Unfortunately, that’s why I don’t think it’ll happen. However, this discussion is not wasted. Sooner or later, a locomotive in a less dire spot will need moved, and rather than “they tried with 643 and it didn’t work,” the idea exchange here will lead to “It’s hardly impossible, because this one is half that size, it has six months to move, not six weeks, and the research then said that...” Even mistakes and failures have value if they teach us what to avoid or what would have worked if done in a slightly different way.

Ideally, of course, the new property owner would want to replace the rail spur, there’d be enough time to get 643 on the rails one way or another, and she could be shoved onto PTM’s siding for temporary safekeeping. That’s about as likely as a lottery hit, but so are a lot of other things that have actually happened.

Sitting on the fence curiously following this story and researching 643's past splattered on the Internet.

Having burned up nearly an entire Saturday reading a multitude of data, ideas, theories, attitudes and opinions written about this locomotive;
it's fascinating how the bulk of the locomotive's history is directly tied to its current owner and where it actually sits today...
than when it was ever actively in-service for the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad.

John

If Campbell was a gentleman he would sell the 634 for scrap and donate every penny to a locomotive that actually has a chance of seeing a hot firebox again. How many threads have been wasted on this engine and it's obstinate owner? Has anyone actually worked out a place to run the thing? The only use I have been able to come up with that makes any sense is as part of an indoor display, like the Franklin Institute's Baldwin #60,000.

Error

Why does every steam locomotive have to be operational?

I believe the 643 is one of only three 2-10-4's in existence. Each of the three engines represent a definite evolutionary step in the development of the superpower concept. It definitely deserves to be preserved, if at all possible. The Texas type is unique for a non-articulated engine in having both high horsepower and high traffic effort. Also, unique to these three engines, is fact that they have limited maximum cutoff.

I already mentioned that scrap yards do not take accept metals with asbestos in it. Even if they did, good luck convincing your burners that work for the company that they are going to be in a cloud of asbestos dust for around a month for $15.00 a hour. If you think you are going to scrap that locomotive regardless, once the city sees that massive pile of asbestos on the ground blowing in the wind you are going to be fined and later sued by any neighbors that even find a tiny fiber in the window. Dozens of lawyers would be around the fence talking to anyone with in a 3 mile radius of that site. With scrap metal trading at record lows that locomotive is worth nothing the way it sits now. The locomotive in Oregon that was recently sold, had a value of not even $1,500 dollars in scrap metal. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43350

As someone who worked in two scrap yards we often sold anything that could be worth anything over scrap value. We sold large items at scrap value (our price the steel mill quoted us) such as cargo containers, school buses, trucks, electric motors, just so we wouldn't spend labor and wear and tear on the machines to get rid of it. There is a reason you don't see 69 Camaros, and 57 Chevy's going to the shredder regardless of what condition they are in. They have value even as a empty shell. A steam locomotive has value. You don't junk it just because it is made out of metal.

There is plenty of museums out there that need and want a large steam locomotive to display. Just having a static steam locomotive is a good asset which many railroad museums do not have.

Did I say that? I believe my recommendation was that it NOT be operational.

In addition to B&LE 643, Texas & Pacific #610, two Canadian Pacific Selkirk's and at least two (possibly more) AT&SF 2-10-4's still exist.

Les

Just sharing that 643 DOES NOT have any abestos on her I had asked Glenn about that acouple years back.

There are 3 ATSF 5000-Class 2-10-4s I can think of off the top of my head, the 5000 'Madame Queen', the one at CSRM, and one at a park in NM - and I believe there are more. They'll also run 80+ MPH...

CD

In the U.S. and Canada:
AT&SF 2-10-4 No. 5000 Amarillo, TX
CP 2-10-4 No. 5931 Calgary, AB
CP 2-10-4 No. 5935 Delson, PQ
AT&SF 2-10-4 No. 5017 Green Bay, WI
AT&SF 2-10-4 No. 5011 Kirkwood, MO
B&LE 2-10-4 No. 643 McKees Rocks, PA
T&P 2-10-4 No. 610 Palestine, TX
AT&SF 2-10-4 No. 5021 Sacramento, CA
AT&SF 2-10-4 No. 5030 Santa Fe, NM

Sooo....nine in North America, 7 in the United States.

In regard to the previous poster's comment about scrapping an asbestos-laden locomotive, the asbestos on #643 was abated in the late 80s when it was restored to near-operation.

According to the ownership listings, the B&LE sold the 643 to Glenn Campbell in June of 1983. What was its story before then?

Still owned by the B&LE and stored in the roundhouse in Greenville if I recall correctly.

They also sold a very nice set of classic passenger cars at the same time. Anyone recall where those ended up? I looked at them for the Mt Rainier Scenic RR, but they ended up not bidding on them.