Horneman Enterprises, an engineering firm specializing in rail equipment restoration, has rebuilt 4-4-0 Harrisburg, Lincoln & Lancaster Railroad No. 331 — formerly No. 63 Leviathan — from a completely torn down to the boiler, to operational in 5 weeks. The rebuild completed the locomotive’s FRA 1,472 day inspection, which was accomplished over the course of 10 months, according to statements on the firm’s Facebook page.
During the inspection period, Horneman completed additional work on the locomotive beyond the requirements. New driving boxes were engineered, fabricated and installed, along with new spring rigging and springs. A new blast nozzle and delivery pipes were designed, produced and placed. The locomotive’s air compressor was completely rebuilt. Additionally, the lubrication system was improved, wheel hubs turned for better lateral motion, and all journals were resurfaced. Finally, a new FRA Form 4 was calculated by the Horneman staff.
The Harrisburg, Lincoln & Lancaster Railroad is located on the Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown, Pa., which is about 25 miles southeast of Harrisburg, Pa. The restored right-of-way dates to 1834 and the Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mount Joy & Lancaster Railroad.
What is now HL&L No. 331 began life as a replica of Central Pacific Railroad locomotive No. 63, built by Kloke Locomotive Works — now Knoxville Locomotive Works of Knoxville, Tenn. — between 1999 and 2009. David Kloke built the replica in his Elgin, Ill., shop. No. 63 was one of four identical locomotives built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works for the Central Pacific in 1868. Leviathan gained minor fame when, in 1869, it led California Gov. Leland Stanford’s train heading to Promontory Summit, Utah, for the Gold Spike Ceremony. Stanford, also the CP president, stopped en route at the railroad’s Camp Victory in Toano, Nev. Here No. 60 Jupiter took over the train.
Find out more about the Harrisburg, Lincoln & Lancaster Railroad at its website.
