A couple other fellas on here might be able to answer better but AFAIK we are all still waiting any news while #18 still sits in McCloud.
It is my understanding there is some concern about the V&T's tight curves that are tighter than what the 18 is designed to traverse! I have not heard anything new lately, though.
The last date I heard was some time in 2007. I sense that the McCloud would love to see it go, the sooner the better. I also hear they are at least considering charging the V&T Commission storage fees if it sits in McCloud for too much longer. Yes, there are concerns about the ability of the locomotive to operate on the V&T. I actually started wondering about this when I first heard the sale news...the original V&T had blind center drivers on their 4-6-0's to make it around the curves; at a bare minimum they will have to blind both center drivers on the #18, and even that may not be enough. Something else they are working against- assuming they do get this operation up and running in 2010, they will one get one or two years of use out of the locomotive at most before it needs the complete boiler recertification process. I wonder if they have even thought about that. On the whole I doubt they will get their money's worth out of this investment. And if the #18 is too big for the curves...I can't wait to see those 72' Harriman cars on that trackage! Jeff Moore Elko, NV
Wow! If the V&T converts the two center drivers on each side, that will have a devistating effect on tractive effort Escpcially considering the grades on the V&T.
