Found this web site the other day, there pulled a 60 ton 3 axel Plymouth Flexmotive Locomotive out of a shed were it has been for a long time.

http://americanindustrialmining.com/sho ... eservation

Tim C

I find that amazing, due to the fact that they restored it to operation within a day, after decades of no use.

I was there with Pete and crew that day. That sure is an oddball locomotive!

If this was a typical Flexomotive the Detroits were not original equipment. It would have had a single 300 HP Cooper-Bessemer 6 cyl. monster. The original transmission would have been a multi-stage planetary contraption that involved air operated cone clutches and band brakes.

I got to see this operation when it was still in commercial operation in the 1960s. At that time the second resident of the enginehouse was a tiny Porter 0-4-0T serial 7998 that was Max Noble's pet, operated occasionally for family gatherings. What has become of this little gem?

searching the builders number and builder on www.steamlocomotive.info lists H.C. Frick Coke Co. 0-4-0T (number unknown) as "operational." Located at Shoaf Coke Plant. Notes say "offered for sale on RAIL SWAP dec. 2008. Very small engine, stored inside in generally very good condition." I'm not sure of the accuracy of this information.

Been a while since I have seen a 6-71 with a two valve head. Looks like one of the tandem 6-71 they used in tanks. Odd duck there.

I have been told that the small steam locomotive was sold about a year or two ago and has been remover from the property, it was stored in the garage at the top of the property. The last time I was by the place there is a lot of machines still there, it is like a look back in time.

Tim C

The two Detroits are opposite hand, with both of them up close to each other. Must be some interesting retrofitting to not only install two new engines but to get them both coupled into the transmission.

I don't remember anyone talking about the Porter. It must have been gone by then.

What is even more interesting to me is the self propelled larry cars on top of the ovens.

The twin 671's in the locomotive are probably just a normal GM factory setup. You could get twin 671's side by side or bellhousing to bellhousing in an oem setup from GM. GM also made a quad 671 setup. Two side by side sets of 671's were mounted bellhousing to bellhousing driving into a common transmission housing. I'm guessing the factory dual and quad engine setups went away with the appearence of the 12v71 and 16v71 engines.

Great story and pictures. I am curious about the "anthracite breaker" moved to Shoaf in 1963. Anyone know where it came from and why it was moved?

Rob

I took a look at the Plymouth builder's list and found nothing for Shoaf. All of the 3 axel units with Cooper-Bessemer engines were 65 or 70 tons. Anybody able to narrow down the search?

This loco doesn't show up in Plymouth records under Shoaf Coke because they were not the original owner. Serial 3994 was shipped 10/2/39 to Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. #? at Indiana Harbor, IN as a model KC rated at either 60 or 65 tons, PLW records disagree. All later 3 axle Flexomotives were model KH. Original power was a Cooper Bessemer EN6L 6 cyl inline engine. At some point in the 1940s it was sold to Morgantown Ordnance Works #?, Morgantown, WV. By 10/3/52 it had been sold to Eastern Gas & Fuel Associates #? at Grant Town, WV. By 1967 it was owned by Shoaf Coke at Shoaf (Fairchance), PA n#. The conversion to twin GM 6-71s and the addition of a torque converter to the drive train was not done by PLW and their records do not indicate who did it and when. The coking operations at Shoaf were among the very last beehive operations in SWPA and ceased coking about 1975.