| Frisco No. 1630 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| St. Louis - San Francisco Railroad #1630 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Frisco No. 1630 is a type of 2-10-0 "Decapod" type steam locomotive. It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1918 for the Russian Government as a broad gauge (5-foot gauge) engine, but due to the Russian Revolution it was kept in the USA. It was converted to standard gauge, and given to the Pennsylvania Railroad, before being purchased by the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. It was assigned as a mixed traffic engine when it was owned by the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway until the end of the steam era in the 1950's. After its withdrawal it was sold to Eagle-Picher who used it to haul lead ore to a smelting plant until it's retirement in 1967.
It was eventually purchased by the Illinois Railway Museum in 1969, as the one of the only steam locomotives preserved at the museum.
In 2004, it was put away in storage at Barn 9. On November 3, 2013, the locomotive made a couple of test runs for the first time on the IRM's main line for years, but it developed a leak and was put back in the shops. With the leak fixed, the locomotive was successfully steamed again on October 30, 2013.
Today, No. 1630 still hauls passenger excursions and occasional freight trains at the Illinois Railway Museum.
Frisco 2-10-0 (Decapod) 1630, Union, IL, Sept. 20, 1992
Trivia[]
- 1630 was one of approximately 200 locomotives that had been ordered by the Russian Government.
- This engine was also featured in the film "The Alphabet Train" "A League of Their Own" "The Babe", "Choo-Choo Trains Close Up And Very Personal" (kids VHS) "Illinois Railway Museum" (Railway Productions) "I Love Toy Trains" (during a "Real Trains" segment) "I Love Big Trains", and Goldhil Video's Great Trains of America: Eastern Railroad during the Illinois Railroad Museum feature.
- Unlike most decapods, 1630 has a front mounted air compressor. Only one other preserved Frisco decapod has a front mounted compressor: 1632.
- A blower was often used to blow soot and exhaust from the smokestack.
- In 1975 Frisco No. 1630 and Tuskegee No. 101 doubleheaded a passenger train on the IRM mainline.
- At the museum you can embark on tours of the locomotive.
- The locomotive had been out of service since 2004 and now it is back in steam since May 24, 2014, after its 10-year overhaul.
- After 1630's test run on May 24, 2014, the Rock Island No. 938 was moved into the Steam Department Shops for cosmetic restoration work.
- 1630 has been operating at the museum since November 1972.
- There are 5 existing engines of this class in the US, there numbers are as follows: 1630, 1625, 1621, 1632, and 1615.
- Since July 3, 2015, 1630's IC Steamboat 3 Chime whistle has been replaced.
- 1630 is the Illinois Railway Museum's main passenger locomotive.
- On June 11, 2017, it was seen switching around a bundle of other old steam locomotives on the museum grounds.
- The locomotive, during Memorial Day weekend 2016, pulled 137 empty coal cars as what was considered to be one of the longest revenue freight trains powered by a steam locomotive in at least 25 years as said by IRM's Steam department curator.
- In July 2016, it was seen pulling the consist of the IRM's "Nebraska Zephyr".
- On the evening of September 14, 2019, during the Museum Showcase Weekend, 1630 double headed with J. Neils Lumber Co. No. 5 (aka Shay 5), and it was the first doubleheader in a couple of decades.