And why diesels took over. I'm so glad so may of these beauties are being brought back to life. I love the sounds they make, even sitting still it's easy to imagine they are living, breathing creatures. A wonderful part of our history everyone should be able to experience.
Remember, this one's been covering more miles than it's type was originally designed for, it had also fallen decrepit for years before it was brought in. It also depended on what the locomotive was used for, freight duty was much more arduous than passenger duty = More maintenance. But because of routine maintenance they seldom needed to do anything more than that. Back in the day they would have spent no more than a couple of weeks in the shop, they even took it so far as transferring the hot water from locomotive inbound for maintenance into an outgoing one to save on time there as well. Because steam locomotives were phased out by the time they did this rebuild it took much longer than that. The way it used to be done was keeping the boiler hot until it's monthly boiler wash to get rid of scaling inside and outside the tubes. So, they definitely got by with steam, but needed looking after and wasn't maintenance free, what killed the steam locomotive was maintenance and running costs.
I really enjoyed this short story - worth watching! The old girl wakes back up to find out she's the new Prom Queen and everyone wants to do her makeup. As a MechEngineer, seeing the large boring equipment, the installation of the cold liner into the hot cylinder - all a joy to watch. The talents and generosity of the volunteers is the "best of America" in my book. Thank you for sharing this, thank you for all the work, and the delightful results.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It would not have happened without the thousands of hours of labor by the volunteers, Diversified Rail Services and the Locomotive & Tower Preservation Fund. As you say, it sure was a joy to be part of this and to watch the transformation. Take care :)
I wish my Grandfather could have seen this. He worked for the Soo Line for many years and retired as Section Chief of the Harlow ND branch around the time this engine made its last passenger run. We still have a ton of buckets, shovels, tools, etc., with the "Soo Line" stamp on them. It was hard work, I remember Mom telling me stories about him going out in the speeder (A little gas engine driven cart that ran on the tracks) no matter how hot, cold, or stormy it was because he was responsible for ensuring the tracks were in good condition. And of course in his earlier years he had been one of the crew doing the hard work of laying and maintaining those rails. For all that hard work Mom said he never had anything but good to say about the Soo Line railroad and how he was treated. He would have been bursting with pride to see an old Soo Line steam locomotive restored and put back into service.
That is the way I felt about the GN BN. As a machinist I retired 2004 and went to work in 2015 on the ATSF 2926 finished 2021 in ALBUQUERQUE www.2926.us
Nice to see a lot of professionalism going on here, all the documentation of everything done, thousands of inspections of the metal. These aren't just shade tree mechanics, these guys are pros. I used to do depot-level maintenance on aircraft that involved a lot of work like this. Much respect to this crew because it's anything but easy yet so satisfying when you're done and it rolls out.
although hilarious to witness kick shunting, its downright terrifying and nowadays the FRA would de-certify you 5 times over for kicking cars cuz apparently shoving uncontrolled cars with no loco is a dangerous idea. AKA they dont like fun lol
Wow, There is nothing more beautiful than watching a restore steam engine. They did a fantastic job of restoring the engine. It is so great to me, that engines like this one are restored so we never forget these beautiful engines are what made the wild west and tamed it so as we nostalgic about the old steam trains are kept and used and maintained so the next generation can more appreciate the way we used to travel. North America and Canada relied on these old work horses for mail delivery, supplies and passenger travel for hundreds of years before the modern engines took over for them. Stunning well put together documentary. Loved it.
I had the opportunity pre-COVID to ride a steam excursion train. The smell was awful, and cinders got in the eyes and hair and all over the seats in the open flatcar. All this, from just a little coal burning 0-4-0 made me glad to have been born after dieselization. The Pacifics, Hudsons, Mikados etc proportionately must have really made a mess.
@@calrob300 Hi Cal, I was born when dieselization was well in the swing of things. I love looking at the grand old work horses fly down the track i have been on a steam train only once and that was a miniature so i got the smoke produced right in my face and i loved it. it was a lot of fun, and to see my Dad's face light up like it did i was so happy for the experience. Diesels are exciting to see also and to feel them take off is amazing. We don't use trains for every day commutes here in Canada trains here are more for long distance travel where to crew change quite regularly. I miss the trains sound as it goes past your house. Occasionally a newly restored train comes barreling passed you house and you know just by the sound of the whistle what kind of train it is. I am sorry your experience wasn't a good one but you really don't know what you are missing. To see these old steam trains it a sight to behold, its part of our history a history that is great, many people got rich off the railroads of old and still today. I hope your next experience is a better one but this time clear your mind and think outside the box.
It makes me happy to think that there are people who will go out of their way, spend their own time and money for the sake of preserving industrial history like trains.
The amount of work, expertise required and specialized equipment required to restore a large steam locomotive is unreal. What a great job by all those talented folks. Can't be many left that have the knowledge needed. A work of art.
Every year we are learning the almost lost ability of of this Beautiful work. My Late Grandfather worked for Baldwin Locomotives in Philadelphia his entire life.
Believe it or not, more often then not, the railroads were far harder on these machines toward the end of the steam era than the elements ever could be. Why would the railroad take care of them when they are going to be scrapped and replaced? The majority were run into the ground and then dumped on the dead lines, often with high mileage on the running gear, screwed up frames, bad wheels... The middle bit of the preservation era was also hard on these machines, as a lot of the folks who had the experience to work on and run them retired, passed away, or otherwise left the industry. I like to call it the "Patch it, and get it out the door era." (Late 80's, early 90's). Problems that could have been manageable with proper maintenance then, are now big expensive problems which are responsible for sidelining popular excursion stars. There were a number of locomotives then that probably shouldn't even have been running by 2022 standards. Then, the Gettysburg 1278 incident happened, and re-wrote the rule book. Thankfully, there are enough machinists, welders, and boilermakers out there with enough interest in working on these things to support the locomotives we have. Thanks to them, we are currently experiencing a Renaissance of sorts.
