Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services

09/05/2026

The locomotives may get the attention, but preservation happens because of people. Railfest 2026 is an opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues from across the industry, exchange ideas, and strengthen the relationships that make projects like these possible.

Pictured are Brendan Zeigler, VP & CMO, alongside Steamtown Superintendent Jeremy Komasz brainstorming next year’s Railfest!

09/04/2026

Come say hi Saturday or Sunday to learn about how Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services has helped Steamtown in the past and how we work with all our partners to keep Steamtown alive!

09/04/2026

Come see Brendan, Bill, Bill, and Deb this weekend in Scranton, PA. We are representing Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services, Strasburg Rail Road Freight Services, and Strasburg Rail Road’s Heritage operations at Railfest 2026, hosted by Steamtown National Historic Site.

We have a ton of free giveaways!

08/18/2026

Did you know that the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors has rules in its inspection code specifically for steam locomotives? Two of our employees, Brendan Zeigler and Erich Armpriester, are members of the committee that makes and interprets these rules. This is all to keep steam locomotives safe for future generations to enjoy.

Members of the NBIC Task Group Locomotive convened for the first of two days of meetings at the Training & Conference Center at NBBI’s main campus in Columbus, Ohio.
The group’s work helps support the continued safe operation, inspection, and maintenance of locomotive boilers. Keeping these historic machines operating safely requires a careful balance of preservation, technical expertise, and sound inspection practices.
Steam locomotive safety was featured in the spring issue of the BULLETIN. To read the article, go to https://ow.ly/ysUE50ZAyZj

06/26/2026

Before Big Boy No. 4014 embarked on a coast-to-coast tour celebrating America250, local experts at Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services in Ronks made sure the locomotive’s wheels were ready for

06/17/2026

Modern steam locomotives were designed to run for extended periods of time without stopping. That meant less opportunities for enginemen to oil the moving parts and keep them from wearing out! The solution was to equip them with oil distribution systems that automatically delivered oil to all the important parts.

Here are some pictures of just one of a few dozen Nathan company oil distributors from the #614. Each one of these has been cleaned, disassembled, inspected and tested to make sure it is doing its job. Our mechanics referenced extensive documentation we have in our own library to make sure that everything is as it should be. We never trust "thinking" it will be ok.

These things are hard to get to when the engine is assembled and they can't fail. Who are you going to trust to make sure things work when they have to?

06/16/2026

Timing is everything! Stephenson locomotive valve gear at work.

06/15/2026

Timing is everything, right?

Sometime around 1842, Robert Stephenson developed a new form of steam locomotive valve gear that would become the standard until the 1910's in the USA. The shifting link motion used eccentric discs on a driving axle to convert rotary motion into linear motion to move a shifting link back and forth. The link block that could be moved up and down in the link is connected to the valve that controls steam distribution in the cylinders.

Moving the link up (moving the block to the bottom of the link) puts the locomotive in reverse. Moving the link down does the opposite. Moving the block closer to the center of the link in either direction reduces the amount of steam being used and allows for more efficient running at speed when less power is required.

We captured these very cool videos of Stephenson link motion at work on our locomotive #89. Notice how nicely timed each exhaust chuff is? That's a sign that everything is set up just right and in good condition. If you're having trouble with Stephenson, or any other type of valve gear, we would love to help get you back in time.

06/11/2026

Big Boy runs on steam but rolls on Strasburg Mechanical Services quality. Did you know that we played a big part in the restoration of #4014? All the locomotive wheels came through our shop.

The driving wheels were reconditioned and received new crankpins, tires and eccentric cranks. The lead truck wheels had brand new roller bearings installed and new wheels were installed on a trailing truck wheelset.

When it has to be done right, the big boys call on us!

06/11/2026

Lots of hot metal!

New multiple bearing crosshead slippers being babbitt lined for Reading and Northern 2102