225 Rolls Again

This is the first installment of my Fall 2026 Trail Drive during which I will restore the equipment I've collected from John L. Oliver's Pan Handle Rusty Route and Earl Benteler's Allegheny.Having successfully reorganized my workbench and created space for the staging cabinet beneath the layout, I decided it was time for another Trail Drive. Click HERE for the post that explains the Trail Drive concept and HERE for the current posts with that label. There's a specific reason for undertaking this particular trail drive at this time but that'll be explained in another post. For now I'm starting with 2-8-0 #225.The United "Santa Fe" 2-8-0 is one of the most popular brass locomotives from what some consider to be a golden era of brass imports. John Allen had one, along with similar 2-8-0s from United based on other prototypes, and they were popular with his crews. I can understand why. Beautiful detail, well balanced, and no doubt when new, smooth reliable runners, sure footed and…