I want to say thank you to all of you long time subscribers and customers, without you we would not exist. We appreciate each and every one of you :-) As a token of my appreciation for all of you I've created this condensed action packed clip of restoring the SOO Line 2719. The full length program with much more detail is also available from our website, just follow the link below at the end of this post. I meant for the Restoring a 4-6-2 Pacific clip to be a Christmas present for all of you, but I got hung up with a computer breakdown of epic proportion right before Christmas. I thought we had lost our next new release, but luckily the project was saved from digital obliteration and will be coming out in mid March 2022 so stay tuned for this next new release! As for now, your love of the chase, and your love of railroading keeps us going. Really it does. Thank you for watching our channel and supporting us on TH-cam. Please comment, like, dislike, and tell us what you want to see (or don't want to see) in future programs from Plets Express. Thank you for watching, and if you're looking for additional railroading, great lakes shipping, scenery or hot spot entertainment please visit us at www.pletsexpress.com for a complete library of entertainment. I hope you enjoy the new clip. Regards, Brad Plets Restoring a 4-6-2 Pacific in 35 Minutes! - Soo Line 2719 www.pletsexpress.com/fnimall/Plets/0242719R/vid_trains.phtml
@@johnkries8189 yeah, it was a wonderful time to be involved in the most worthy of causes, restoring the life blood of America, Steam Locomotives. It's almost unimaginable to think where we would be without steam and the railroads. Thank you for your work in preserving a piece of our history.
I hope you will exist for a long time. You are one of the few producers still making stuff. You know its hard when Pentrex is basically just selling their old collection at this point. So I am glad you are all out there. BN Mississippi river route is still one of my favorite videos to watch.
These men who donated their time and talent are simply great human beings! Keeping American railroading history alive. There's nothing as exciting as seeing and hearing a steam locomotive in action. My thanks to all involved. This really puts into perspective on why a steam Locomotive restoration takes so damn long.
So very cool,..when you have the expertise and the right equipment, it goes along smoothly. My friend in Southern Ohio, pulled a pre-Civil War built, farm steam engine out of a bog, and was given it, for his efforts. Even though it had been submerged in muddy glop, for 50 years, it was in repairable condition. The bog preserved the iron monster. He was a master welder and was certain he could get back in running order. That steam engine would have powered, a sawmill, or something similar. It sat on huge iron wheels. The the style of rivets holding the boiler together and the smoke stack, defined the year it was manufactured. (as in: pre or post Civil War. It was very solid, some internal heat tubes needed repair. My friend also resurrected and was using a late 1800s, (portable) saw mill. Portable because it was mounted to an iron sled. It was also in a bog. He cleaned up, and got it running, using a WW2 Jeep, to power it. He was able to make money, cutting rail road ties, for the rail road in his area.
.Steam Shortlines in the West featuring the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad,the Heber Valley Railroad,the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad,the Grand Canyon Railway,the Fillmore and Western Railway,the Nevada Northern Railway Museum,the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad,Sumpter Valley Railway and the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad .California Shortlines Featuring the Niles Canyon Railway,the Fillmore and Western Railway,the Sierra Railway,Metrolink,the Napa Valley Wine Train,the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad and the California Northern Railroad .Chicago Trackside Featuring the C&NW,the CP,Metra,the UP,the WC,the BN,the NS,the CSX,the CN,the AT&SF,the WICT,the BRC,the ATSF 3751,the NKP 587,the NKP 765,the N&W 611,the N&W 1218,the UP 844 and the MILW 261
EARLY 50'S I SAW THE UNION PACIFIC TURNTABLE YARD IN SAN BERNARDINO WITH LIVE LOCOMOTIVES...MY POP WORKED AT REDLANDS FEED & GRAIN & HE TOOK FAMILY OUT TO MENTONE TO WATCH A STEAM ENGINE DELIVER GRAIN TO RED FEED & GRAIN WAREHOUSE...I REMEMBER THE NOISES AND FELT THE RUMBLING IN OUR CAR...AWSOME...THE WEIGHT & POWER OF THOSE STEAMERS REALLY LEFT THE IMPRESSION ON ME...(73yo now) THANK YOU FOR THIS INTERESTING MAINTAINENCE VIDEO...NICE!!!
Remember this video was made in 1998 or so. since then the 2719 has run excursions and has been donated to the Lake superior rr museum where it ran on the north shore line untill its boiler certification expired. It now resides under cover at the museum.
How exciting. When god made me, he asked do you want to work on planes or trains… I said trains quietly and was misheard and ended up flying planes lol. Seriously had I not ended up flying back int 1985, I’d loved to have made a living working on trains. Like so many millions of young men, I loved model railroading and so did my grandfather who was born in 1917. He had HO scale engines and cars all over his office and at one time his garage had such a nice layout that the Dallas newspaper gave him a one page write up. My dad was a pilot and I also loved airplanes. That became my career. Maybe when I retire, can find an old engine near that others need help maintaining
Great video. A heartfelt “THANK YOU” goes out to the craftsman, and volunteers who brought this beauty back to life. I visit the Strasbourg Railroad in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and absolutely LOVE the old steam locomotives. I plan to visit Steamtown in Scranton, Pa, as soon as they finish cosmetically restoring the Union Pacific Big Boy 4012, my favorite locomotive of all time.
