Out of the ashes of the Knox & Kane fire, this rusty hulk is destined to rise like a phoenix and once again ride the rails. This Chinese-built SY locomotive, which was damaged in the engine house fire of 2008, has found a good home on Connecticut's Valley Railroad. This line has decades of history as a steam tourist railroad and is committed to remain in that business in the future. As major inspection deadlines approached for the lines two existing steamers, Valley CMO J. David Conrad set out to find a third engine to ensure continuity of steam power....and found what he was looking for at the K&K auction. There aren't many steam engines out there that are only 20 years old and the damage from the K&K fire was largely cosmetic. The Valley also has previous experience with SYs. Over the course of the next couple of years, the railroad will restore this gal to operation...and they will do it in fine style. The intent is to rebuild her to resemble a NYNH&H Class J-1 Mikado, none of which survive. She'll have a low-profile cab, with arched windows and a New Haven-style Sunbeam Headlight. Her number will be 3025...one more than the 3024...the last J-1 built. The ambitious goal they have set is to be ready to operate by mid-2011. You can read J. David's Engine House Blog on this locomotive by clicking here.
