Valley Railroad #40....minus a few parts. As she sits, the 40 looks a little bit like one of those stolen cars you find abandoned along the side of a highway. She's missing her wheels and she's up on blocks. Fortunately, what you're seeing here isn't the product of a locomotive chop-shop, it's the Valley Railroad crew taking advantage of the off-season to do a running gear overhaul on their veteran locomotive. With Number 40's FRA Form 4 due to expire in 2014, the railroad is keen to do whatever is necessary to minimize the time she'll be sidelined when that happens. With that as a goal, the folks at the Valley have been gradually working on some of the items aren't part of the Federally-mandated boiler inspection, but would normally be done during a major overhaul. By getting that stuff out of the way now, they'll be able to focus on the flue replacement and boiler survey when the inspection comes due. If they play their cards correctly, the 40 won't be down all that long, and won't miss any of the key revenue events, such as the popular North Pole Express trains. At the moment, the locomotive's wheels and running gear are being worked on and when they're re-installed, some changes will be made to the lubrication system. If all goes well, the 40 will be joining her stablemate, the NH 3025, sometime during this season.
A collection of engines, cabooses, cars, etc., great and small that are past their prime, but represent a spirit of railroading that will never pass away!!