@@untouchedforce6388 - Nice!!! I’ve read even in HO scale, those giants need a WIDE turning radius!!! Someday I’d like to build a HO scale diorama. I may have to go with N scale, but there’s so much more available for HO scale, and I think with HO being a little bigger, it would be easier to build.
Magnifique!… well done guys and girls bringing this baby back to life! In my school days , here in Manchester UK I used to go to school and pass over a railway bridge and wait for the steam engines to pass beneath!… I’m now 71 yrs and going strong with that love of steam locomotives! Thanks
This randomly came up for me on 8-12-22 of recommended videos and it was a pleasure to watch all the way thru. A big thank you to all of the people who took the time, money, and effort to restore the 2719 locomotive. It looks beautiful, great job!
No doubt THEE best steam restoral video ever made !! Not too long/not too short..Just enough to cover the gamut of this amazing voluntary work and dedication to preserving and reviving the past !!!
Amazing video. It is good to see that we still have craftsmen available to rebuild these magnificent locomotives. I learned a lot from watching this video. Thanks.
Great to see 2719 restoration and 1003 in such great shape. Thanks to all the effort & skill it takes from people who care to keep the classic steam locomotives alive. Hopefully the skillset to operate+care for them properly will be maintained over the years as well, so these two steam engines will still be happily taking people on steam excursions in another 100 years !
@@HazzyHazeI When did I mention diesels? Those should be cut up too. We need to use electric power with energy created from renewable resource and hydrogen power.
I loved watching this process. A few weeks ago, my wife and I rode an excursion train pulled by a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. That locomotive spent decades on display in a local park, and was restored to operating condition in 2008.
That loco is a real beauty! Thanks for this video - and thanks to all the skilled and dedicated craftsmen who manufactured it in the 1920s and to the ones who restored it in the 1990s.
My late Dad would be amazed seeing this. He started working as a machinist in 1932 at the Canadian National Railway engine room at the age of 22 before voluteering to the WW2 effort and came back a decorated hero for saving many lives on marine convoys to UK. He went back to CNR and worked on these steamers for years. He was one of the last to know all about and maintain them. He deeply HATED diesel/electric locomotives. No soul to them he used to say, comparing steamers to living animals, huffin' and puffin' under the effort. My last view of one was in 1981, stopping for water in our town, unexpected. The Fire Dept' was called in to refill. All in town gathered to watch. Kids afraid. My wife who had never seen one, let alone hear one starting, bell ringing and all was duly impressed. Back at home, she had to call my Dad, all excited. "You actually worked on those ? You test drove them ?? " 😳 Yep, kiddo! "Oh my god, awesome, Dad !" 😍🤗
Soo Line 2719 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive was restored and operated in excursion service from 1998 until 2013 when its boiler certificate expired. Today, the locomotive remains on display in Duluth, Minnesota. Built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for use on passenger trains operated by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ("Soo Line"). No. 2719 was used to haul the Soo Line's last steam-powered train, a June 21, 1959 round-trip excursion between Minneapolis, Minnesota and Ladysmith, Wisconsin. It was then displayed in Eau Claire, Wisconsin until 1996.[3]
@@Deltaexe190 It means that every 15 years, or 1,472 days of operation, the locomotive would have to get its boiler flues replaced and get anything else inspected and repaired, which is called the “1,472-day inspection.” So in the short terms, a mandated overhaul. The process could take a few years but the Strasburg Railroad did a 1,472-day inspection on one of their engines in 6 months flat.
Would've been great to see it in person, at my 71 years of age, been born and raised in the mechanical field, I enjoy every minute of it, most kind of you for sharing it with us, blessings to you and your love ones, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico Jesus Torres.
The 2719 moving on its own power since June of 1959! That's when I first started moving too! It's absolutely incredible watching you guys working on something this complicated and HUGE and built before any of you were born! INCREDIBLE! I mean WOW! Jeff
Completely enjoyed that video Thanks.. I had to share it to my good friends that will appreciate it. My Grandfather (RIP) was SP Vice President of Repair and Restoration. As a kid he took me to the yards in early 70's but he had already been Railroad Family from his Father and Grandfather. The memories came back and watching great mechanists work is tremendous..Thanks again
Wonderful video. Thank you so much. The sounds of steam engines at night are soul stirring! Gary Benson and all those volunteers and talented craftsmen are so gifted by their passion to bring back to life one of the most complex artifacts of the Industrial Revolution! What a pleasure to watch the process. Seeing 2719 and 1003 doubled headed was fantastic. RussC
Amazing restoration and production. I can't believe how broken the rails are though. I worked maintenance of way for CN Rail during university and we had to use a track level to see dips. Here you can see every joint is broken.
I live in Jackson Michigan. We have a locomotive engine that has been in a park for decades. Children used to play on it. But long ago a fence was built around it. Now has been sold and will be rebuilt and returned to the rails. The children, now adults are pleased to know it will return to service. Soon it will be what it was build to be.
good to hear that there's still people and volunteers interested in history and preserving it! Thanks for sharing that, maybe you will help with that locomotive?
God! I gotta ya'll what...I'm not a big fan of the C&NW, but anything being re-built, (mainline, USA only), is SO extremely satisfying. Anybody else out there with similar videos?
This was fascinating, what skill and patience those technicians have to painstakingly dismantle and machine new components. It's a project I would have loved to participate in. Here in France we have trains that fly along at 300kms/hr but they don't come anywhere near to the sheer character those old machines had. Thanks for that excellent film.
