SCVR 0-4-0 #5 "The Pride of the Line"
For just about every collection there is a favorite. Well with 16 locomotives on the SCVR its definately hard to pick a favorite. There are 6 locomotives that are my favorites but my number one of those has to be SCVR #5. Built in the 1970s as Santa fe #99, the history on when and where she was ran is really unknown. My father aquired this engine from a friend of his back in the 80s, he said it was already in rough condition. My father gave me his collection of old tyco/mantua trains in october 2007. Among the engines was a little 0-4-0 shifter. I couldn't explain it but even when I first saw the engine I had an attachment to it. Even then i was pretty young, 11 years old to be exact. The locomotive was missing its' cab and smokebox door, those were just cosmetic parts, internally now that I've reviewed the old photos of her I now know whe was missing her drawbar, lead motor wire, valve guides, and axle bearings. At the time I really didn't know much about it, but even when I was 11 years old i started working on model trains. Being that I only had 7 steamers at the time I was more familiar with diesels. Now a days its the complete opposite. I prefer steam to diesel and I now own over 30 steam locomotives! Repairing and rebuilding is my desire, but back in 2007 I was fairly new to it. From 2007-2009 the only work done to it was disassembly and researching what exactly it was. I dont recall exactly when I knew it was a Mantua but it didn't take me long.
In 2010 now that I had learned a little more about it I was ready to go to work. Right when it arrived on my layout my goal was to restore it to operation. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew it could be done. When I look back at the pictures of her when she had arrived I was shocked I attempted it in the first place. If you gave me the same locomotive in the same condition today, I could have it back in operation within 2 weeks! Repairing steamers became my passion so over the years i've sought more and more engines to buy, most don't need work but regular maintenance. Now back to the story, in late 2010 a break through in the now 3 year long restoration occured. The boiler, frame, cylinders, and tender were disassembled and painted smooth black. This was the first major effort on the locomotive. By december of 2010 the newly painted parts had begun to be reassembled. The story of how she got #5 is commonly asked about, being when she arrived that she didn't have a cab or smokebox door I knew these would have to be sought after and aquired. I tried many cabs off engines that weren't running at the time, and the only cab that fit was from a tyco 0-8-0 which was currently undergoing a major overhaul. Knowing she would be out for a long time I decided that this would be here cab and since it was lettered #5 on the cab she would be known as #5. The SCVR didn't exsist at this time so it was just #5 and the cab had stuck with her ever since and thats the way it's going to be. At the time I had no idea how bad of shape the running gear was in and I wouldn't find out until 2012. I remember trying to reinstall the boiler weight by putting it back into the plastic boiler, about halfway through it going in all of the sudden the boiler cracked! I was extremly disappointed because I had no idea what to do then. So from december 2010 to mid 2011 the boiler sat upside down on my 3 rack storage shelves. The tender had been assembled since late 2010. Unfortunately more problems were to come in 2011.
By early 2011 no change in the restoration of #5. The boiler was cracked throughout the entire length of the smokebox, the bottom of it though. I thought that a new boiler would fit the bill but this never came to be. By mid 2011 I had disassembled a mantua 4-6-0 for usuable parts for #5. Only usuable parts were a few crankpins and rivets and handrails. Also the 4-6-0 had given me a new motor that ran well. Also at this time I rebuilt and repainted the original tender trucks and were installed with her original tender wheels. At the time I had freight trucks and freight wheels on her tender for the time being. While I was removing the screws to change out the tender trucks one of the screws snapped in half! This rendered the tender frame not usuable. After this work basically stopped all together. By this time it was summer 2011 and the SCVR had just formed. With a new 2 stall shop and 2 steam locomotives the SCVR seemed promising. The SCVR was basically created to house and maintain my favorite steam locomotives and keep them sperrate from my locomotives on my storage racks. Being that #5 just sat taking up space I decided she would join the SCVR. She was one of my favorite locomotives at the time so it was a good idea. For all of 2011 she was moved all around the SCVRs shop. Whether it was in front, behind, or in the shop she was there. #5 would only ocasionally be rotated into the shop for cleaning or lubing. By late 2011 I decided that 4 years going on 5 was long enough for the locomotive to sit out of service. I set a goal of mid 2012, could the now 5 year long restoration project finally be on the road to completion?
