American Steam Railroad Preservation Association, Inc

There's no better time to see AFT No. 250 than THIS SUNDAY from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Midwest Railway Preservation Society’s Open House! Guided tours include the complete history of the locomotive, a walk-around and cab tour, merchandise sales and donations, and the opportunity to meet and ask questions to ASR volunteers. MRPS will also host train rides and tours around the 1905 B&O Roundhouse, including Grand Trunk Western 4070 and more historic equipment under restoration!

Admission is $10.00 for ages 14 and up, $5.00 for ages 4 to 13, and free for ages 3 and under! Located at 2800 W. 3rd Street in Cleveland, Ohio. More information here: midwestrailway.org/event/open-house-at-the-historic-bo-roundhouse-7

Please note road construction on W. 3rd Street and Quigley Road and plan accordingly.

As our volunteers labor on the tender to reinstall the oil bunker, and our contractors continue construction on the oilpan, take a look at our July 2024 Video Update for the latest in AFT No. 250’s progress to steam!

Continued donations help fund important paint, woodwork and plumbing projects necessary to have the locomotive under steam in 2024. Consider a tax-deductible contribution: www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate

AFT 250 (2100) - July 2024 Update The American Freedom Train 250 is arriving! Please donate, join, or shop at our on-line store today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/

Did you know that Reading No. 2100 was almost a movie star? Learn about what could’ve been the 2100’s rise to stardom in the October issue of our quarterly newsletter, which you’ll receive if you become an ASR member for $35.00 per year before the end of September: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/memberships

New members of all levels also get our 22-page T-1 History booklet, full of stories and photos, with many never before published, from the history of this legendary class of locomotive! Articles on the 2101’s 30-day miracle restoration, Reading correspondence from the Rambles period, and how there was nearly a fifth T-1 in preservation come from the likes of Ross Rowland, Michael Smith and Steve Wickersham. This booklet is also available separately for just $5.00 plus shipping: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product/t-1-booklet

What are your favorite moments in No. 2100’s history? The other three remaining T-1s have significant histories of their own, and there are many moments that make the 2100 as noteworthy as any of them — perhaps even more so!

It was the first T-1 built, outshopped on September 11, 1945. In service on the Iron Horse Rambles, it was the only T-1 to doublehead with both of the others, Nos. 2102 and 2124, and it also saw the longest Rambles service, serving from 1960 to 1964. It was in service until it pulled the final Ramble on October 17, 1964, from Reading Terminal in Philadelphia to West Milton and back. This Ramble was also the last steam-powered train on the Reading. Finally, with the 2100’s departure for Streigel Supply Co. on September 29, 1967, it truly closed the curtain on Reading Company steam as the last steam locomotive to leave Reading property.

Join us in writing the next chapter of the 2100’s history as American Freedom Train No. 250 by joining ASR’s membership for as little as $35.00 per year! All contributions large and small help us near the finish line on this restoration, one of the largest in America today: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/memberships

We’re smiling ear-to-ear as AFT No. 250 nears steam testing — why not share in our excitement with a BRAND-NEW 250 T-SHIRT? Starting at just $20.00 each: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product/aft250tshirtblue

These comfortable cotton shirts from our locally-based vendor have No. 250 emblazoned on a durable silk-screen print, ensuring your shirt will last for years. As with all products in our store, net proceeds help ensure we continue nonstop progress at this crucial point in No. 250’s restoration!

You asked your questions, and in our June 2024 video update, Treasurer Forrest Nace and Crew Chief Gordon Hartschuh have the answers! Make sure to watch to the end for all of our most recent progress, including continued construction on the oil firepan.

Stop by our online store for a wide selection of merchandise and memberships, all of which bring No. 250 closer to operation: www.americansteamrailroad.org/shop

AFT 250 (2100) - June 2024 Update The American Freedom Train 250 is arriving! Please donate, join, or shop at our on-line store today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/

UPDATE: STAYBOLTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT! Keep up the momentum here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate

If you’re missing a piece in your railroadiana collection, act fast on our original Reading No. 2100 staybolts!

Likely dating from one of the locomotive’s last Reading Company shoppings in the 1950s, 444 of these flexible staybolts were removed from the firebox earlier in our restoration as part of the inner side sheet replacement. These staybolts will come individually stamped, serialized and presented with a certificate of authenticity. You can also specify in your order notes if you’d prefer your staybolt cleaned or rusty, but only two rusty staybolts remain!

Our popular Iron Horse Rambles T-shirts are in their LAST RUN, and now you’ll receive them in LIMITED-EDITION EMERALD GREEN! Be sure to order yours now — once this run is sold out, we may never rerun this design! Take advantage of this offer here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product/reading-rambles-2100-2102-and-2124

EDIT: QUESTIONS CLOSED! Thank you for your responses!