It is always enjoyable and interesting to observe the rebuilding process of a steam locomotive, the tear down, individual labor performance tasks and parts reassembly is a complex operation. Soo Line 2719 has an interesting operation history and I am glad to see that this locomotive still exists ; I do wish that the Soo Line did however preserve one example of both their 4-8-2 & 4-8-4 type locomotives for public display purpose. The Soo Line only purchased 4 examples of the Lima O 20 class 4-8-4 types & it's a true shame that not one locomotive out of a total of four was saved from being scrapped and preserved for future generations of railfans.
We had a round house and train depot in my town with 200 ton cranes. My grandpa was a chief engineer for steam trains, good work fellas! I feel lucky to have seen him drive the last steam train through our town. They don't make hard working fellas like in this video anymore.
I enjoyed your video and with my ADD it was just short enough to keep me invested. I did daydream about how the program to restore a local steam locomotive too.
I got my love of steam engines from my grandpappy who was born just after the steam era ended. His dad was a fireman on the engine that sits in our local park now and his dad before him was the actual engineer on the same engine for a time. Sad that he never got to ride in one before he passed, he sure played plenty of computer games about them though. Imagine how cool if must've been during those days to be a railroader, wake up before dawn to wake your own engine up, watching all of the locomotives slowly come to life and steam away to do their daily chores. different times for sure.
Glad I came across this video. I’m not a rail fan, but am an automotive/transportation buff. but I love the history aspect of it as well as stuff from the late 1800’s early 1900’s! And now I find out the Altoona roundhouse was demolished! Such a shame that happened.
These men who donated their time and talent are simply great human beings!
Q❤❤
Men yes...and women also being fans of rail and aktive members.
It was a pleasure to assist in the restoration of the 2719,,
I just love the sound of steam engine whistles! what an awesome machine!
Keeping American railroading history alive. There's nothing as exciting as seeing and hearing a steam locomotive in action. My thanks to all involved.
I remember the mountain climbers in Montana 1952 they are all gone
@@jimshimek450 That is so sad. 😥
This really puts into perspective on why a steam Locomotive restoration takes so damn long.
I was expecting it to take much longer then 35 minutes to be honest.
And why diesels took over. I'm so glad so may of these beauties are being brought back to life. I love the sounds they make, even sitting still it's easy to imagine they are living, breathing creatures. A wonderful part of our history everyone should be able to experience.
Remember, this one's been covering more miles than it's type was originally designed for, it had also fallen decrepit for years before it was brought in.
It also depended on what the locomotive was used for, freight duty was much more arduous than passenger duty = More maintenance.
But because of routine maintenance they seldom needed to do anything more than that.
Back in the day they would have spent no more than a couple of weeks in the shop, they even took it so far as transferring the hot water from locomotive inbound for maintenance into an outgoing one to save on time there as well.
Because steam locomotives were phased out by the time they did this rebuild it took much longer than that.
The way it used to be done was keeping the boiler hot until it's monthly boiler wash to get rid of scaling inside and outside the tubes.
So, they definitely got by with steam, but needed looking after and wasn't maintenance free, what killed the steam locomotive was maintenance and running costs.
and how long it took to be mad in factory!!!
What do you mean it only took 35 minutes
I really enjoyed this short story - worth watching! The old girl wakes back up to find out she's the new Prom Queen and everyone wants to do her makeup. As a MechEngineer, seeing the large boring equipment, the installation of the cold liner into the hot cylinder - all a joy to watch. The talents and generosity of the volunteers is the "best of America" in my book. Thank you for sharing this, thank you for all the work, and the delightful results.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It would not have happened without the thousands of hours of labor by the volunteers, Diversified Rail Services and the Locomotive & Tower Preservation Fund. As you say, it sure was a joy to be part of this and to watch the transformation. Take care :)
I wish my Grandfather could have seen this. He worked for the Soo Line for many years and retired as Section Chief of the Harlow ND branch around the time this engine made its last passenger run. We still have a ton of buckets, shovels, tools, etc., with the "Soo Line" stamp on them. It was hard work, I remember Mom telling me stories about him going out in the speeder (A little gas engine driven cart that ran on the tracks) no matter how hot, cold, or stormy it was because he was responsible for ensuring the tracks were in good condition. And of course in his earlier years he had been one of the crew doing the hard work of laying and maintaining those rails. For all that hard work Mom said he never had anything but good to say about the Soo Line railroad and how he was treated. He would have been bursting with pride to see an old Soo Line steam locomotive restored and put back into service.
it's great to hear stories like this, thank you for sharing.
That is the way I felt about the GN BN. As a machinist I retired 2004 and went to work in 2015 on the ATSF 2926 finished 2021 in ALBUQUERQUE www.2926.us
These men represent what being men is all about - restoring and preserving heritage because you should and because you can.
Nice to see a lot of professionalism going on here, all the documentation of everything done, thousands of inspections of the metal. These aren't just shade tree mechanics, these guys are pros. I used to do depot-level maintenance on aircraft that involved a lot of work like this. Much respect to this crew because it's anything but easy yet so satisfying when you're done and it rolls out.
Just thinking the same thing.
got to be pro's, you dont get a boiler certified without the inspections.
When a machine goes out and you can say to yourself "Sure, I'd be proud to let my mom drive that, or ride on it.."
The runaway tender was intresting to see and I like the fact it was included
that was funny
although hilarious to witness kick shunting, its downright terrifying and nowadays the FRA would de-certify you 5 times over for kicking cars cuz apparently shoving uncontrolled cars with no loco is a dangerous idea. AKA they dont like fun lol
This was randomly recommended to me and I gotta say I'm glad I spent my half hour watching this! And I've been to that railway museum in Strasbourg!
