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 Post subject: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2005 2:34 pm 

Hello all,
For any one that wants to know I sent the letter off today for the permission to dive the quarry, all four pages.

Leonard


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:29 am 

Update:
I was sent an email from a state park ranger yesterday, he told me in the mail that he hope I can get the permission. Because when The State Park Comission took over ownership they had their own divers dive the quarry to fine whether if there was any equipment in the quarry. He also stated that the State drained off the quarry in 1999 to help suply water down the valley for people`s wells were going dry. He didn`t explane how they drained off the quarry but just as they did.
The ranger told me he hope the best for this huge project.

Leonard.


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:33 am 

Hello all,
Here is what I wrote the State Park Commission.

Pennsylvania Railroad B-8 No.828 Historical Information Project

Dear Sir,
I`m contacting the State Park Commission to obtain special permission for highy train divers, to dive the old Monocacy Quarry in Union Township Berks County. There is beleaved to be a Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotive class B-8 No.828 0-6-0 switcher in the bottom of the quarry. If the locomotive is in deed there, it is the only Pennsylvania Railroad class B-8 in the world.

Background History

The Schuylkill Valley Stone Company was organized in 1907, by capitalist of Birdsboro, Norristown and Philadelphia, who established a large crusher plant in Union Township Berks County. One mile south of Monocacy Station village, with complete equipment for suppling crushed stone and Belgian blocks in great quantites.
A railroad spur and sidings has been extended from the Pennsylvania Raailroad Schuylkill Valley branch to the plant and quarry. Over half a million dollors has been expended thus far in this enterprise.
John T. Dyer Quarry Company bought out Schuylkill Valley Stone Company in 1911 as part of a consolidation of Five quarries in the Birdsboro area.

The first locomotive they purchased, for use at this quarry was Pennsylvania Railroad class H-3 No. 1187 0-8-0 on August 24, 1911. This locomotive was used up untill 1939 when the Pennsylvania Railroad traded B-8 No.828 for their former No.1187 for preservation as a relic and exhibition at the New York World`s Fair.
No. 1187 now is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Strasburg, Pa.

Since the Pennsylvania Railroad did not maintain disposition records for outside companies, there is no record of what happen to No.828, but it`s beleaved that No. 828 was left behined as well as other equipment in the Monocacy quarry when it closed it`s operation in the 1960`s after striking a strong spring.

Information on this theary

In 1994 I was talking with a man that worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the Reading City`s main office, he was a dispather of movement over the Schuylkill Division. When Dyer`s stone train wanted to move on the main, they had to contact my friend for permission to obtain the line, to their rail yard located at Monocacy freight station. He told me, when Dyer`s struck the strong spring they had to abandon the quarry, for their pumps couldn`t pump out the water quick enough. He told me, They left all their older equipment in the quarry and wrote it off as a total loss.
That included the B-8 locomotive, for they had much newer diesel locomotives to replace the old ones. My friends name is Art Acker of Reading, Pa.

Information on Divers

Which at this time I will not get into for I have their personal information listed.
Now it your turn, pray they give us the permission.

Leonard.


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 12:46 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:28 pm
Posts: 444
Leonard-thanks for keeping us posted, and your efforts are great! When the ranger replied to you that (a) they had sent divers down and (b) they had drained the quarry, did he/she offer any further information? As in-the divers found nothing (but only searched one small area), etc?


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 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 1:03 pm 

Hi,
The ranger really didn`t say to much, I`m guessing he don`t know what they had found, just that they did do some diving. He did state that there has been drownings there in the past years. The only thing he said about the draining of the quarry , was that in 1999 when we a five month drought, that there were people down the valley from the quarry, that their wells were going dry . The state set up temp. pumps to help suply them with water. He didn`t state if that worked or not. That`s about it on what He told me.
He sign it William.
Hope that answers your question.

Leonard.


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 5:11 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm
Posts: 1061
thanks for the info. please keep us updated. hoping for the best.


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 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:06 pm 

Hi all,
Request for all.
I`m requesting that no one takes it apond their selves, to take their own trip to the quarry. I have gotten a few emails where people have gone to the quarry to check it out . Please don`t do that , its very unsafe and could prevent what I`m trying to do with theses Pro divers for in the summer.
I had one guy email me, and said he and a friend took a trip up there last Saturday to check it out , they enter the quarry from the back side off Rt. 345. That is a big no no. The cliff alone is very high about 100 ft. then it drops into the water. If someone would slip. It wouldn`t be good.

So please I`m asking you , Don`t go there.

Leonard.


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 1:44 am 

HI all,
I got a email from French Creek State Park today,
Thanking me for posting on here, about the request for people to stay away from the quarry. The person also stated that they have been checking out this site and are very impress with it. He also said for you`ll to keep up the good work.
He sign it Ranger Steve.

Len


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:16 pm 

Hi all,
So you all know it , the Video is on its way to Ryan he should get it on Thursday . For a recap. The video shows the quarry and old rail , the video was taken Feb. 28, 1996 .

Leonard


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 1:07 am 

Hello all,
Ryan got the tape. He email me last Friday.
Also I got a email from the state and they are looking at the letter I sent . So keep your fingers crossed.

Leonard


  
 
 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 11:48 pm 

Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:54 am
Posts: 16
Location: Portland Maine
In the late 1950's I lived in Reading PA. I met some railfans who travelled extensively in that area of Pennsylvania and had extensive photo collections. One of the photos I saw was of an out of service 0-6-0 tender locomotive taken several years earlier sitting at the Dyer Quarry on a siding along the PRR Schuylkill Valley line waiting to be hauled away for scrap. The photo showed it to be out of service for quite a while and if memory serves me correctly had square steam chests, and inside Stephenson valve gear. It would bear a strong resemblence to a B8 in my memory. The man who took the photo I believe was Robert E. Wanner who may still live in the Reading area.

Stories abound of the things animate and inanimate that have ended up in the abandoned Dyer quarry.

Good hunting!

_________________
Dave Sherron
Portland ME


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 Post subject: UPDATE!!!
PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 2:03 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:38 am
Posts: 1001
Location: Philadelphia
I have it on good authority a preliminary dive was just conducted at the quarry. An early dive was conducted owing to the unseasonably warm weather. The dive was planned for the weekend but forecasts are calling for 2-3â€


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 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 12:14 am 

Joined: Sat May 19, 2018 10:03 am
Posts: 190
This is digging up an old topic, but has anything been done or was this just a dream project?


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 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 12:46 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11481
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
The original story that propositioned a steam locomotive might have remained in a flooded quarry was found to have numerous inconsistencies, and as a result no serious efforts were made towards searching.


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 Post subject: Re: PRR. B-8 No.828 in Monocacy Quarry Update Information
PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:47 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:54 am
Posts: 1016
Location: NJ
I was wondering just how long it would take before the 'rumor of a wrecked Hudson' thread caused the '0-6-0 in a quarry' thread to be dredged up again. Just remember who the source for most of the 0-6-0 chatter was, banned from just about every rail related forum online.


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