Got questions about AFT No. 250? We have answers! Ask away in the comments on this post through Wednesday, July 3, and we’ll answer the most popular in our June 2024 video update!

We have much to report with regard to the American Freedom Train No. 250 in our May 2024 Update — most notably, the start of construction on the new oil firepan! See all the details for where we stand and what is to come on this remarkable phase, viewable on YouTube.

Remember that your donations will keep our volunteers supplied and busy to complete the restoration on schedule! Make a tax-deductible donation to ASR here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate

AFT 250 (2100) - May 2024 Update The American Freedom Train 250 is arriving! Please donate, join, or shop at our on-line store today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/

On this day in 1998, Reading No. 2100 completed its most recent eastern U.S. operations: a series of test runs on the Ohio Central Railroad. The main purpose of these runs was to prove the locomotive operational, fulfilling a term of the recent auction to the late Thomas Payne, who was present. For the Ohio Central crew, operating the 2100 was a precursor to what would come with the return to steam of Grand Trunk Western No. 6325, a similarly-sized locomotive, in 2001. The 2100 left Ohio Central property soon after, and by late June had settled into the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas, Ontario.

Many of the faces in these photos remain familiar to rail preservation today, including Jason Johnson, who has led many projects to success and provides professional contract services, and these photos, to ASR. His son Mitchell, who is now a regular ASR volunteer, is nearly the same age today as Jason was when these runs took place!

Keep Mitchell, Jason and the rest of our crew busy with something from our gift store, including a range of brand-new products featuring American Freedom Train No. 250: www.americansteamrailroad.org/shop

Between reinstalling all 50 superheaters, preparing the firebox for the new oil firepan and other important work, we had plenty to keep our volunteers busy in the past month. More on all of our recent progress in our April 2024 video update, now on YouTube!

Also as mentioned in the update, consider becoming a member of ASR for volunteer opportunities, our members-only newsletter and other exclusive perks: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/memberships

AFT 250 - April 2024 Update The American Freedom Train 250 is arriving! Please donate, join, or shop at our on-line store today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/

Have you seen our NEW AFT No. 250 merchandise? T-shirts, hats and pins are now in stock and ready to ship to you! If you join our AFT No. 250 Club, you'll get a two-tone hat and polo shirt exclusive to club members. Also new to our Reading No. 2100 lineup are pins with the iconic logo, and our ever-popular Reading T-shirts, posters and prints, books and videos, and more are still in stock! For what may be their last run, we're offering our fan-favorite Iron Horse Rambles T-shirts in a LIMITED-EDITION emerald green color!

Get yours and help No. 250 make steam in 2024 here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/shop

As draws to a close, our volunteers continue to turn the wrenches, spin the grinders, light the torches and strike the welds that make American Freedom Train No. 250 possible. Fittingly, a record-breaking 20 volunteers started the month by beginning the superheater installation, including one of our newest members who traveled clear from Florida to volunteer for the first time. Concluding the month with the installation of the 50 units nearly complete, our volunteers have made significant headway very quickly, and we’re as delighted as ever to be home to such a crew!

Any member of American Steam Railroad aged 16 or older in good physical health can start volunteering! Join us for rates as low as $35.00 per year here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/join-us

As announced on our March 2024 video update, significant funding was recently received to complete AFT No. 250’s conversion to oil-burning, as well as other critical work, culminating in a steam test as soon as this fall! These funds are already being put to use in the oil firepan design, which has quickly taken shape in computer-aided drafting software and is now nearly complete. Steel is already on order for the firepan, and we expect to start construction next month.

Can we count on you to raise the $145,000 left to get No. 250 fully restored and operating? New donations and merchandise sales will now help with the next phase of the restoration, which is the rehabilitation of the locomotive’s running gear — rod straightening, rod brass replacement, possible roller bearing work and lubrication repairs and upgrades. Keep the progress rolling to completion with a donation: www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate

Watch our March 2024 video update, now on YouTube, for all the details on American Freedom Train No. 250’s recent progress, including the start of our oil firing conversion and the reinstallation of the superheaters. Watch until the end for news on a MAJOR fundraising milestone!

Our new, high-quality 250 and 2100 enamel pins are now online and shipping — pick up yours here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/home-other-items

AFT 250 (Reading 2100) - March 2024 Update The American Freedom Train 250 is arriving! Please donate, join, or shop at our on-line store today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/

It’s all coming together on American Freedom Train No. 250! March saw ASR prepare the superheaters for reinstallation, remove the remaining center ashpan and coal grate sections, and gather dimensions for the new recycled oil-burning system, being designed by FMW Solutions for the greatest power, performance and efficiency. Some of our next steps will include the complete installation of the superheaters, continued work in the tender water space, and completing the plumbing inside the cab. We’ll have more details on all of this work, along with other exciting announcements, in our upcoming March 2024 Video Update!