Vintage trains are being restored all over the country and world. It's a fascinating subindustry
same here
All hail the algorithm
I love the museum in Strasbourg, home of the GG1 Rivets!
Wow, There is nothing more beautiful than watching a restore steam engine. They did a fantastic job of restoring the engine. It is so great to me, that engines like this one are restored so we never forget these beautiful engines are what made the wild west and tamed it so as we nostalgic about the old steam trains are kept and used and maintained so the next generation can more appreciate the way we used to travel. North America and Canada relied on these old work horses for mail delivery, supplies and passenger travel for hundreds of years before the modern engines took over for them. Stunning well put together documentary. Loved it.
34:19 steam? a LOT of dirt dust would i say.. thanks god this era is over
I had the opportunity pre-COVID to ride a steam excursion train. The smell was awful, and cinders got in the eyes and hair and all over the seats in the open flatcar. All this, from just a little coal burning 0-4-0 made me glad to have been born after dieselization. The Pacifics, Hudsons, Mikados etc proportionately must have really made a mess.
@@calrob300 Hi Cal, I was born when dieselization was well in the swing of things. I love looking at the grand old work horses fly down the track i have been on a steam train only once and that was a miniature so i got the smoke produced right in my face and i loved it. it was a lot of fun, and to see my Dad's face light up like it did i was so happy for the experience. Diesels are exciting to see also and to feel them take off is amazing. We don't use trains for every day commutes here in Canada trains here are more for long distance travel where to crew change quite regularly. I miss the trains sound as it goes past your house. Occasionally a newly restored train comes barreling passed you house and you know just by the sound of the whistle what kind of train it is. I am sorry your experience wasn't a good one but you really don't know what you are missing. To see these old steam trains it a sight to behold, its part of our history a history that is great, many people got rich off the railroads of old and still today. I hope your next experience is a better one but this time clear your mind and think outside the box.
Boy I miss that sound, but I can watch westerns and hear it again! Thanks for the great video!
It makes me happy to think that there are people who will go out of their way, spend their own time and money for the sake of preserving industrial history like trains.
You grand, beautiful old lady! Thank you for posting this heartwarming video.
Glad that you enjoyed the sights and sounds :)
Hail to all the volunteers for there work to keep this beautiful machinery alive. Greets from Holland.
The amount of work, expertise required and specialized equipment required to restore a large steam locomotive is unreal. What a great job by all those talented folks. Can't be many left that have the knowledge needed. A work of art.
Every year we are learning the almost lost ability of of this Beautiful work. My Late Grandfather worked for Baldwin Locomotives in Philadelphia his entire life.
Just hearing her huff & puff back to life!!❤❤ great job guys 😊👍!!
What a beauty!!! These locos were simply pieces of art. A huge debt of gratitude to the men who donated their time and effort to work on her.
Wow what a beautiful master piece .I allways loved a steamlocomotive sins my childhood days.Thank you for this awesome movie. South Africa🇿🇦💯
It's hard to believe the engine could sit around in the open so long and still be brought back to life. Kudos to everyone.
That’s cause things used to be made to last
@@DontCryAboutIt Consider that the video is 25 years old. Most of those older guys that were fixing stuff were in their 50's and 60's are gone now.
Can you hear a message could you read that to me I cannot read I can hardly say
Believe it or not, more often then not, the railroads were far harder on these machines toward the end of the steam era than the elements ever could be. Why would the railroad take care of them when they are going to be scrapped and replaced? The majority were run into the ground and then dumped on the dead lines, often with high mileage on the running gear, screwed up frames, bad wheels... The middle bit of the preservation era was also hard on these machines, as a lot of the folks who had the experience to work on and run them retired, passed away, or otherwise left the industry. I like to call it the "Patch it, and get it out the door era." (Late 80's, early 90's). Problems that could have been manageable with proper maintenance then, are now big expensive problems which are responsible for sidelining popular excursion stars. There were a number of locomotives then that probably shouldn't even have been running by 2022 standards. Then, the Gettysburg 1278 incident happened, and re-wrote the rule book. Thankfully, there are enough machinists, welders, and boilermakers out there with enough interest in working on these things to support the locomotives we have. Thanks to them, we are currently experiencing a Renaissance of sorts.
I want to say thank you to all of you long time subscribers and customers, without you we would not exist. We appreciate each and every one of you :-)
As a token of my appreciation for all of you I've created this condensed action packed clip of restoring the SOO Line 2719. The full length program with much more detail is also available from our website, just follow the link below at the end of this post.
I meant for the Restoring a 4-6-2 Pacific clip to be a Christmas present for all of you, but I got hung up with a computer breakdown of epic proportion right before Christmas. I thought we had lost our next new release, but luckily the project was saved from digital obliteration and will be coming out in mid March 2022 so stay tuned for this next new release!
As for now, your love of the chase, and your love of railroading keeps us going. Really it does. Thank you for watching our channel and supporting us on TH-cam. Please comment, like, dislike, and tell us what you want to see (or don't want to see) in future programs from Plets Express.
Thank you for watching, and if you're looking for additional railroading, great lakes shipping, scenery or hot spot entertainment please visit us at www.pletsexpress.com for a complete library of entertainment.
I hope you enjoy the new clip.
Regards,
Brad Plets
Restoring a 4-6-2 Pacific in 35 Minutes! - Soo Line 2719 www.pletsexpress.com/fnimall/Plets/0242719R/vid_trains.phtml
I remember working on 2719 , good times thanks for your work
@@johnkries8189 yeah, it was a wonderful time to be involved in the most worthy of causes, restoring the life blood of America, Steam Locomotives. It's almost unimaginable to think where we would be without steam and the railroads. Thank you for your work in preserving a piece of our history.
