Rahway Valley 15

Rahway Valley Railroad No. 15 is a steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as Oneida and Western Railroad No. 20 in 1916. As of 2023, the locomotive is on display at Steamtown National Historic Site.

Rahway Valley 15
Rahway Valley Railroad No. 15 on display in 2003
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works Serial number 43529 Model 10-34 E Build date June 1916
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0  • UIC 1′D n2G Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 50 in (1,270 mm) Adhesive weight 127,700 lb (57.9 tonnes) Loco weight 146,000 lb (66.2 tonnes) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 6 short tons (5.4 tonnes) Water cap. 3,500 US gal (13,000 L; 2,900 imp gal) Boiler pressure 200 psi (1.38 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type Built: Slide valves Rebuilt: Outside-admission piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 33,350 lbf (148.3 kN) Factor of adh. 4.16
Career Operators Oneida and Western Railroad (O&W), Rahway Valley Railroad (RVRR), Green Mountain Railroad (GMRC), Steamtown Numbers O&W 20, RVRR 15 Nicknames Faithful Fifteen Locale Tennessee, New Jersey Retired November 28, 1953 (revenue service) August 12, 1973 (excursion service) Preserved May 1959 Restored 1962 (1st restoration) 1987 (cosmetically) Current owner Steamtown National Historic Site Disposition On static display

History

In 1926, 20 suffered freeze damage to its bridges when a hostler accidentally left it outside overnight, necessitating its return to Baldwin for repairs. While at Baldwin, 20's slide valve cylinders were replaced with piston valve cylinders.[1]

20 was sold to the Rahway Valley Railroad in 1937 and renumbered to 15. It last ran in revenue service in November 28, 1953 before being replaced by #17 a GE 70-ton switcher. The President of the Railroad, George Clark, did not wish to see No. 15 scrapped however. It was placed in heated undercover storage pending further development for the next six years; at one point it was hoped the engine would be put on public display in Kenilworth, New Jersey, but space surrounding the railroad was limited.

It was donated to F. Nelson Blount in May 1959 and was received at Wakefield, Massachusetts on June 5 that year. Blount chose to restore the locomotive and operate it at Steamtown, U.S.A. in 1962. It also travelled to Boston to be filmed in The Cardinal. The locomotive later became Green Mountain Railroad #15 following the formation of that railroad. It remained under the Green Mountain name until 1973 and was later reverted to Rahway Valley #15.

Rahway Valley 15 at Steamtown, U.S.A in Bellows Falls, Vermont in August 1970. Note that it has Green Mountain lettering on the tender.

No. 15's last run was on August 12, 1973, when a boiler tube blew out, scalding Andy Barbera, who was operating as the locomotive engineer at the time. Since the services of the locomotive were not needed at the time, the repairs were not done and remained undone by the time the Steamtown Special History was written.

The Steamtown Special History Study recommended that the engine be cosmetically and operationally restored, as it had served in the northeastern quarter of the United States and had been serviced, at least once, at the Lackawanna's Scranton shop.

As of 2023, the locomotive is still displayed and inoperable at Steamtown National Historic Site. There aren’t any plans to restore 15 to operation anytime soon.

External links

External images
Builder's photo
1937, Kenilworth, New Jersey
1963-01-07, Steamtown USA
Current view.
Current.