Canadian National 7312

Strasburg Rail Road (Canadian National) No. 7312, also known as Strasburg Rail Road No. 31, is an 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1908 for the Canadian National Railway. It is owned and previously operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. As of 2021, No. 7312 is currently undergoing restoration back to operating condition, however, the restoration progress has currently been put on hold for now but recently restarted as of July 2021.

Canadian National 7312
CN No. 7312 inside the enginehouse at Strasburg in 2008
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number32894
Build dateAugust 1908
Rebuild dateJune 1960
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-6-0
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.56 in (1.422 m)
Adhesive weight153,384 lb (69.6 t)
Loco weight153,384 lb (69.6 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler pressure165 lbf/in2 (1.14 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size22 in × 26 in (559 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearStephenson
Valve typePiston
Train brakesAir
Performance figures
Tractive effort31,000 lbf (137.89 kN)
Career
OperatorsGTR » CN » SRC
ClassCN: O-9-a
Power classCN: 30%
Numbers
  • GT 118
  • GT 1708
  • CN 1708
  • CN 7157
  • CN 7240
  • CN 7312
  • SRC 31
  • SRC 7312
LocaleCanada/Lancaster County, PA
First run1908 (revenue service)
Last runJanuary 1957 (revenue service)
RetiredJuly 1958 (revenue service)
RestoredSeptember 1, 1960 (1st restoration)
Ongoing (2nd restoration)
Current ownerStrasburg Rail Road
DispositionUnder restoration, based in Strasburg, Pennsylvania

History

The engine was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1908 for the Grand Trunk Railway as number 118. The 118 was renumbered 1708 in September 1919. In January 1923, the Grand Trunk Railway was merged into the Canadian National Railway. Three months after the creation of Canadian National, 1708 was renumbered 7157, a number the locomotive carried until February 1952 when it was renumbered 7240. In 1957, the locomotive received its final CN number of 7312.[1] In July 1958, No. 7312 was retired at Stratford, Ontario where it had been working as the shop switcher.

In June 1959, No. 7312 was discovered by Strasburg Rail Road Vice President Bud Swearer who was visiting the CN yard at Stratford. The Strasburg Rail Road had intended to purchase a steam locomotive to power freight and passenger excursions and No. 7312 was of appropriate size for the operation. The Strasburg Rail Road negotiated the CN for the locomotive, which was ultimately purchased by a consortium of Strasburg Rail Road officials. Arriving at Strasburg in the summer of 1960, the locomotive was renumbered 31 and placed into service on September 1, 1960, becoming the first steam locomotive to reenter service in the United States.[2] The locomotive was purchased outright by the Strasburg Rail Road in 1968.[3] The locomotive continued to remain in service up until early 2009 when it was time for the locomotive's heavy rebuild. No. 31 (Now renumbered back to 7312) has been stripped apart since then. Its cab remains on the side of Strasburg's engine shed. However, due to the railroad's busy contract work and upkeep of their fleet of three other operable steam locomotives (GW 90, CN 89 and N&W 475), Steve Weaver, the VP of freight services on the railroad stated in an episode of " The Roundhouse Podcast" that the railroad indeed wants to get the engine back up and running again once the railroad has the time, therefore the locomotive's restoration had been currently put on hold for the foreseeable future.[4] Work resumed in July 2021 with hopes to have it completed by early 2022.

See also

References
  1. "Canadian National Ry No. 31". SteamLocomotive.com.
  2. "LOCOMOTIVE NO. 31". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  3. Bell, Kurt (2015). The Strasburg Rail Road in Color. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books Inc. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-58248-479-2.
  4. Ozorak, Nick (August 20, 2019). "The Roundhouse Podcast". Retrieved November 25, 2021.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.