This picture of PRR 5898 on Railpictures got me wondering. While on the R&N it had a sister, 5706. 5898 is now on the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern in Jackson, MO. While looking a little sad and shabby, there is a report of its restoration possibly being in the works (not trying to spread rumors or start any flame wars, please). What became of it's sister, 5706? Does it still exist.

I think Bennett and Eric Levin need to rescue these two and restore them to a pinstripe paint scheme to go along with their present PRR E8's in the broad stripe scheme. (Just kidding, sort of).

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=401314&nseq=0

The PRR 5706 now rest in Alabama as an empty car body...

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2703903

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2364145

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=824412

Let me save you the trouble: Bennett's stock response to this in the past:

"Sorry, do I look like I need MORE holes in my head???????"

Anyone have a clue where this is? Is it a museum or a private collection? I searched online and turned up nothing on this...

The location of the photos is listed as Sumiton, Alabama.

From the Rail Photo Archive page:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locThumbs.aspx?id=5941

Of particular note is this caption to one of the photos above:

"Something you wouldn't normally expect to see on an Alabama hillside."

The presence in the background of a Southern passenger car and a photo of a Frisco caboose in another photo, combined with looking at the equipment on short pieces of track, suggest this is a private collection of some sort, but that's only speculation on my part. I wonder if one of the photographers on the site could be looking at this, or be reached, for comments and info.

The unit in better days:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 029&nseq=0

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 274&nseq=1

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 482&nseq=8

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 56&nseq=22

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 02&nseq=26

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 37&nseq=29

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 87&nseq=30

It's curious, after going through all the stuff at Railpictures, that all the photos are "old," as seen above. No current shots, along the lines of the ones at Archive. Either the unit is hard to reach, at least for some of us, or Railpictures doesn't normally run "hulk" pictures, but what do I know. . .

It's a private collection, according to this link I finally found: http://dev.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2705681 I bet the guy must get people knocking on his gate or door all the time if you can see it from the road like that. And every piece on individual tracks like that, I've never seen anyone do that before...

Here's a previous discussion on it: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30479&hilit=5706

Thanks for the info everyone, although it was a bit depressing seeing its current condition although the good news is that it still has a current condition.

ADM- I really was kidding, Bennett has his hands full with what's he's done and I'm grateful for that much.

Regrettably, such haughty preservation demands have seemingly become the norm on rail forums and in Facebook comments. And not all of them are kidding, either.

I remember this as being in Dora, not Sumiton; it used to be right off Rt. 78 (on the north side, going over a rather spectacular steep hill) before they built the new road. If I recall correctly, this is the "Little Wedding Chapel at Union Station" -- the address for you Google Mappers is 7619 Highway 78 in Dora, 35062-2121, and the telephone number is (205) 648-7858.

The owner is, or was, an ex-Frisco employee.

I first saw the unit there in the fall of 2001, when the paint it had seemed fairly new (if not exactly prototypical). I do not know the 'best' way to get to it from the new 78, or what the official "new" number for that part of old 78 actually is (could be 4 or 118). But you'll sure find it easier to locate in Dora than in Sumiton!


RME

Spoke to the owner several years ago. His wife ran the wedding chapel and the cars were for photography and receptions. The E8 is gutted and he was planning to put a floor in it to make it into a elongated dancing room. Not sure if this was ever completed.

Bing's bird's eye view

http://tinyurl.com/6qhflgp

The complex looks pretty innovative and kind of neat. I supposed the idea was based on our wives and girl-friends affinity for railroading??? :-)

At least it is preserved, protected, and cared for. And that's all that's needed short of being indoors. But so long as it's kept painted and sealed up it's okay. One can always dream of the day it can be rebuilt into a working locomotive. But for now, this is just fine. Would-be do-gooders need not apply.

Steve

"At least it is preserved, protected, and cared for. And that's all that's needed short of being indoors. But so long as it's kept painted and sealed up it's okay. One can always dream of the day it can be rebuilt into a working locomotive. But for now, this is just fine. Would-be do-gooders need not apply."--Steve

True, true, but a wedding chapel? For a locomotive that undoubtedly once lead the Broadway Limited, it's so. . .so. . .undignified. . . :-)