ASR’s members are integral to the restoration in all the roles they serve. Consider joining for as little as $35.00 per year: www.americansteamrailroad.org/join-us

Did you see ASR at the Lakeland Railfest Train Show last weekend? We debuted several new additions to our American Freedom Train No. 250 product line, including the first of our high-quality metal pins. Special thanks to everyone who stopped by to donate, take home merchandise or say hello to our team!

Today and tomorrow, we're setting up for the first showing in several years of the World's Greatest Hobby on Tour at the Cleveland I-X Center. We hope to meet some of you at our booth!

Group photo: Brent Lane.

Now on YouTube, our February 2024 video update! We’re covering the past month’s hydrostatic testing, including the recent FRA-observed test, as well as continued efforts inside the water space of the tender and what projects we are starting in March.

Also as mentioned in the update, we hope you’ll consider joining the AFT 250 Club for EXCLUSIVE merchandise and memorabilia: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product/aft250club

AFT 250 Feb 2024 Update & FRA Observed Hydrostatic Test Keep our great progress rolling along by donating today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate/

When American Freedom Train No. 250 receives its flying number boards, they will bear a striking resemblance to those of the Fort Wayne Railroad’s Nickel Plate No. 765! Members of ASR recently visited the storied excursion locomotive for measuring and documentation of these appliances, which will be used to fabricate exact working replicas. We're confident they’ll look perfect on our engine, as the original AFT No. 1 also wore replica flying number boards from the Nickel Plate Road Berkshire!

Coupled with their longtime friendship, Fort Wayne Railroad’s 52 years of success in preservation has laid the groundwork for ASR and many similar organizations. Help No. 250 join No. 765 in the family of operating steam with our BRAND-NEW line of AFT merchandise: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/aft250

No. 250 photo: Jack D. Kuiphoff, altered with permission.

American Steam Railroad is pleased to announce that the Federal Railroad Administration has observed a satisfactory hydrostatic test on Reading No. 2100, now known as American Freedom Train No. 250, with no exceptions taken. Our thanks and gratitude extend to all supporters, donors, contractors and volunteers who have brought us to this noteworthy step forward!

Now, we’re on to the next stages of the restoration, including designing and installing the new recycled oil-burning system, reinstalling the oil bunker in the tender, and preparing for a test fire! We’ve all been working to see the boiler under steam since 2015, and with continued donations, we could reach that milestone this fall.

Consider one of the many ways to donate, such as the new AFT No. 250 Club, and receive a hat and polo shirt only for club members, a ticket into our raffle for $21,000, and other memorabilia: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product/aft250club

American Freedom Train No. 250 is showing its true colors, one piece of plexiglass at a time. Meticulously created by volunteer restoration crew member Dale Corn.

www.americansteamrailroad.org

Now in our January 2024 video update, see details on the findings of our first hydrostatic test of the year, how we corrected the leaks we observed, and the following hydrostatic test performed in early February!

Remember to check out our all-new line of American Freedom Train No. 250 merchandise and the AFT 250 Club on our gift store: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/aft250

AFT 250 (Reading 2100) Jan 2024 Update The American Freedom Train 250 undergoes hydrostatic testing! Please donate today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate/

With Reading No. 2100’s new American Freedom Train No. 250 identity comes an ALL-NEW line of merchandise! Brand-new AFT 250 hats and T-shirts are available now in our gift store. Through membership to the AFT 250 Club, you’ll receive an exclusive hat and polo shirt provided only to club members, along with an array of other products and perks. Our 2100 and T-1 merchandise is also still available!

Make one or more of these new items your own here: www.americansteamrailroad.org/product-category/aft250

Since the calendar flipped to 2024, we have had lots of activity around Reading No. 2100's boiler, especially with hydrostatic pressure testing. If you’re unfamiliar with why hydrostatic testing is done or why multiple usually need to be performed, check the latest from our friends at Trains News Wire!

Read a complete explanation of the testing process from ASR Treasurer and volunteer Forrest Nace here: https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/reading-t-1-no-2100-has-boiler-tubes-installs-undergoes-first-hydrostatic-test/

Photo courtesy of Adam Matthews

We have plenty to report from the 2100’s boiler — take a look at our December 2023 Update for details of the past month’s work!

AFT 250 (Reading 2100) Dec 2023 Update The American Freedom Train 250 is arriving! Please donate today! www.americansteamrailroad.org/donate/