| Valley Railroad 97 | |
| Bgcolor: | 000000 |
| Color: | FFDF00 |
| Powertype: | Steam |
| Serialnumber: | 65188 |
| Builddate: | February 1926 |
| Whytetype: | 2-8-0 |
| Uicclass: | 1’D’ |
| Gauge: | 4 ft 81/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Leadingdiameter: | 28 in (711 mm) |
| Driverdiameter: | 48 in (1,219 mm) |
| Width: | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Axleload: | 30,500 Ib (13.830 kg: 13.83 t) |
| Weightondrivers: | 122,000 Ib (55,340 kg: 55.34 t) |
| Locoweight: | 141,000 Ib (63,960 kg: 63.96 t) |
| Tenderweight: | 132,000 Ib (59.870 kg: 59,87 t) |
| Locotenderweight: | 273,000 Ib (123,800 kg: 123.8 t) |
| Fueltype: | Coal |
| Fuelcap: | 20,000 Ib (9,072 kg: 9,072 t) |
| Watercap: | 6,000 US gal (23,000 I: 5,000 imp gal) |
| Boilerpressure: | 180 Ibf/in2 (1.24 MPa) |
| Cylindercount: | Two |
| Cylindersize: | 19 in x 26 in (483 mm x 660 mm) |
| Valvegear: | Walschaerts |
| Maxspeed: | 55 mph (88.51 km/h) |
| Tractiveeffort: | 29.918 Ibf (133.1 kN) |
| Factorofadhesion: | 4.08 |
| Operator: | Birmingham and Southeastern Railroad Vermont Railway New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Valley Railroad |
| Operatorclass: | 200 |
| Fleetnumbers: | B&S 200 VTR 97 VALE 97 |
| Retiredate: | 1958 1968 |
| Restoredate: | 1964 1973 |
| Currentowner: | Valley Railroad |
| Disposition: | Operational |
| Notes: | References:[1] |
Valley Railroad 97 is a preserved 200 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive that was built by the American Locomotive Company's Cooke Works for the Birmingham and Southeastern Railroad.
No. 97 was built by the American Locomotive Company's former Cooke Locomotive Works in February 1926 as No. 200.[2] [3] [4] [1] It was one of two locomotives that were intended to be exported to Cuba for use on the National Railway Company of Cuba.[5] No. 200 however, never made it to Cuba and was subsequently sold to the Birmingham and Southeastern Railroad that same year and it was moved to the company's shortline in Alabama.[2] The locomotive pulled multiple passenger and freight trains on Birmingham and Southeastern trackage until it's retirement from revenue service in 1958.
In 1963, it was purchased by the Vermont Railway, it was placed into service and renumbered to No. 97 to avoid conflict with the railroad’s diesel locomotive No. 200.[2] [5] No. 97 pulled mainline excursion trains on portions of the New Haven Railroad until it merged with the Penn Central Railroad in 1968.[2] [5]
In 1970, a New York publisher Stephen D. Bogen, purchased No. 97 and moved it to Essex, Connecticut to haul tourists trains, it was eventually refurbished and placed into service hauling excursions for the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat in 1973. Shortly afterward, No. 97 would replace 2-6-2 locomotive No. 103 as the Valley Railroad’s train consist expanded.
No. 97 ran until December 2010, when its flue time expired, and while being displayed outdoors, the locomotive underwent its 1,472-day inspection and overhaul as required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), but was soon back in service on October 26, 2018.[6]
In June 2007, No. 97 was coupled to some passenger cars to be filmed at Essex station. This was for the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg.[7]