DH Stourbridge Lion May Roar Again

HONESDALE - The Stourbridge Lion just might "roar" to life again- or at least the locomotive's full scale working replica, which has not been fired up since the 1930s.

The famous Lion, the first locomotive to operate for commercial purposes in North America, made its historic ride in Honesdale on August 8, 1829. That epochal event, celebrated by the community in what was then still largely a wilderness, is hoped to be recreated as much as feasible for the Lion's 175th anniversary. That will be in August of 2004, in the now modern town of Honesdale, and near the location of the original strap rail tracks.

The Wayne County Historical Society has picked one of its trustees, Dr. Rodney Brown, of Elk Lake, Waymart, to head the 175th Anniversary Committee. Dr. Brown has embarked on an ambitious project to see if the replica can indeed be coaxed back to steaming fury as its grasshopper-like arms turn the wheels down the rails.

This replica has been lovingly maintained for over 60 years by the Wayne County Historical Society. The locomotive was built for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1933 from original blueprints, by the Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Railroad Company. Operated at that time for the exposition, the replica also was exhibited at the 1939-40 World's Fair in New York City. In 1941, the replica was acquired on permanent loan by the Wayne County Historical Society and housed in a structure on Park Street. Canadian Pacific Railroad, successor to the D&H, currently owns the replica. Occasionally taken out on a flat bed trailer for parades, including the 150th anniversary of the actual Lion in 1979, the replica was moved in 1992 to a newly built addition at the Historical Society museum on Main Street.

The pride and joy of the Society and the most well-known symbol of the heritage of Honesdale and Wayne County, the replica recalls the locomotive made to order in the late 1820's in Stourbridge, England, for purchase by the D&H Canal Company. The D&H developed the town of Honesdale as the head of its 108 mile canal, designed to ship anthracite coal to market. The Lion was brought over as an experiment to consider its use in place of horses to pull the cars on the four major "levels" of the gravity railroad system, built to take the coal from the mines near Carbondale over the mountain, to the canal boats at Honesdale.

That experiment failed, in that the hemlock rails were deemed inadequate for the 14,000 pound engine (and hauling a 5,800 pound tender). It nevertheless was later recognized as the first commercial use of a steam engine on a rail on this continent, hailing the birth of a new age of transportation and industry. Eventually disassembled, surviving pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Sally Talaga, Executive Director of the Society, said that they are waiting on results of tests that have been done on the replica to know if it will work. It must pass an inspection by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

If it will work, the firing up of the engine is expected to be the culmination of a grand 175th the Society is only starting to plan. She said there may be a symposium, with guest speakers, surrounding the Stourbridge Lion. A historical group from Stourbridge, England, has already indicated interest in attending the Honesdale festivities.

With him on the committee studying the proposed firing are Robert Knash, Stan Pratt, Bailey Rutherford, Ken Bunnell and Ken Sprosen. Pratt and Rutherford have experience with the 1874 Silsby Steamer, that was restored by Protection Engine Company #3, the historic owner of the horse-drawn fire engine. Two recent volunteers are Bill Marber and David Lindow.

Talaga noted that the museum addition that holds the replica was designed so it could be wheeled outside again- though presumably for rides on a trailer.

Just where it will be run has not been finalized, but it may be fired up behind the Historical Society Museum and head north on the tracks possibly as far as Chapel Street. In this same general area, the original Lion in 1829 steamed its way into history, over a river trestle and going as far as Seelyville and back.

Dr. Brown said that either a third rail would have to be laid on the existing tracks, or two new rails laid down. The Lion- and the old gravity railway- used a 4', 3" gauge; modern tracks are 4', 8.5" wide. A strip of hard wood (a later addition to the original strap rail) may be placed between the top, steel strap and the hemlock rail, to help the rail carry the weight (a hard wood strip was not used in 1829). The Lion, without water in its boiler, weighs seven tons.

It was Dr. Brown that raised the idea at a trustees' meeting in January, and was given approval to investigate it. A railroad buff, he agreed to chair the celebration committee.

Needing professional help, he called on Chris Ahrens of Steamtown, an expert in assessing the condition of steam locomotives. Mr. Ahrens came up on four different Saturdays to look over the replica. He said it appeared to be in good shape, and after cleanup, testing and analysis to determine the condition of the boiler and running gear, operation under steam appeared feasible. Inside the fire box was the ashes and wood from when it was last fired probably over 60 years ago! Over 400 pounds of soot and ash have been removed, a dirty and time consuming job, using three of the volunteers.

The boiler, flues and fire box had to be checked for thickness. Five spots per square foot had to be singled out to determine whether or not the engine would hold up under steam pressure. This would be done using an ultrasonic test. For this, enter David Griner of Strasburg Railroad, who has the instrumentation and can do the calculations.

Griner conducted these tests about two weeks ago. Griner was generally satisfied with the thickness of the steel, Dr. Brown related.

One challenge for the calculations is that the Lion is not built to modern specifications. Instead of stays (braces) as on a conventional boiler, the Lion uses sections of cylinders and spherical ends, relying on rivets. The Lion's boiler operates on 50 pounds per square inch, rather than 275 to 325 psi as in modern steam engines.

The front of the boiler- on which is painted the lion's face, must withstand 43 tons of steam pressure, spread out over 90 rivets holding the front piece in place.

Stressing that he is optimistic so far, Dr. Brown said that the safety of the people around it and then the replica, are foremost; if there is any question, they will not proceed.

The state inspector still must look over the engine. Also yet to be done is to check the pistons and cylinders to be sure than the mechanical parts will work. Nothing is rusted over, Dr. Brown said. Hydrostatic tests will be done to make sure there are no leaks.

Hardly any funds have been spent so far, Dr. Brown noted. Chris Ahrens has donated his time and just Mr. Griner's expenses for coming up have needed to be paid.

Andy Burr, who has a an operating steam engine, also has been a volunteer consultant.

The replica was obtained by the Wayne County Historical Society through the efforts of the Edwin B. Callaway, Society president and former Wayne Independent reporter. On November 11, 1941, following a parade, the replica and a D&H gravity railroad passenger car were located in a shed built for them on West Park Street.

Despite being kept in the shed for almost 52 years, the replica is in remarkably good shape, Dr. Brown affirmed.

Ken Bunnell, who helped build the D&H exhibit hall designed by Ken Sprosen for the Chamber of Commerce, actually saw the Lion replica working under steam at the Chicago exposition.

If all the tests pass, then they will carefully steam it up. Anthracite coal would be used- of course (such as was carried by the D&H). To meet modern requirements for steam engines, a sight gauge for boiler water level observation, a second water pump and a new pressure relief valve would have to be installed, Dr. Brown stated. Otherwise the powered-up replica will be as close as possible to the original.

"What gives us hope is that a sister engine of the Lion, the Agenoria, ran in service in England for 30+ years, hauling coal to a canal, until it finally wore out. In addition, the Lion boiler was used in a foundry in Carbondale for many years," Dr. Brown added.

"It would have the same power as the first Lion," Dr. Brown said of the replica under steam. Who will play Horatio Allen, the man chosen by the D&H as the Lion's engineer on that historic day in 1829- is yet to be determined.