Got this on email today. Sorry if it's been posted already.
http://www.news10.com/story/16407486/historic-locomotive-artifact-to-display-at-schenectady-museum#.Tvur65KlhTM.email
Rob Sundberg

What a great find! Congrats and good luck to Jim and the museum!

On a separate note, yikes -is this news report sparse...it basically reiterates the headline and that's it. Who is Dorothy Friedlanders and why does she have an FA-1 cab in her back yard? Did her husband work for a railroad? Which railroad? Which railroad did the FA come from?

There's obviously an interesting story here...but where the heck is it?? :)

Stephen

The black, green, and gold paint and what I could see of the number (30?) make it look like something off the Reading, but the rest of the story is a question mark. How did this get there? How long has it been there? Who originally put it there, and what were the circumstances?

Looks to be Reading. Online rosters say some were traded back to ALCo for new units and being that this cab is close to Schenectady? I'd say it was from one of the trade in's back to ALCo.

I called the TV station and got the reporters email and also the number for the museum. Will let you know what I find out as to origin and how and when Ms. Dorothy acquired such.
Rob Sundberg

Sure appears to be one of six Reading FA1's, 300-305........

It looks to be a B&M unit????

http://www.alcoheritagemuseum.org/Artifacts.html

Well, for a relatively new group this is a great project. Should be a great way to advertise the group once the simulator is complete, as it should be easy to transport to different railfan events and model train shows.

The B&M didn't own any FAs to my knowledge. But they already have a good collection. For once, I'm more interested in the tanks. I had no idea ALCo was involved in supplying war material for the army.

I do agree it looks like a Reading unit,

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1739303

The number looks to be either 301 or 304 upon stopping the video in several spots. Sanding valve is still in there too along with 2 gauges closest to the window (fuel pressure and control air possibly?) and the wiper motors. Hope arjay (Rich) sees this, it will be needing glass.

Geez, and all I ever had was a fort built out of scrap wood I could scavange in the woods behind my house, would have loved to have a shell of a loco!

I agree, looks like a Reading unit. I was going by the photo on their website which shows a red cab, obviously a random photo.

The Alco product line is quite remarkable. In addition to steam and Diesel locomotives, and highway vehicles, tanks, and artillery, they built pressure vessels, large industrial heat exchangers, large diameter welded steel pipe, prefabricated piping assemblies, and also Diesel engines much larger than locomotive size, including 14 inch bore X 23-1/2 inch stroke and 17-1/2 inch bore X 25 inch stroke. They also built large springs for many applications including recoil springs for artillery and naval guns, and manufactured many of the recoil springs for M1 Garand rifles. Then there were also the nuclear reactors........

Anyway, lots and lots of products other than locomotives. This will be a very interesting museum.

PC

Will the simulator include a simulation of everything that happens when you're going up a steep hill with a heavy train and the turbo blows? How about the fumes that seep from the engine room through the electrical cabinet to the cab?

Just kidding, of course. Congratulations to this new group!

Looks like a Reading unit to me. Now, match it up with the frame of ex-WM 304, on the LIRR as a generator car, and you have a whole FA! Well, 60% whole.
Great find.

I wonder, but with this, could an old 244 or 251 be found to section out to help show an FA's inner workings?