Keeping them covered is a good idea, but plastic doesn't stop meth heads and metal thieves. The GG1 is probably in a safer place today than in the past 25 years. Is there enough good steel on her to even put replacement material in place? I would hate to see her cut up, and once again, I'll assert that she should be the focal item in an educational exhibit about the Eisenhower inauguration, the PRR, and history. As a cosmetically restored unit, she remains a piece of living history from the post-war democracy. Is it worth the money? Only in terms of donations, not Museum funds.

I think this is closer to what PRR did in 1953. The story is "cut it into pieces." Does anyone.... anyone... have ANY documentation as to how this might have been done. I find it difficult to think that no photos were taken.

After looking at any number of photos of GG1's in the shop and under construction, you start to understand how this might work. I believe at least some of the GG1 bodies were constructed by Baldwin and transported via flat car to Altoona for assembly. If there was cutting of 4876's body, I'm guessing it was in half, similar to that famous G-1 for weight reasons since all the electrical gear was still in the body.

There are clear lifting points on the body. This is how the traction engines were reached for replacement and heavy service.

Perhaps movement in this manner might be easier today since most of the guts are missing and the unit body would be a bit lighter than when it was operational.

In other words, it might be possible to jack up the body, roll the combined "super trucks" out from under. De-hing the "super trucks" and winch each one onto a heavy lift truck for road transport.

Anyone have any idea how much those super trucks weigh?

Once the super trucks are removed, it could it be as "easy" as to roll a flat car under the body, lower, properly tie down and pass the "normal" clearance tests for this sort of load?

Still many dollars, but not a space shuttle level effort.

Just an idea...

Bob

Let's have a supported plan with a purpose and destination before we worry about the logistics.....which will vary depending on the purpose and location.

dave

Old Peppersauce at the Mt. Washington (N.H.) Cog Railway. It's displayed less than 3 miles from where it derailed and ran away, and on the same railroad.

The Cog Railway has an incredible safety record with only two significant accidents (both during special events). The wreck of the recently restored Old Peppersass in 1929 was one of those. Despite killing one person, she was repaired amd plinthed at the base of the line.

The Cog doesn't shy away from the couple of wrecks, partly I think because their rarity confirms the safety of the ride. It is easy to let one's mind make the line out to be more dangerous than it is because it looks that way.

Rob

I seem to recall one of the major museums--I think RR Museum of Pa.--once (still?) having a display of artifacts centered around the low-water explosion of a steamer, with a few surviving items from the loco on display along with a graphic showing how far the specific items were thrown from the explosion site. I think I've also seen a display centered around the "Wreck of the Old 97" (the original one) somewhere, and I think the B&O Museum may have had a TV-monitor display showing the quirky one-time show-business enterprise of staged head-on collisions that went on in the early 1900s.

Regardless of how much the spectacle, gore, and whatnot of railroad accidents may attract folks, I would suggest that exhibits centered on such accidents/wrecks don't find much favor with the railroad industry folks from whom the rail preservation community is typically attempting to ask favors and donations............

Pacific Railroad Society in Southern California has one of the two Santa Fe RDC units that was involved in a disastrous derailment a few miles south of downtown Los Angeles back in 1956. It's not on public display, but the PRS yard (in an industrial area a few miles east of the derailment site) is open for visitors on special occasions.

The A320 is already set up on display in NC. They recieved the engines from it last year and they still need to be reattached. The plane has been reassembled to the condition it was when it was pulled from the Hudson River.

As a side note, the gray 1966 Buick Electra that Jayne Mansfield died in still exists today in North Carolina in the hands of a private owner. Not on display but could be. Some people collect the remains of wrecks or objects that were involved. No reason a private individual couldn't purchase the 4876 either. Display, movement and storage would be another matter.

TAN: An enthusiast bought and rides the motorcycle that T. E. Lawrence of Arabia was on when he died after swerving to miss an oncoming motor car in his lane.

The Apollo 13 command module is displayed at the Kansas Cosmosphere. The Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center displays a piece of Hindenburg girder.

Steve

The National Museum of the United States Navy in the Washington Navy Yard displays pieces of a Japanese Zero shot down over Pearl Harbor (as well as a great display on the WWI rail guns and one of the rail guns itself).

Bob

The reconditioned Lincoln that carried JFK to his death is one of the most popular exhibits at the Henry Ford Museum.

Getting back to railroads, wasn't there a 19th Century 4-4-0 that ended up going off a trestle or something and ending up in a river and then was pulled out about a decade ago and put on display? Florida maybe? Or perhaps Georgia?

Les

Tallahassee, Florida. From SteamLocomotive.com:


All of this is very well and good, but it's considerably beside the point. Go ahead and preserve 4876 all you want, and even highlight its "accidental" history. Just don't harbor ANY delusions whatsoever that you're going to "stuff and mount" it ANYWHERE at Washington Union Terminal until such time that the facility is not used for commercial passenger service anymore.

By the way, a gentle reminder: the Amtrak officials I talk to have indicated to me, several times, that Amtrak wants GG1 4859 out of Harrisburg's Amtrak station. If we start doing this "we have only a month to save this loco!" routine for 4859 in the near future, I'm really going to throw a hissy fit. Personally, I think it should stay in Harrisburg--but are they going to have to build a display track and shelter for her at the base of Harris Tower, or what?

Not to resurrect a dead-horse beating party, but as I'm clearing off photos from the SD card for this weekend's fun, I thought I'd share with you a photo of the very spot that some people want the 4876 plinthed at: