The Stourbridge Line out of Honesdale, Pa., operators of a former Bangor & Aroostook BL2, has announced via its Facebook page that it has acquired former Bessemer & Lake Erie F7A 725 from its previous owner. The loco has served on Coe Rail and the Michigan Air Line in Michigan in an Erie-Lackawanna F7 paint scheme, and most recently was stored in Lansing with ABRX reporting marks.

What is known about the condition of the locomotive? Is it operational at this time or does it require significant mechanical work before a return to service. I've been seeing a lot of ex-B&LE F units come up lately perhaps this is some new trend in rail preservation.

The general consensus from the local railfans of the area is that Coe ran it into the ground These are all unsubstantiated rumors. A link to some discussion is below. It was reported that it was donated to the Lansing Historical Society. I'm sure they had someone broker the deal for the cash.

http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic. ... it=lansing

I presume they have another unit to m.u. with this F-unit. Backing up with one for 20-some miles would not be fun.

Shouldn't be any reason it could not be MU'd to the BL2.

Actually Kerry, knowing the 725 I do, she'll need a big overhaul. Prime mover has issues, oil leaks, all that PLUS truck work. Allen did run her hard and put her away wet. Although she was a favorite of the crews (minus reverse moves). Got a few cab rides, and I hope her new owner has grand plans. Can't wait to ride her again.

What is required for the engine to be blue carded for rail transport? With such a classic design and sound, I certainly hope this engine has found a good home.
Alan

This old girl will need a LOT from my understanding when she was stored on the Jackson and Lansing (a Adrian and Blissfield property) as well as a few people who dealt with her in transit on CSX from Wixom (former Michigan Airline Railway, Railmark Holdings) to where she currently resides. CSX will not move her until her trucks are worked on for one thing, also a good mechanical rebuild will need to be done.

Trainwatcher, thanks for the reply. I guess my question should be are the wheels bad, or the trucks themselves bad, or the brake system, what components are preventing blue carding.
There has to be a big positive with this engine or the Stourbridge folks wouldn't have bought it. Looking forward to seeing and hearing it run someday!
Alan

She runs, just needs a lot of TLC. She was also blue carded years ago. I think the wheels need to be changed and bearings inspected. That prime mover will need work. I'd like to know who they bought it from. If it was Railmark, or the lease owner after Railmark went under.

The is F7A 725 at in it ( F7A 723 do 100 CZRY (Carrizo Gorge Railway INC is F7A 100 )

Didn't I just hear someone say CSX won't transport something with Hyatt roller bearings? (rule change 6/15?)

From experience, the reports of CSX refusing to move equipment with "outdated" equipment like Hyatt bearings or non alignment control couplers is greatly exaggerated. Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny.

CSX will try to get out of moving anything.... it's easiest to move many passenger cars on a flatcar if it's going onto that line...
The locomotive rule is a bit different...a loco doesn't need to have only EE bearings, but it must still have a blue card, brakes in date, etc...

This loco will probably have to be flatcared to ship anywhere....and CSX will try to find any little thing wrong to justify not shipping it.
The best chance for success is to go thru one of the shipping specialists, like Ozark rail logistics...

The "avoidance" of moving anything "unusual" starts at the bottom and works its way to the top.

My personal experience has been that working railroaders have become practically paranoid about anything that just, possibly, MIGHT cause them problems, in large part because management style has apparently become "blame the guy that was there" when something goes wrong.

So what incentive is there for a conductor to couple up to, or a car inspector to approve, an oddball ancient freight car that's traveling to a shop for repair, or that has a defective coupler on the end that they're never going to couple to except in a disaster, or that has six-wheel trucks instead of four-wheel trucks, or the handbrake in the "wrong" place? None whatsoever. Instead, there's all the reason in the world for a "man on the ground," in hopes of not chancing anything going wrong on his shift, to conjure up fantastical rationalizations that make your late-night conspiracy-theory talk radio show sound perfectly rational by comparison. (Hey, railroaders work 24-7. This might just explain late-night talk radio!)

CSX hardly has a monopoly on this manner of thinking. But for whatever reason it seems to practically cultivate and propagate this approach among its rank and file, in my experience and that of several others to which I've spoken.