Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

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Fiend
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Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by Fiend »

I was poking around one live maps, and found this little gem near downtown Tulsa. Actually, it wasn’t little at all, it’s huge. Had my friend take a picture of me next to it for size comparison, and I kind of look like a doofus just standing there, but that’s probably because I was drooling at the mouth. I’m 5’10”, so those wheels are massive. Apparently they have been slowly restoring this thing, and it will be put on display at some park in the future when its finished. I wanted to get a chance to take pics of it and go in it before they possibly make it off limits. This thing is beautiful. Here is the link for more history and info. http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=134664

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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by psychosaw13 »

Dang That thing is freakin Immaculate ! that restoration is amazing.
When they talk "theme park" & they talkin about rides & shit?
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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by Fiend »

I dont know, I think they might put at one of the river parks somewhere. Probably uptown, close to old route 66
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by Kit »

we have a train in a park here in Springfield that they let kids go to on field trips and what not its not as cool looking as that one though.
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by ropingk »

so is that just sitting on some spur out in the open like that??? great find does it look like they are driving it around?????
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by Fiend »

ropingk wrote:so is that just sitting on some spur out in the open like that??? great find does it look like they are driving it around?????
Yeah, I thought it was strange that it was just out in the open. I could see it from the road, no fences, no security, no nothing. I'm surprized it hasnt been vandalized in some way, but then again, you wont see it or find it unless you know were to look. I found it by accident. And its definately not in running condition, especially since a lot of the controls and valves in the cab arent installed yet. It just sits there while they slowly add to it.
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by ropingk »

Ok thanks but man that is just odd :shock:
You know you would think it would be under some kind of a shelter to help keep the weather out till it is finished
you would also think it would need some kind of a platform to work off of,and a hoist to life heavy things

odd but i guess it is what it is great find
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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by paul06660 »

It is an old SLSF locomotive. It is definatly a 4-8-4 Northern class, same class as the 4524 in Grant Beach Park in Springfield. It was the first of the 4500 series.
These old beheamoths are more powerful than alot of diesels. Cost of operating is main reason they were retired.

Here is a good read. Oh yeah they are FULLY restoring it. At least they were. I dont know if they stopped due to lack of funds.

Here is an article off Steamlocomotive.com

http://www.townwestsertomaclub.org/Frisco4500.htm
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by ropingk »

good job Paul great article I'm guessing they either ran out of help or something the article says 2007 and i we all know that was a few years ago
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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by Fiend »

Hey thanks Paul for the extra history on that engine! I cant wait to see it when its all finished, whenever that will be...
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by ropingk »

well from the looks of things along long time but maybe some body will get all excited again
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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by paul06660 »

Well, it gets quite expensive to work on these and return them to running order. I would say that all the hardest work has been done on the engine. They did a good job painting it. It looked like shit before the restoration.

I really do wonder if they have run out of funds and called it quits. It also seems strange that they would of just left it there without any protection.
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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by buckybear »

I think this was on display at Mohawk Park for many years. Sometime in the late 1980's it was moved out for restoration. It was running off compressed air at that point. It also managed to derail itself after it was moved about 100 feet.
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Re: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by ropingk »

man how much compressed air does it take to move something that big and heavy and omg the seals would ahev to be in such great shape to hole the pressure
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RE: Steam Locomotive In Tulsa

Post by paul06660 »

It would take the same ammount of compressed air as it would steam. The spec on the Baldwin built Northerns was 250 PSI. I myself could not see that locomotive running on compressed air when it was first moved off display. Thats not to say it didnt happen. The older pictures I saw (on the same page link i gave earlier, down at the bottom.) show the locomotive almost 100% rusted. Now I have also heard that the 4500's boiler was in the best shape of all the 4500 series locomotives.

I do belive that many of these locomotives that were put on display were given complete overhauls before they were put on display.
I would really like to see one of these 4500 series engines run again.

(Oh yeah the 4524 was driven to Grant Beach Park using compressed air)
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