Valley Railroad 97

Steam locomotive

Valley Railroad 97

No. 97 preparing to haul an excursion train on November 26, 2021

| Type and origin

Power type| Steam
Builder| American Locomotive Company (Cooke Works)
Serial number| 65188
Build date| February 1926
| Specifications

Configuration:
| ​
• Whyte| 2-8-0
• UIC| 1’D’
Gauge| 4 ft 81/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.| 28 in (711 mm)
Driver dia.| 48 in (1,219 mm)
Width| 10 ft (3 m)
Axle load| 30,500 Ib (13.830 kg: 13.83 t)
Adhesive weight| 122,000 Ib (55,340 kg: 55.34 t)
Loco weight| 141,000 Ib (63,960 kg: 63.96 t)
Tender weight| 132,000 Ib (59.870 kg: 59,87 t)
Total weight| 273,000 Ib (123,800 kg: 123.8 t)
Fuel type| Coal
Fuel capacity| 20,000 Ib (9,072 kg: 9,072 t)
Water cap.| 6,000 US gal (23,000 I: 5,000 imp gal)
Boiler pressure| 180 Ibf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
Cylinders| Two
Cylinder size| 19 in x 26 in (483 mm x 660 mm)
Valve gear| Walschaerts
| Performance figures

Maximum speed| 55 mph (88.51 km/h)
Tractive effort| 29.918 Ibf (133.1 kN)
Factor of adh.| 4.08
| Career

Operators| Birmingham and Southeastern Railroad
Vermont Railway
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
Class| 200
Numbers| B&S 200
VTR 97
CVRR 97
Retired| 1958 (1st retirement)
1968 (2nd retirement)
Restored| 1964 (1st restoration)
1973 (2nd restoration)
Current owner| Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
Disposition| Operational
References:[1][2][3]

Valley Railroad 97 is a preserved class "200" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive that was built in February 1926 by the American Locomotive Company's Cooke Works.

## History

[edit]

No. 97 was built by the American Locomotive Company's former Cooke Locomotive Works in February 1926 as No. 200.[3][4][1][5][2] It was one of two locomotives that were intended to be exported to Cuba for use on the National Railway Company of Cuba.[6] No. 200 was subsequently sold to the Birmingham and Southeastern Railroad that same year and it was moved to the company's shortline in Alabama.[3] The locomotive pulled multiple passenger and freight trains on Birmingham and Southeastern trackage until it's retirement from revenue service in 1958.[1]

In 1963, New York publisher Stephen D. Bogen, purchased No. 200 to haul tourists trains and moved it to the Vermont Railway, it was also renumbered to No. 97 to avoid conflict with the railroad’s diesel locomotive No. 200.[3][6] No. 97 pulled mainline excursion trains on portions of the New Haven Railroad until it merged with the Penn Central Railroad in 1968.[3][6] No. 97 was eventually moved to Essex, Connecticut in 1970 to haul tourists trains, it was eventually refurbished and placed into service hauling excursions for the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat in 1973.[1] Shortly afterward, No. 97 would replace 2-6-2 locomotive No. 103 as the Valley Railroad’s train consist expanded.

No. 97 ran until December 2010, when its flue time expired, and while being displayed outdoors, the locomotive underwent its 1,472-day inspection and overhaul as required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), but was soon back in service on October 26, 2018.[1]

## Film history

[edit]

In June 2007, No. 97 was coupled to some passenger cars to be filmed at Essex station. This was for the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg.[7]

## Gallery

[edit]

* New Haven RS-3 534, RDCS, RS-3s, and No. 97 at Danbury, CT on July 28, 1968

* No. 97 in Essex, December 2004

* No. 97 on static display in September 2011

* No. 97 on static display in September 2013

## See also

[edit]

* Trains portal
* United States portal
* Hudson Valley portal
* New Jersey portal
* Railways portal
* Connecticut portal

* Huntingdon and Broad Top 38
* Arcade and Attica 18
* Tennessee Valley Railroad 610
* Valley Railroad 40
* Valley Railroad 3025

Portals:
* Trains
* United States
* Hudson Valley
* Connecticut
* Railways

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "Essex Steam Train & Riverboat" (PDF). Retrieved October 26, 2024.
2. ^ a b "Essex Steam Train & River Boat: Roster of Equipment" (PDF). The Valley Railroad Company. June 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
3. ^ a b c d e Karl Zimmermann (May 17, 1987). "ALL ABOARD FOR A RIDE BACK TO THE 1920's". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
4. ^ Angela Cotey (February 9, 2023). "Essex Steam Train and Riverboat profile". Trains. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
5. ^ "The Essex Steam Train". victorianweb.org. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
6. ^ a b c Robert E. Tomasso (May 15, 1977). "Out of Essex On Old 97". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
7. ^ "Filming Locations for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), in California; New Mexico; Connecticut and Hawaii". The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. Retrieved 2022-12-18.

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