@@johnkries8189 John is that you at 15:31 ? I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time placing your face with your name.
Easily one of the all time best Plets Express videos. Fair to say, this video was instrumental in developing my passion for trains
I hope you will exist for a long time. You are one of the few producers still making stuff. You know its hard when Pentrex is basically just selling their old collection at this point. So I am glad you are all out there. BN Mississippi river route is still one of my favorite videos to watch.
Wow! What a lot of detailed effort -- both in restoring the 2719 and documenting its progress. Thumbs up!
Many thanks! It was great fun to document it coming together piece by piece. So glad you enjoyed it.
These men who donated their time and talent are simply great human beings! Keeping American railroading history alive. There's nothing as exciting as seeing and hearing a steam locomotive in action. My thanks to all involved. This really puts into perspective on why a steam Locomotive restoration takes so damn long.
So very cool,..when you have the expertise and the right equipment, it goes along smoothly. My friend in Southern Ohio, pulled a pre-Civil War built, farm steam engine out of a bog, and was given it, for his efforts. Even though it had been submerged in muddy glop, for 50 years, it was in repairable condition. The bog preserved the iron monster. He was a master welder and was certain he could get back in running order. That steam engine would have powered, a sawmill, or something similar. It sat on huge iron wheels. The the style of rivets holding the boiler together and the smoke stack, defined the year it was manufactured. (as in: pre or post Civil War. It was very solid, some internal heat tubes needed repair. My friend also resurrected and was using a late 1800s, (portable) saw mill. Portable because it was mounted to an iron sled. It was also in a bog. He cleaned up, and got it running, using a WW2 Jeep, to power it. He was able to make money, cutting rail road ties, for the rail road in his area.
Time out 27:44. I could smell the smoke coming out her stack!! Thank you for the memories of childhood!!!!
Nothing sounds nicer than a steam whistle on these engines.
BRING BACK STEAM ENGINES
I think we should have a mix of diesel electric and steam
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Bruh if we bring back steam the idiots working on the railroad boutta make these things go gettysburg 1278
@@herbalgabel no it’s not, it can spread out toxic air and make the world a worse place.
Climate change : 😐
Just love the sound of the old steam locos, brings back memories of train journeys as a kid.
EARLY 50'S I SAW THE UNION PACIFIC TURNTABLE YARD IN SAN BERNARDINO WITH LIVE LOCOMOTIVES...MY POP WORKED AT REDLANDS FEED & GRAIN & HE TOOK FAMILY OUT TO MENTONE TO WATCH A STEAM ENGINE DELIVER GRAIN TO RED FEED & GRAIN WAREHOUSE...I REMEMBER THE NOISES AND FELT THE RUMBLING IN OUR CAR...AWSOME...THE WEIGHT & POWER OF THOSE STEAMERS REALLY LEFT THE IMPRESSION ON ME...(73yo now) THANK YOU FOR THIS INTERESTING MAINTAINENCE VIDEO...NICE!!!
It was literally brought back to life, so great it's going back into service, a big shout out to all the volunteers who helped in the restoration.
Remember this video was made in 1998 or so. since then the 2719 has run excursions and has been donated to the Lake superior rr museum where it ran on the north shore line untill its boiler certification expired. It now resides under cover at the museum.
Thanks to everyone who gave their time and talents in restoring the 2719 steam engine.
Fabulous job of work saving this historical beauty Makes those who grew up with steam engine trains very happy...
How exciting. When god made me, he asked do you want to work on planes or trains… I said trains quietly and was misheard and ended up flying planes lol. Seriously had I not ended up flying back int 1985, I’d loved to have made a living working on trains.
Like so many millions of young men, I loved model railroading and so did my grandfather who was born in 1917. He had HO scale engines and cars all over his office and at one time his garage had such a nice layout that the Dallas newspaper gave him a one page write up.
My dad was a pilot and I also loved airplanes. That became my career. Maybe when I retire, can find an old engine near that others need help maintaining
Great video. A heartfelt “THANK YOU” goes out to the craftsman, and volunteers who brought this beauty back to life. I visit the Strasbourg Railroad in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and absolutely LOVE the old steam locomotives. I plan to visit Steamtown in Scranton, Pa, as soon as they finish cosmetically restoring the Union Pacific Big Boy 4012, my favorite locomotive of all time.
i have a 3985 in my HO scale collection. its on my list as well
@@untouchedforce6388 - Nice!!! I’ve read even in HO scale, those giants need a WIDE turning radius!!! Someday I’d like to build a HO scale diorama. I may have to go with N scale, but there’s so much more available for HO scale, and I think with HO being a little bigger, it would be easier to build.
Magnifique!… well done guys and girls bringing this baby back to life!
In my school days , here in Manchester UK I used to go to school and pass over a railway bridge and wait for the steam engines to pass beneath!… I’m now 71 yrs and going strong with that love of steam locomotives! Thanks
This randomly came up for me on 8-12-22 of recommended videos and it was a pleasure to watch all the way thru. A big thank you to all of the people who took the time, money, and effort to restore the 2719 locomotive. It looks beautiful, great job!
funny how the algorithm works... Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
ENGINEERING AT ITS BEST thankyou to all who took part in rebuild it was amazing to watch.
No doubt THEE best steam restoral video ever made !! Not too long/not too short..Just enough to cover the gamut of this amazing voluntary work and dedication to preserving and reviving the past !!!
I prefer the video of Sumpter #19 but this one was good too.
