Doug Alkire

Old 5300 Rolls Again
An article that appeared in the November 1972 issue of Popular Mechanics





It took Doug Alkire seven and a half years - 13,600 hours, he figures - to build the one-twelfth scale model of the President Washington. Old 5300 was one of the "presidential" series of locomotives that hauled passengers for the Baltimore & Ohio when steam was king of the road.

Many of the parts were fashioned from scrap - blocks of aluminum, steel, brass and cast iron. Some pieces of steel were welded, then shaped with a file. Careful filing made parts look like castings.

A Southern California mechanical engineer, Alkire used hand tools, an old lathe and an arc welder for most of the work. Side rods and gears were machined from hot-rolled steel bar stock, finished, polished and case-hardened.

Like the locomotive, the tender was constructed with economy in mind. it was fashioned from scrap and surplus stock.

Its palmetto green paint and gold leaf lettering add to the authenticity. In addition to a coal compartment, the tender contains a welded stainless-steel tank that holds enough distilled water to keep the President Washington rolling for an hour and a half.

Alkire runs his engine in a public park that has track and other facilities for replica railroading. That's where he spends many an afternoon with fellow enthusiasts. It's a great way to let off steam.