Steam Locomotive Assessment | Restoration Roundtable with Pennsylvania Raliroad No. 1361

Join the Railroaders Memorial Museum and FMW Solutions to recap the colorful history of Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotive No. 1361 and explore the engineering and restoration challenges in taking on the rebuild of the Spirit of Altoona. You can support the project by making a donation here.

The restoration of K4 1361 is a thirty-year undertaking that has seen multiple project managers, with considerable work completed. However, there is still much to be done. The latest boiler studies revealed some of the following:

(1) Some of the rivets used in the boiler were of the incorrect steel.
(2) The repair and subsequent re-repair of the main dome course needed further inspection.
(3) Some firebox repairs were completed with improperly sized materials. FMW Solutions has undertaken ultrasonic testing to further assess the boiler’s integrity. It was determined that the firebox area would require some of the project's most substantial repairs.

The square, Belpaire-style firebox with which K4 1361 was built was a key feature of PRR steam locomotives. The Pennsy designed the K4s with the ability to swap components between 400 different locomotive designs. FMW undertook both traditional and computational engineering analysis of the boiler in addition to building a 3D CAD model. Through modifying material thickness and staybolt size, FMW has engineered a solution that will preserve the original Belpaire boiler and return the locomotive to operation. Much of the firebox will be replaced with new steel—resulting in a safer and sturdier locomotive to last.

For a summary of our initial inspection and engineering report for the locomotive, click here.