Steam locomotives are the most intriguing machines ever! It's amazing all the technology they had in the early 20th century.
Amazing video. It is good to see that we still have craftsmen available to rebuild these magnificent locomotives. I learned a lot from watching this video. Thanks.
Can anyone imagine the memories this would bring back for old timers?
What an amazing video. Thanks to the dedication of all those volunteers the 2719 lives again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great to see 2719 restoration and 1003 in such great shape. Thanks to all the effort & skill it takes from people who care to keep the classic steam locomotives alive. Hopefully the skillset to operate+care for them properly will be maintained over the years as well, so these two steam engines will still be happily taking people on steam excursions in another 100 years !
Wow, incredible that they were able to completely restore it in a little over 35 minutes! That’s gotta be a record.
i don't know if you're serious or not
@@HazzyHazeI Steam locomotives cause pollution. We should be scrapping them and cutting them up. Not restoring them.
@@PreservationEnthusiast dude, literally everything with a diesel engine in it creates c02, also steam locomotives are apart of history.
@@HazzyHazeI When did I mention diesels? Those should be cut up too. We need to use electric power with energy created from renewable resource and hydrogen power.
@@PreservationEnthusiast well let's cut up all the cars too then, also don't forget most boats
I loved watching this process. A few weeks ago, my wife and I rode an excursion train pulled by a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. That locomotive spent decades on display in a local park, and was restored to operating condition in 2008.
Where did you ride and what engine was it?
We rode the Christmas Lantern Express on the Three Rivers Rambler, operating out of Knoxville. That train was pulled by Engine No. 154.
This video is so cool. During World War II my dad rode on a steam train like this. I think after this dad always wanted to work for a rail road.
That loco is a real beauty! Thanks for this video - and thanks to all the skilled and dedicated craftsmen who manufactured it in the 1920s and to the ones who restored it in the 1990s.
Magic. There is nothing like a steam train. Well done guys.
l am in my 80's ans l remember when Live Steam was King....Thanks so very much for this amazing video.....Shoe🇺🇸
My late Dad would be amazed seeing this. He started working as a machinist in 1932 at the Canadian National Railway engine room at the age of 22 before voluteering to the WW2 effort and came back a decorated hero for saving many lives on marine convoys to UK.
He went back to CNR and worked on these steamers for years. He was one of the last to know all about and maintain them.
He deeply HATED diesel/electric locomotives. No soul to them he used to say, comparing steamers to living animals, huffin' and puffin' under the effort.
My last view of one was in 1981, stopping for water in our town, unexpected. The Fire Dept' was called in to refill.
All in town gathered to watch. Kids afraid. My wife who had never seen one, let alone hear one starting, bell ringing and all was duly impressed. Back at home, she had to call my Dad, all excited. "You actually worked on those ? You test drove them ?? " 😳
Yep, kiddo! "Oh my god, awesome, Dad !" 😍🤗
Soo Line 2719 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive was restored and operated in excursion service from 1998 until 2013 when its boiler certificate expired. Today, the locomotive remains on display in Duluth, Minnesota. Built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for use on passenger trains operated by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ("Soo Line"). No. 2719 was used to haul the Soo Line's last steam-powered train, a June 21, 1959 round-trip excursion between Minneapolis, Minnesota and Ladysmith, Wisconsin. It was then displayed in Eau Claire, Wisconsin until 1996.[3]
Soo sad to read about the end of this wonderful machine, when I saw the video planning to visit them take a ride on board
I need to restore all these engines
I've been there in the museum. There's also another 2 trains in 2 harbors about 30 miles up the north shore. You can take the excursion and see it.
What do you mean the boiler certificate expired? What does that mean?
@@Deltaexe190 It means that every 15 years, or 1,472 days of operation, the locomotive would have to get its boiler flues replaced and get anything else inspected and repaired, which is called the “1,472-day inspection.” So in the short terms, a mandated overhaul. The process could take a few years but the Strasburg Railroad did a 1,472-day inspection on one of their engines in 6 months flat.
Would've been great to see it in person, at my 71 years of age, been born and raised in the mechanical field, I enjoy every minute of it, most kind of you for sharing it with us, blessings to you and your love ones, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico Jesus Torres.
The 2719 moving on its own power since June of 1959! That's when I first started moving too! It's absolutely incredible watching you guys working on something this complicated and HUGE and built before any of you were born! INCREDIBLE! I mean WOW! Jeff
man, interlaced footage for all its downsides provides a very smooth picture now
Completely enjoyed that video Thanks.. I had to share it to my good friends that will appreciate it. My Grandfather (RIP) was SP Vice President of Repair and Restoration. As a kid he took me to the yards in early 70's but he had already been Railroad Family from his Father and Grandfather. The memories came back and watching great mechanists work is tremendous..Thanks again
I love to see the old steam engines back on the tracks.
Thanks, very pleasent to watch this.
9:54 That line bore machine is something else !
12:55 That vertical lathe is, well you guessed it, something else too.
Nothing better than seeing and hearing North American steam.
Fascinating and educational to follow along on her rebuilding. Thanks for posting.
Obviously it takes a group of very dedicated and highly skilled people for this restoration to happen...well done and thanks!
Wonderful video. Thank you so much. The sounds of steam engines at night are soul stirring! Gary Benson and all those volunteers and talented craftsmen are so gifted by their passion to bring back to life one of the most complex artifacts of the Industrial Revolution! What a pleasure to watch the process. Seeing 2719 and 1003 doubled headed was fantastic. RussC
Glad you enjoyed it! On a cool calm night hearing a mournful whistle in the distance is enough to give you the chills :)
Very Impressive Video, About Some Very Impressive People, Doing a Magnificent Job On a Iconic Piece of History ! ❤😊 Thanks for Sharing !😊
I really enjoyed this presentation and it was very well produced.
