I wanted to know if there were any 2-8-8-4 EM-1's left anywhere, or were they all scraped?<br>



drumguzi@worldnet.att.net

Rick:<p>I can tell you there are no surviving B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4's. I had heard though that one was once earmarked for the B&O Museum but apparently a decision change by higher management vetoed the preservation. Although the B&O Museum (then owned by the B&O itself) is certainly one of the best in the country and led the way in locomotive preservation, the failure to preserve an EM-1, along with one of the B&O's 4-8-2's and (perhaps) a 2-10-2, cast a black mark over its otherwise excellent preservation record.<br>



midlandblb@cs.com

No EM-1's, but I read a tidbit about the possible rebuilding of the C&O Allegheny, #1604. Does anyone have information regarding the Chessie System's alledged flirtation with rebuilding and operating the big 2-6-6-6? Given the U.P. Challenger, fixing up the Allegheny might be all the incentive needed to run the N&W A-1 again. Wouldn't that be a kick?<br><br>



aurora7@juno.com

During my five years at the University of Cincinnati from 1990 to 1995, I had heard a rumor that CSX was thinking of restoring 1604. Who knows if the rumor ever had any validity, but not surprisingly, it made the rounds.<p>The father of one of my civil engineering classmates worked in the Raceland and Russell shops. He checked with his father, but he did not know anything at all about such a plant at the time (approximately 1993). I had also been told that the Russell shops still had most if not all of the major equipment required if such a restoration would be undertaken. Only time will tell if either 1218 or 1604 will ever return to the rails. Locomotives of their size require the finest of track structures to operate safely on so that pretty well limits it to Class I track. Few if any regionals or shortlines could support such locomotives and with NS and CSX still "digesting" their respective parts of Conrail, it seems unlikely that they would realize the benefits of having a corporate steam program at this time. Remember that the demise of the NS program could be due in some part to the retirement and passing on of most all of the old heads that truly appreciated what those machines represented. Todays CEO's and VP's have to please board members and stockholders who have witnessed the value of their stocks plummet since June 1, 1999.<p>We should never completely give up hope, however, that one influential railroad exec might share a meal with one of those retired steam era execs and come to realize the benefits of having a corporate steam program. We can always hope!<p>Rob Gardner<p>P.S. For all those who are pining over the loss of the previously mentioned examples of steam should consider the possibility of creating a railroad park dedicated to 12" or 15" operating scale replicas of NYC Hudsons (Sonoma Train Town) or countless other engines that could be built by 2 or three dedicated individuals with the vision, resources and drive to do so. Look at what the British have done by taking entire abandoned grades and rebuilding 12" or 15" track for miles and then hauling the general public. Something to think about! <br>



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