When 2012 started I was now incredibly skilled with repairing and working on HO locomotives. In 2011 I had aquired over 9 steamers for the SCVR! The SCVR was growing fast but old #5 still sat outside the shop. In early 2012 I purchased a special plastic glue or cement that was strong! It built my two stall SCVR shop and kept it up so I figured it could seel up the crack in #5s boiler. Sure enough it worked and now she had a seeled up crack and could continue her restoration with her original boiler. By November of 2011 another shop was purchased to house the steamers purchased from 2011. it was about the same size as the first shop but it would work for the time being. By this time the SCVR had 11 steam locomotives, 9 of which were operable. The outcasts were SCVR #5 and Southern #3857. Mid 2012 was on the horizon and #5 still was far from being completed. Another set back occured when I realized that her drive wheels were not quartered right. This meant that the wheels would not rotate smoothly and correctly. Now I needed a new tender and running gear assembly. In March another break through occured when a tender and spare boiler were aquired! Found at a train show the tender which had no trucks, would be the tender for #5. The boiler would be a spare if needed. Within two days the tender was rebuilt and fully assembled! This changed the entire mood of the restoration! This determined me to get her done before my birthday which is on May 1st. I had two months but I couldnt keep pushing it back. By april I was looking every day on eBay for a suitable parts supplier mantua 0-4-0 shifter to finish off #5s restoration. After 3 attempts, all of which failed I thought getting a parts supplier for a decent price could never be done. Then on April 20th, I had found another parts supplier on eBay that was complete and in near opearble condition, whether or not it was operable was not needed, all that was needed was for the locomotive to have a complete running gear assembly, and motor. The motor from the 4-6-0 wasn't working out. I was worried this 4th try would be a bust but it wasn't! After the price went up to $10 the listing ended with me on top with the highest bid! This was all working out perfectly BUT, I only had a little more than a week for the engine to arrive and take all the needed parts and install them on #5. Would it be done in time?
The parts supplier arrived within 5 days whch only gave me 4 days to get the job done. The second the parts supplier arrived it was dismantled and organized. After i spent some time cleaning the running gear and the motor they were ready for installation. By the end of day 1, her cleaned running gear assembly of the parts supplier (#99) was installed, as was the motor. The tender I rebuilt back in March was having a lot of connection problems which were spotted during #5s first motor tests. I took a look at the parts suppliers tender and deemed it good enough to restore and replace #5s current tender. So on day 2 the tender of Santa fe #99 (parts supplier) was rebuilt and assembled and was shining with new paint! The tender light installed and the handrails and then the coupler to finish it off the newer tender was ready to go! I used #99s tender trucks and wheels after they were rebuilt. What used to take me months or years was now being done within days! The tender shined liek gold and by this time the motor and everything was installed and the lead wire from the motor was screwed down to the tender and I was able to see the locomotive run for the first time in my life, while really it hadn't run in over 40+ years! The engine was 90% completed but the last bit was needed, a smokebox door. Years prior to this I discovered that the smokebox door of the first engine I ever owned fit #5. This was an IHC 2-6-0 #7809, she joined the SCVR in late 2011 and was rarely used being she was nearly 20 years old! I decided that #5 could use #7809s silver smokebox door for a while. By April 27th, the locomotive was fully 100% completed! Here's the list of new parts she's gotten, new running gear assembly, newer tender, new cab, new smokebox door, new handrails, new motor, and a new drawbar! She debuted on my layout on may 1st, aka my birthday! When I looked at it I couldn't believe it, I honestly never thought it would look this good or feel that good to finish it! She hadn't been run or tuned much when she first started running so she was only a fair runner but then in late May i did some adjustments to the electrical contacts on the tender trucks and then she was running like a champ! Not only did she look incredible but she finally ran perfect! Today she spends most of her time sitting on track 1 in the SCVRs new Main shop. This shop has 3 tracks and houses the favorites of the SCVR. Most SCVR engines are run once or twice a month, but some more than others. When it comes to #5 I just love to look at her, that doesn't mean I dont run her but she runs usualy 2 times a month. Her 5 year long restoration was totally worth it, whenever she gets rolled out of the shop and runs the SCVR excursions I see time, money, and love put into such small steamer. She is the favorite because of the story she carries, from father to son this locomotive will run on for generations as long as i'm around. No locomotive has an attachment to me like #5, there's something in her that can never go away, she truly is the pride of the line.
