Flying Duchess on the move

The Flying Duchess (now located in Louisville) is headed to a new home in LaGrange Kentucky. It will be located near the ventage LaGrange L&N Railroad Depot. The locomotive will be restored and placed on display. Efforts are under way to raise money for the transport of the Flying Duchess. The Foundation that is taking ownership of the Flying Duchess is the Ohio Valley Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc. Their website is www.Trainweb.org/ohiovalleyrr/ . There is an article on move of the Flying Duchess in the June 16, 2011 edition of the Oldham Era (LaGrange, KY) newspaper.

 

Arrival in LaGrange Kentucky USA, Aug 23rd.............
The building in background old train station (currently occupied by the Chamber of Commerce) is being turned into a railway museum......Resteration to begin on "The Dutchess" as funds permit..........

 

What happened to the side tanks?

 

Unknown......The Dutchess has spent the last few years in a scrap yard.....perhaps taken for scrap...........much work to be done..............."2nd car" also missing and whereabouts unknown.........

 

If it helps many years ago, I saw a British coach in a railway resales yard on the east side of St Louis (Granite City), given the other 2 are in Michigan still, it could be it.

 

Thanks..............I'll past that along...............

 

Hi folks -- here's the press release sent to media by a member of the Ohio Valley Railroad Historical Foundation:

The "Flying Duchess" steam locomotive has found a new home at the La Grange Train Depot in La Grange Kentucky.

The Louisville Harrods Creek & Westport Railway Foundation, owner of the Flying Duchess, recently agreed to loan the steam locomotive to the Ohio Valley Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc. for 20 years with an option to transfer ownership to OVRHF at any time.

The steam locomotive 7745 (MEA No. 2) named "Flying Duchess" was built in England by the Robert Stephenson & Hawthorne Company in 1952. Upon close inspection it may seem clear that the Flying Duchess was built upon the same design as the famous children's TV character, Thomas the Tank Engine.

The Duchess is an outside-cylinder side tank locomotive that weighs about 50 tons. The design became a standard for the British Electricity Authority for use at its large power stations throughout the United Kingdom. The BEA had a requirement for locomotives capable of taking over a 1,000 ton train from a British Railways locomotive for the final stage of its journey to the coal tipplers.

The Flying Duchess was delivered to the Meaford Power Station and was operational until it was sold in the early 1970's. The Flying Duchess left the United Kingdom and was shipped and delivered to the Boyne City Railroad in Grand Falls, Michigan. It is reported that when Boyne City failed, the Flying Duchess was sold and moved to Tennessee in the early 1980’s.

In 2000 the locomotive again was sold and moved first to Indiana and later to a scrap yard in Louisville Kentucky. Now the Flying Duchess has found a new home in La Grange Kentucky. The Ohio Valley Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc. hopes the locomotive will serve as another attraction to compliment the already famous rail line that runs through the middle of downtown La Grange on Main Street.

With the move to La Grange, a fundraising campaign is planned to restore the Flying Duchess to its glory days.

 

Currently there is a story (on The Flying Dutchess) available on line from the LaGrange local newspaper (The Oldham Era).............
Go to: http://www.oldhamera.com/ ............... I believe this will only be posted for 1 week..........
Enjoy

 

Unfortunately, you must have an account with Oldham Era to read this story.

 

Adkins is not a scrap yard!!! it is a place of buisness were they ceep all of their equipment!

 

I think they need to do a little more research...! But good luck to them all the same, always good to see a bit of history plucked from the hands of the scrapmen.

 

Is there a reason why you chose those two sentences to stake your comment upon? And, yes...amazing that this engine was headed for scrap.

 

I dont see anything wrong with the second quote, but i think comparing her to Thomas (L&BSCR E2) is perhaps slightly pushing it..! She's an industrial, not mainline design; outside rather than inside cylindered; and 40 years younger. They both have side tanks and 6 wheels but i suspect thats about it, though its obviously great for PR purposes.

The important thing though is that she's been saved - even better IMO would be to see her restored to an accurate livery, if she's anything like Meaford No2 she had a very bright and attractive livery for an industrial loco which would look great on her.

Chris

 

Benefit this weekend in downtown LaGrange for the restoration of The Flying Dutchess........Hope to raise enough moneys to start the project...............Also visit:[I][I][I][I][I][COLOR=#008080]F[/COLOR][URL="http://railways.national-preservation.com/groups/176432475758704/"]riends of La Grange Main Street CSX RR Streetrunning[/URL] an open group on Facebook

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Friends of La Grange Main Street CSX RR Streetrunning

 

Didn't mean that to be a link.............This is a site on Facebook...........Go to Facebook first and then go to Friends of La Grange Main Street CSX RR Streetrunning.............it is an open group so anyone can use it.............

 

Follow this link to the website of the orginization that is restoring the flying duchess...........http://www.lagrange-rr-museum.org/
Pictures & information available...........

 

Rockn the RR, created by Judge Executive David Voegele and coordinated by Allen Lane's Music and Entertainment, raised $1756 for the Flying Duchess through sponsorships, vendors, t-shirt sales and a 50-50 raffle.

Not a lot but things can start..........

 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/176432475758704/ This is the link for Friends of LaGrange Main Street CSX RR Streetrunning

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