Wonderful upscaling to HD, properly deinterlaced at 60fps, you love to see it. Great footage!
I really like the old steamers, very few people left alive today that saw them operate in their day
Great video, great work, exceptional volunteers! A pleasure to watch! Thanks for the ride!Be well, be safe!
so happy you enjoyed it, thank you for watching, take care
Amazing restoration and production. I can't believe how broken the rails are though. I worked maintenance of way for CN Rail during university and we had to use a track level to see dips. Here you can see every joint is broken.
What an amazing piece of machinery. Speaks to the state of casting and metalworking technology in this country in the Roaring '20s.
This is absolutely amazing and a great way to keep history alive!
What a truly massive example of design and engineering technology that was once cutting edge. Wonderful to see that it has endured.
It's hard to believe that 5 percent thermal efficiency was once cutting edge.
Just bought this DVD and am watching it rn. I am very pleased with the quality of the presentation. Very good product, sir.
Superpower report of restoration!
Outstanding preservation work. Warm congratulations from Paris. Cheers
I live in Jackson Michigan. We have a locomotive engine that has been in a park for decades. Children used to play on it. But long ago a fence was built around it. Now has been sold and will be rebuilt and returned to the rails. The children, now adults are pleased to know it will return to service. Soon it will be what it was build to be.
good to hear that there's still people and volunteers interested in history and preserving it! Thanks for sharing that, maybe you will help with that locomotive?
Oh man! I remember seeing Soo Line cars and bridges in the UP. My grandfather and his family worked for LS&I.
Great that these old steamers are preserved and maintained.
Nothing more exhilarating than watching a steamer come flying by!
Excellent video! Love the old machine shops and how huge parts were made & fitted. Thanks to all who helped restore this part of local history.
God! I gotta ya'll what...I'm not a big fan of the C&NW, but anything being re-built, (mainline, USA only), is SO extremely satisfying. Anybody else out there with similar videos?
It is especially satisfying to watch a display piece be brought back to life and preserved for all to enjoy. Thanks for watching Jim :)
Wonderful program
I'd recommend Flying Scotsman but she's mainline UK...
You're still an insult to C&NW
This was fascinating, what skill and patience those technicians have to painstakingly dismantle and machine new components. It's a project I would have loved to participate in. Here in France we have trains that fly along at 300kms/hr but they don't come anywhere near to the sheer character those old machines had. Thanks for that excellent film.
Greetings in France, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching :)
It is always enjoyable and interesting to observe the rebuilding process of a steam locomotive, the tear down, individual labor performance tasks and parts reassembly is a complex operation. Soo Line 2719 has an interesting operation history and I am glad to see that this locomotive still exists ; I do wish that the Soo Line did however preserve one example of both their 4-8-2 & 4-8-4 type locomotives for public display purpose. The Soo Line only purchased 4 examples of the Lima O 20 class 4-8-4 types & it's a true shame that not one locomotive out of a total of four was saved from being scrapped and preserved for future generations of railfans.
Yeah the bean counters didn't care about the future. They thought only profit.
Excellent video! I listened to steam power switching in the yards 70+ years ago.
a great memory I'm sure, thanks for sharing. Take care!
I love watching history restoration. Great work to all involved.
We had a round house and train depot in my town with 200 ton cranes. My grandpa was a chief engineer for steam trains, good work fellas! I feel lucky to have seen him drive the last steam train through our town. They don't make hard working fellas like in this video anymore.
Thank you, what railroad was your Grandpa on?
SO BEAUTIFUL IT MAKES ME WEEP
I enjoyed your video and with my ADD it was just short enough to keep me invested. I did daydream about how the program to restore a local steam locomotive too.
Excellent thanks for posting.
My dad worked for the Soo Line and helped move the 2719 to Carson Park back in the day.
I got my love of steam engines from my grandpappy who was born just after the steam era ended. His dad was a fireman on the engine that sits in our local park now and his dad before him was the actual engineer on the same engine for a time. Sad that he never got to ride in one before he passed, he sure played plenty of computer games about them though.
Imagine how cool if must've been during those days to be a railroader, wake up before dawn to wake your own engine up, watching all of the locomotives slowly come to life and steam away to do their daily chores. different times for sure.
What a beautiful machine
One minute to appreciate how Hank Hill does a great narration of this fantastic documentary about locomotives and propane.
Glad I came across this video. I’m not a rail fan, but am an automotive/transportation buff. but I love the history aspect of it as well as stuff from the late 1800’s early 1900’s!
And now I find out the Altoona roundhouse was demolished! Such a shame that happened.
yes, once Union Pacific bought out the C&NW that roundhouse's days were numbered. How quick they are to demolish history. Very sad indeed.
Wow!!? Extremely cool!! With today's modern equipment, you can't help but wonder how they did it in the old days!! Thank you for this video
What an absolute beast of a train. And a beautiful one
My dad fired 2719 when it was on the Wisconsin great northern railroad in 2002
Great job of explaining all of the operation and components!!
Wow, My best friend, I liked the video very much, thanks you for sharing, stay safe, stay blessed
Thank you! You too!
Thanks!
Very interesting and full of details.
As a child I was very impressed by those steam machines.
Glad you enjoyed it :)
Great story. I am so glad that this train was restored. From Hawkins, Wi with thanks!!!!!!😀😀😀😀😀
so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for watching :)
Well, the engine was restored, anyway. Not sure about the whole train.