Canadian National 7312

Strasburg Rail Road (Canadian National) No. 7312, also known as Strasburg Rail Road No. 31, is an 0-6-0 " Switcher" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1908 for the Canadian National Railway. It is owned and previously operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. As of 2022, the engine is undergoing restoration to return to operational status in the near future.

History

The engine was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1908 for the Grand Trunk Railway as number 118. The 118 was renumbered 1708 in September 1919. In January 1923, the Grand Trunk Railway was merged into the Canadian National Railway. Three months after the creation of Canadian National, 1708 was renumbered 7157, a number the locomotive carried until February 1952 when it was renumbered 7240. In 1957, the locomotive received its final CN number of 7312. In July 1958, No. 7312 was retired at Stratford, Ontario where it had been working as the shop switcher.

In June 1959, No. 7312 was discovered by Strasburg Rail Road Vice President Bud Swearer who was visiting the CN yard at Stratford. The Strasburg Rail Road had intended to purchase a steam locomotive to power freight and passenger excursions and No. 7312 was of appropriate size for the operation. The Strasburg Rail Road negotiated the CN for the locomotive, which was ultimately purchased by a consortium of Strasburg Rail Road officials. Arriving at Strasburg in June 1960, the locomotive was renumbered to 31 and placed into service on September 1, 1960, becoming the first steam locomotive to reenter service in the United States. The locomotive was purchased outright by the Strasburg Rail Road in 1968. The locomotive continued to remain in service up until early 2009 when 31(Backdated to 7312) was taken off the active roster for the locomotive's heavy rebuild. No. 31 has been stripped apart since then. However, due to the railroad's busy contract work and upkeep of their fleet of four other operable steam locomotives ( GW 90, CN 89, Thomas BEDT 15, N&W 475) work was slow, if not non-existent.

Steve Weaver, the VP of freight services on the railroad stated in an episode of The Roundhouse Podcast that the railroad indeed wants to get the engine back up and running again as the railroad has the time. Work resumed in July 2021 with hopes to have it completed late 2022 or early 2023. Trains Magazine stated that it was SRC’s first steam engine, arriving in 1960, but has been out of service for over a decade as the road’s other steamers have shouldered passenger duties. One of those, No. 90 (Baldwin, 1924) is due to go down soon for its federal 1,472-day boiler inspection.

Gallery

File:Canadian National 7157.jpg, Canadian National No. 7312 as Canadian National No. 7157 (1923–1952)
File:Strasburg Railroad 0-6-0 -31 & Water Tower.jpg, No. 7312 pulls a tourist train into the Strasburg station
File:Strasburg Railroad - 10571156573.jpg, No. 7312 pulling a tourist train tender first towards Paradise, Pennsylvania
File:Strasburg Rail Road tender (26819548260).jpg, No. 7312’s tender in storage
File:7312 in the shop.JPG, No. 7132 inside the shops in 2014

See also

* Great Western 90
* Norfolk and Western 475
*Canadian National 89
* Canadian National 1009
* Canadian National 7470
* Canadian National class O-9 0-6-0

References

7312
0-6-0 locomotives
Baldwin locomotives
Individual locomotives of Canada
Preserved steam locomotives of Canada
Standard gauge locomotives of Canada
Railway locomotives introduced in 1908
Standard gauge locomotives of the United States

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Preserved steam locomotives of Pennsylvania