know SARHA have big dreams of starting their own tourist operation down to Kennedy someday, but let's be realistic, that's never gonna happen.
@@sirrliv it's exciting to think of a potential future for steam preservation in Central Texas
In Paducah KY is a Harriman design 2-8-2 i.c.r.r. Mikado of similar pattern on display, I think measurements of its wedges could be used as a pattern to go by, as it was completely overhauled (running gear) before going on display in '63
I can not believe you guys are bring back the Southern pacific 2-8-2 786 locomotive I'm a railroad fan I know all locomotive and rolling stock and passenger cars and caboose I watched the CZcams videos to learn all about the locomotive and rolling stock and passenger cars and caboose from 1800s and 1900s and restoration in the 2000s to history and train the America revolutionary war July 4 1776-1900 and America civil war 1861 -65 and world war 2 1939-1949 world war 3 2000s
I hope some day steam is put back into revenue service again in my lifetime. We've the technology to give steam another shot, it might seem impossible, but the impossible is more than possible. Glad to see everything is going good.
You guys NEED to see about going to the state government of Texas and get the 6 or 8 million y'all need to build the shop and get her done. Its just what y'all need to do cuz that big blue GP40 y'all are renting will keep bleeding y'all dry. And also, i want a shot at pullin the throttle n runnin her. Are y'all gonna bring her into Austin again like y'all did back in the 90s??
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Two things, is there an existing sister locomotive for reference? And where can I donate?
There are several sister locomotives of 786 preserved, but unfortunately we cannot go off of them because we have a new cylinder saddle casting. Since ours is likely not in the exact same place as the original, we need new shoes to account for the difference (There's only a 1/2" tolerance). To donate to the 786 restoration, please visit this link: www.austinsteamtrain.org/donate-786-fund/. Thank you so much!
@@austinsteamtrainassociation payment sent! I wish I could do more.
@@rickdee67Thank you for your support! You’re truly awesome!
@@rickdee67 Thank you so much! We greatly appreciate your support!
We're going to be in the same position with SP 2472 she's due for her form 4 teardown and no building
Any estimate on completion of the shop?
Not yet. It's all dependent on the funding for the building. We hope to provide more details in the near future.
If memory serves me right... 786 was featured in What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? The Railroaders Edition. :)
Am I naturally right on that, @austinsteamtrainassociation ? :D
Yes, it was featured in that episode! Good eye!
@@austinsteamtrainassociation Heh =3
I mean after all.... I do have that program on DVD, and sometimes... whenever I wanna watch it on CZcams... I do so mainly for the sake of The Ballad of Casey Jones song and of course... my all time favorite... John Henry song :3
Which of course have 786 during that segment. )