The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum rosters two 0-4-0 steam locomotives. The museum is currently working on both engines. The fireless Heisler is being restored both mechanically and cosmetically for service. Our Vulcan is currently undergoing a cosmetic restoration while the museum raises the funds to repair or build a new boiler for the engine. Here we see the pilot beam of the Vulcan, Brooklyn Navy Yard #12, being disassembled so the wood can be replaced.


The #12’s pilot beam is a sandwich of steel plates and large wood beams. Here we see the large wood beams exposed. There are two beams that make up the pilot, and they are badly rotted. The beams are approximately 9.5″ square and stacked one on the top of the other. Currently, the museum is planning to replace these large wooden beams with railroad switch timbers. We will need to use three timbers to replace the current two timbers.