As things continue their slow march back to normal, here at The T1 Trust, we’ve continued our slow but steady march towards our goal of bringing back the incomparable PRR T1.

Road Trip!

Who doesn’t love a good road trip? You hit the road to see new places, get away from the daily grind and maybe even get to visit some family members you haven’t seen in a long time. Well, back in May, the firebox left Ohio for a road trip of its own down Interstate 70 where it would meet up with the boiler at Continental Fabricators in St. Louis, Missouri. We’re not much for betting around here but we’d wager a few bucks that this was the first Interstate road trip for any T1 firebox.

Thanks to Richard Boylan for sending in his shot of 5550’s firebox on the move, spotted here on I-70 west of Columbus, Ohio.
While the firebox was leaving Ohio, the cab was leaving Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on its way to our central warehouse in eastern Ohio. This is where we are consolidating our larger parts before they are joined with other components or attached to the locomotive during final assembly.

The Cab also got moved from storage at Curry Rail in Pennsylvania back to our warehouse in Ohio. Here are a few shots of relocated the cab so more work can be done on it.

A Match Made in Heaven

Ever since we started work on 5550 almost ten years ago, one of our milestone goals was to see the massive boiler and firebox joined together and in mid-September, just as summer came to a close, we got a glimpse of what that will be like. They’re not quite ready to be joined together forever quite yet as we are awaiting a few sections to be fabricated by FMW Solutions but this will give you an idea of what it will look like.

Guess That Part

In our last issue we provided a small glimpse of a part drawing from the original T1 depository and challenged you (with a few hints) as to what it might be. If you guessed drawing number F436996, you were correct! To be specific it was a Trainphone Bushing for 1 ½” Conduit Hose in Deck Plate and here’s the drawing in its entirety.

Here’s the challenge for this issue. Care to guess what this part might be for? We’ll give you a hint…it’s a part of the boiler and related valving.

What Would You Like to See?

The Trail Blazer has always followed sort of a path with each issue but we’re always looking to make improvements. We are currently attempting to track down new and exciting interviewees who have a connection with the PRR and the T1 as well as members of the steam preservation community and our suppliers.

If you have an idea that you’d like to share to help shape the future of the newsletter, feel free to drop me a line at 5550marketing@gmail.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts!