Old tender: 1,800 US gal (6,800 L; 1,500 imp gal) of oil, formerly 10 t (9.8 long tons; 11 short tons) of coal New tender: 3,600 US gal (14,000 L; 3,000 imp gal) of oil
Water cap.
Old tender: 6,500 US gal (25,000 L; 5,400 imp gal) New tender: 10,000 US gal (38,000 L; 8,300 imp gal)
Firebox:
• Grate area
41 sq ft (3.8 m2)
Boiler
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) maximum diameter
Boiler pressure
225 psi (1.55 MPa)
Heating surface:
• Firebox
136 sq ft (12.6 m2)
• Tubes
1,055 sq ft (98.0 m2) (150 in or 3,810 mm long × 2 in or 51 mm diameter)
• Flues
567 sq ft (52.7 m2) (30 in or 762 mm long × 5.375 in or 137 mm diameter)
In late 1991, the No. 1702 locomotive was purchased by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) in Bryson City, North Carolina, where it hauled touristtrain excursions on the half of the former Southern Railway Murphy Branch, which spans 53 miles (85 kilometers) of track between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. In 2005, it went out of service due to firebox issues but was later restored back to operating condition and returned to service in 2016. No. 1702 is currently one of twenty-six S160 steam locomotives preserved in the United States and abroad.
No. 1702 is an S160 steam locomotive built in September 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, where it was stationed for training purposes at the Fort Braggmilitary base in Fayetteville, North Carolina during World War II.[1][2] In 1946, a year after the war ended, the No. 1702 locomotive was sold to the Warren and Saline River Railroad (WSR) in Warren, Arkansas, where it was assigned to haul lumber trains.[1][2][3] When first built, No. 1702 was originally equipped with buffers and chain couplers, which were eventually replaced with knuckle couplers.[4] Additionally, its firebox was modified to burn fuel oil as opposed to coal.[1]
When WSR was dieselized in 1961, the No. 1702 locomotive was sold to the Reader Railroad (RERX) in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1964, where it was upgraded with a larger tender that was originally used behind a Rock Island steam locomotive and holds 3,600 US gallons (14,000 L) of fuel and 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L) of water.[1][5] Afterwards, the No. 1702 locomotive served tourist operations on the RERX.[1] In 1985, it was sold again to the Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad (FEVR) in Fremont, Nebraska, where the No. 1702 locomotive ran tourist trains on the former Chicago and North Western line between Fremont and Hooper, Nebraska.[6]
In late 1991, the No. 1702 locomotive was purchased by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) in Bryson City, North Carolina, where it was significantly altered with a taller smokestack, a larger sand dome, and a wider cab to resemble a more typical American steam locomotive.[1][5] Afterwards, in 1992, the GSMR operated the No. 1702 locomotive with the Nantahala Gorge and Tuckasegee River tourist excursions on the half of the former Southern Railway Murphy Branch, which spans 53 miles (85 kilometers) of track between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina.[7][8] When working on these excursions, No. 1702 uses 400 US gallons (1,500 L) of fuel and 3,500 US gallons (13,000 L) of water per round trip.[1]
No. 1702 leads a special photo charter excursion in Whittier, North Carolina, on September 8, 2017
In 2005, the No. 1702 locomotive was sidelined due to firebox issues and became disassembled outside the GSMR's workshop area in Dillsboro, North Carolina, exposed to the elements.[9] In April 2012, the GSMR made an agreement with the Swain County of North Carolina, who donated $700,000 to construct a new steam locomotive workshop for the restoration of No. 1702 and installing a new turntable in Bryson City for the locomotive to be turned around.[10] Afterwards, the restoration work of No. 1702 began in May 2014 and completed on July 21, 2016 with the locomotive returned to service five days later.[11][a]