In 2010 now that I had learned a little more about it I was ready to go to work. Right when it arrived on my layout my goal was to restore it to operation. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew it could be done. When I look back at the pictures of her when she had arrived I was shocked I attempted it in the first place. If you gave me the same locomotive in the same condition today, I could have it back in operation within 2 weeks! Repairing steamers became my passion so over the years i've sought more and more engines to buy, most don't need work but regular maintenance. Now back to the story, in late 2010 a break through in the now 3 year long restoration occured. The boiler, frame, cylinders, and tender were disassembled and painted smooth black. This was the first major effort on the locomotive. By december of 2010 the newly painted parts had begun to be reassembled. The story of how she got #5 is commonly asked about, being when she arrived that she didn't have a cab or smokebox door I knew these would have to be sought after and aquired. I tried many cabs off engines that weren't running at the time, and the only cab that fit was from a tyco 0-8-0 which was currently undergoing a major overhaul. Knowing she would be out for a long time I decided that this would be here cab and since it was lettered #5 on the cab she would be known as #5. The SCVR didn't exsist at this time so it was just #5 and the cab had stuck with her ever since and thats the way it's going to be. At the time I had no idea how bad of shape the running gear was in and I wouldn't find out until 2012. I remember trying to reinstall the boiler weight by putting it back into the plastic boiler, about halfway through it going in all of the sudden the boiler cracked! I was extremly disappointed because I had no idea what to do then. So from december 2010 to mid 2011 the boiler sat upside down on my 3 rack storage shelves. The tender had been assembled since late 2010. Unfortunately more problems were to come in 2011.
By early 2011 no change in the restoration of #5. The boiler was cracked throughout the entire length of the smokebox, the bottom of it though. I thought that a new boiler would fit the bill but this never came to be. By mid 2011 I had disassembled a mantua 4-6-0 for usuable parts for #5. Only usuable parts were a few crankpins and rivets and handrails. Also the 4-6-0 had given me a new motor that ran well. Also at this time I rebuilt and repainted the original tender trucks and were installed with her original tender wheels. At the time I had freight trucks and freight wheels on her tender for the time being. While I was removing the screws to change out the tender trucks one of the screws snapped in half! This rendered the tender frame not usuable. After this work basically stopped all together. By this time it was summer 2011 and the SCVR had just formed. With a new 2 stall shop and 2 steam locomotives the SCVR seemed promising. The SCVR was basically created to house and maintain my favorite steam locomotives and keep them sperrate from my locomotives on my storage racks. Being that #5 just sat taking up space I decided she would join the SCVR. She was one of my favorite locomotives at the time so it was a good idea. For all of 2011 she was moved all around the SCVRs shop. Whether it was in front, behind, or in the shop she was there. #5 would only ocasionally be rotated into the shop for cleaning or lubing. By late 2011 I decided that 4 years going on 5 was long enough for the locomotive to sit out of service. I set a goal of mid 2012, could the now 5 year long restoration project finally be on the road to completion?
