IT LIVES!!

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Sat Nov 03, 2012 2:29 pm

Good news, everyone! Central Railroad of New Jersey Central 0-6-0 Number 113, one of ONLY 2 Jersey Central steam locomotives left (The other is No. 592, a Camelback 4-4-2 at the B&O railroad Museum in Baltimore), ran under it's own power on June 23, 2012. After a 10 year restoration, she puffed back and forth on a short track. After being sold by the CNJ, she was bought by the Reading Coal and Iron Company for their breaker at Locust Summit. Equipped with a Wooten firebox to burn anthracite, they used wood because anthracite would take a long time to heat up and a very long time to cool down.

More info will be coming.

Chris · **Posted:** Sun Nov 04, 2012 12:51 am

yea thats pretty cool, theres already a thread on that here somewhere......

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Sun Nov 04, 2012 10:47 am

i did not know that.

miket145 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:47 pm

The most fascinating part of the project, Bobby Kimmel is restoring it and he's legally blind! Hell of a nice guy though, and knows a ton of information about railroading and mining in Schuylkill County and surrounding areas.

I'm going to have to stop by Minersville and visit him soon. He always tells me he'll give me the job of greasing the locomotive.

M.T.

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:39 pm

so the guy that owns the locomotive is blind?! Cool!

miket145 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:02 am

Not my video, but CNJ 113 made her first test run on Black Friday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-rKYhmG1gk

M.T.

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:51 am

SWEET!

Chris · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2012 5:43 pm

That's awesome mike! It's been awhile since ive seen it but I know they put a ton of effort into that, good for them to get to run it! Of course r&n had to throw the diesel on there huh. Liability reasons I guess...... Do you know what their plans are for it?

miket145 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 10:49 pm

Chris wrote:

Of course r&n had to throw the diesel on there huh. Liability reasons I guess...... Do you know what their plans are for it?

Hey Chris,

I guess they were taking precautions by having the diesel hooked up to it, in case of something went horribly wrong, they would be able to bring it to a stop. I heard the 113 had compressor problems that day, and they ran a hose to the diesel to power the brakes.

As far as the plans for the 113, word on the street is it will be going to Boyertown (20 miles south of Allentown, PA) to operate on a tourist railroad that is being developed. Reading & Northern won't let the 113 run excursions on their trackage because they already have a steam program of their own and allowing it on R&N property is unnecessary and avoidable competition.

M.T

Chris · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 10:55 pm

Cool, glad its staying somewhat local. Have to take a trip behind it when they get that up and going. Was running it last week a one and done deal or are they gonna be allowed to run it on some trackage until they get the line in boyertown up and running?

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 10:57 pm

so the diesel was just being used as a 1500 lbs air compressor to hold the breaks off? lol. So the 113 was pulling her own weight plus the weight of the sw15 (I think that is what it is) on her first ever time moving in all these years? Cool!

miket145 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:09 am

Chris wrote:

Was running it last week a one and done deal or are they gonna be allowed to run it on some trackage until they get the line in boyertown up and running?

This past Friday was the very first test-run. I would imagine they
would do a few more test runs until all the bugs are worked out and it was operating efficiently. No way Reading & Northern would let the CNJ 113 operate revenue runs on its trackage, directly competing with the RBMN 425!

I am almost certain that the last time CNJ 113 ran was 40-45 years ago at Locust Summit!

M.T.

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:07 am

There is a conversation on YouTube about the other CNJ locomotive. I believe that it would be sweet to restore her. Then she would be the only operational 4-4-2 Atlantic in the world, plus the only operational Camelback in the world.

Miner Greg · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:08 pm

Pretty neat to see this locomotive running again. Is the permanent home for this locomotive in Minersville, or are they planning to run it somewhere else? How much track do they have to run it on?

Miner Greg

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:12 pm

did you watch the video? because I don't know.

IT LIVES!!

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