Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15 is a 0-6-0T type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania.[1][2]

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Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15
BEDT 15 as Thomas the Tank Engine, operating at the Strasburg Rail Road
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder H.K. Porter, Inc. Serial number 5966 Build date March 1917
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0ST Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 75 in (1,905 mm) Adhesive weight 128,000 lb (58.1 tonnes) Loco weight 317,000 lb (143.8 tonnes) Fuel type Oil (1917–1963) Coal (1999–present) Fuel capacity 500 long tons (510 t) Water cap. 10,000 imp gal (45,000 l; 12,000 US gal) Boiler pressure 180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 18 in × 24 in (457 mm × 610 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 46,600 lbf (207.29 kN)
Career Operators Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, Southern Appalachia Railway Museum, Lake Erie and Western Railroad, Strasburg Rail Road Class ST Numbers BEDT 15 Thomas 1 Retired December 25, 1963 (1st retirement) 1975 (2nd retirement) Preserved 1965 (1st preservation) 1975 (2nd preservation) Restored 1965 (1st restoration) April 29, 1999 (2nd restoration) Current owner Strasburg Rail Road Disposition Operational

History

The engine was built in March 1917 by the H.K. Porter, Inc. for the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, were it originally worked as a dockside switcher engine hauling freight trains. After the engines were put out of service in the 1960s, No. 15 was retired from revenue service on December 25, 1963 and was purchased by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum in 1965, were it unfortunately didn't do much for the railroad.[1][2]

In 1975, the Lake Erie and Western Railroad purchased No. 15 and placed it on static display for twenty three years.[1] The engine would remain on display until 1998 when the Strasburg Rail Road purchased No. 15 and plan to restore it as one of their operating units for Strasburg, however, after a few test runs, the locomotive was problematic and its water tanks was too small to work the entire round trip.[1][2] When film producer Britt Allcroft asked permission from Strasburg to film on their railroad for Thomas and the Magic Railroad, they brought an idea to her, which she was thrilled: They planned to restore the engine into a full size replica operating unit of Thomas the Tank Engine.[1][2] After two and a half years of restoration work, the railroad converted the engine to burn coal instead of oil, and the locomotive made a test fire up on April 14, 1999. However, during its first fire up, the heat from the smokebox accidentally caused the eyeballs in Thomas' face to melt. This incident was never seen by the public and was quickly fixed.[1]

No. 15 would eventually make its first official run on April 29, 1999 for the first annual Day Out with Thomas event.[1] The engine has been used for the annual events ever since. It also has been occasionally transferred to other railroads for the same purpose, such as the Illinois Railway Museum, the Greenfield Village Line, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, and the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway. Thomas' original face was replaced in April 2014 with an animatronic CGI face with the mouth’s ability to open and close, and a voice speaker.[1] The voice lines for Thomas are provided by Martin Sherman (Thomas' voice actor from 2009-2015). Said lines remain unchanged, as of 2022.

Gallery

• 
  No. 15 sitting in East Strasburg’s Yards in 2001
• 
  BEDT #15 pulling into East Strasburg’s Yards while pulling a Day out with Thomas train. Circa 2011
• 
  NO. 15 operating with the animatronic face it had since 2014.

See also

• Canadian National 7312
• Reading 1187
• Great Western 90
• Canadian National 89
• Norfolk and Western 475
• Canadian Pacific 972

References