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> The Kepner collection is the black hole of steam
> loco's. They go in but never come back out. Fred
> will pass away in 25 or 30 years and then the
> collection will be sold, assuming anyone wants
> them by then. In the meanwhile, at least they
> weren't turned into razor blades 20 to 50 years
> ago.
>
> As Martin Hansen keeps reminding me, the McCloud
> 25 did get away from Fred, but it never left the
> property at McCloud before it got sold. Once Fred
> actually gets his hands on a loco, forget about
> it.
>
> Michael Allen



I've ridden some of the Merrill locomotives in years past, even
ran a couple of them. Here's my take on some of them for anyone
interested. Martin may agree or not and that's OK I'm not trying
to start a war here, just offer an opinion.

that big GN 2-8-0, good for a park display piece only, and that if
you could get somebody to accept/purchase her. The big drawback to
this one I feel, is lack of a Superheater. Just take a look at the
size of her tender. Would be a terribly inefficient operating stove.

the 4 Prairies...any & all of these would be a good fit in the right
place as they have modest sized cylinders and fairly light weight.
The 105 was a pretty good puller and log hauler in her day.

ex- Sierra Ry. 2-8-2 36 was the best steam locomotive that the Sierra
ever owned. She was good for something like 575 tons in the Canyon.
Would make a fine engine for Niles Canyon Ry., twice the power of
their little 2-6-2s and 50 or 51 inch drivers. That'd cut down a lot
on wear.

ex- Sierra Ry. 2-6-6-2 38. This one inspires a lot of oohs and aahs
and has even been called famous, but she is a drag engine and you'd
be hard put to find a location in the States where she'd make any
economical sense to run. Weyerhauser got rid of her, but kept
the smaller malleys for a few more years of operation. What does
that tell you? I knew 3 Weyerhauser gents who worked on her and they
just shook their heads when she was brought up in conversation. They
were engineer Don Huck, fireman Rusty Arnett and conductor Tommy
Thompson. She was wrecked so many times that a friend has quipped
"she'd leave 12 different ruts in the mud when she derailed".
Despite what has oft been said by a particular fan, I doubt if she
will ever run again. Be happy for the photos and HO gauge brass
models of her that abound.

ex-Santa Maria Valley 2-8-2 100. Not a bad machine if she'd ever
were to be shopped again.

ex-Pickering Lbr. Corp. 90-3 Shay 8. despite what a few folks feel
about Pickering Pacific Coast type 11 being the flagship of the
Pickering fleet, the 8 got more miles nearly every year when the 2
served together. She had more power and higher gearing than the 11
and that, I feel would make her a better locomotive at Mt. Rainier
Scenic Ry in WA where the 11 now resides. The 8 would do a little
better on trying to keep the passenger train schedule. This was a
most impressive machine and was used once when a comparison between
steam & diesel was conducted on the Pickering out of Beardsley Dam
up the 2.2% to Schoettgen Pass. The 8 spot prevailed, but the die
was cast and the diesel took over the road haul a couple of years
later.

ex-Sierra Ry. 2-8-0 18...don't know quite what to say about this one.
she was modernized with a Superheater and was a decent puller. If
somebody wanted her for nostalgia, it'd be nice to see her saved and
taken care off.
-Tom Moungovan