When 2012 started I was now incredibly skilled with repairing and working on HO locomotives. In 2011 I had aquired over 9 steamers for the SCVR! The SCVR was growing fast but old #5 still sat outside the shop. In early 2012 I purchased a special plastic glue or cement that was strong! It built my two stall SCVR shop and kept it up so I figured it could seel up the crack in #5s boiler. Sure enough it worked and now she had a seeled up crack and could continue her restoration with her original boiler. By November of 2011 another shop was purchased to house the steamers purchased from 2011. it was about the same size as the first shop but it would work for the time being. By this time the SCVR had 11 steam locomotives, 9 of which were operable. The outcasts were SCVR #5 and Southern #3857. Mid 2012 was on the horizon and #5 still was far from being completed. Another set back occured when I realized that her drive wheels were not quartered right. This meant that the wheels would not rotate smoothly and correctly. Now I needed a new tender and running gear assembly. In March another break through occured when a tender and spare boiler were aquired! Found at a train show the tender which had no trucks, would be the tender for #5. The boiler would be a spare if needed. Within two days the tender was rebuilt and fully assembled! This changed the entire mood of the restoration! This determined me to get her done before my birthday which is on May 1st. I had two months but I couldnt keep pushing it back. By april I was looking every day on eBay for a suitable parts supplier mantua 0-4-0 shifter to finish off #5s restoration. After 3 attempts, all of which failed I thought getting a parts supplier for a decent price could never be done. Then on April 20th, I had found another parts supplier on eBay that was complete and in near opearble condition, whether or not it was operable was not needed, all that was needed was for the locomotive to have a complete running gear assembly, and motor. The motor from the 4-6-0 wasn't working out. I was worried this 4th try would be a bust but it wasn't! After the price went up to $10 the listing ended with me on top with the highest bid! This was all working out perfectly BUT, I only had a little more than a week for the engine to arrive and take all the needed parts and install them on #5. Would it be done in time?
The parts supplier arrived within 5 days whch only gave me 4 days to get the job done. The second the parts supplier arrived it was dismantled and organized. After i spent some time cleaning the running gear and the motor they were ready for installation. By the end of day 1, her cleaned running gear assembly of the parts supplier (#99) was installed, as was the motor. The tender I rebuilt back in March was having a lot of connection problems which were spotted during #5s first motor tests. I took a look at the parts suppliers tender and deemed it good enough to restore and replace #5s current tender. So on day 2 the tender of Santa fe #99 (parts supplier) was rebuilt and assembled and was shining with new paint! The tender light installed and the handrails and then the coupler to finish it off the newer tender was ready to go! I used #99s tender trucks and wheels after they were rebuilt. What used to take me months or years was now being done within days! The tender shined liek gold and by this time the motor and everything was installed and the lead wire from the motor was screwed down to the tender and I was able to see the locomotive run for the first time in my life, while really it hadn't run in over 40+ years! The engine was 90% completed but the last bit was needed, a smokebox door. Years prior to this I discovered that the smokebox door of the first engine I ever owned fit #5. This was an IHC 2-6-0 #7809, she joined the SCVR in late 2011 and was rarely used being she was nearly 20 years old! I decided that #5 could use #7809s silver smokebox door for a while. By April 27th, the locomotive was fully 100% completed! Here's the list of new parts she's gotten, new running gear assembly, newer tender, new cab, new smokebox door, new handrails, new motor, and a new drawbar! She debuted on my layout on may 1st, aka my birthday! When I looked at it I couldn't believe it, I honestly never thought it would look this good or feel that good to finish it! She hadn't been run or tuned much when she first started running so she was only a fair runner but then in late May i did some adjustments to the electrical contacts on the tender trucks and then she was running like a champ! Not only did she look incredible but she finally ran perfect! Today she spends most of her time sitting on track 1 in the SCVRs new Main shop. This shop has 3 tracks and houses the favorites of the SCVR. Most SCVR engines are run once or twice a month, but some more than others. When it comes to #5 I just love to look at her, that doesn't mean I dont run her but she runs usualy 2 times a month. Her 5 year long restoration was totally worth it, whenever she gets rolled out of the shop and runs the SCVR excursions I see time, money, and love put into such small steamer. She is the favorite because of the story she carries, from father to son this locomotive will run on for generations as long as i'm around. No locomotive has an attachment to me like #5, there's something in her that can never go away, she truly is the pride of the line.