Great shots. I noted how rusty the wheel treads looked, either no use (yet) or that's the replacement wheelset.

When NS and CSX split up Conrail there was a loaded flat with the 0-6-0 (Utica NY) in transit. The waybill got lost in that epic computer screwup on day 1.

I really remember the APB that went out on the railfan forums looking for the flatcar with the steam lcomotive on it, it had disappeared out of the system.

I'm pretty sure that after a few weeks somebody spotted it on a track deep in the Conway yard. You'd think you couldn't possibly loose a flatcar with a locomotive load, but they did.

The other classic waybill blowup at that time was a locomotive headed to the Ontario Central (NY State) from a shop that got routed over into Canada without either customs paperwork or a waybill, because hey, it's Ontario, right? Send it across the border....

Talking about lost equipment I don't know that anything can beat the New Hope Valley (NC) railroads' RDC. It was a 20+ year saga:

https://www.triangletrain.com/ex-bm-rdc9-6929/

We moved two F-units from LTEX in Youngstown OH to Texas, over CSX, BNSF and UP. CSX did the initial inspection and cleared it with wedges instead of alignment control. Yay, I wasn't sure we'd get past that part and we did.

I wasn't surprised when they were spotted in Queensgate. I was surprised when they showed up on railfan cameras in Georgia and then Jacksonville. (Jacksonville???). Then due west to New Orleans, then turned over to BNSF to Ft. Worth, then to UP. That's quite the routing, was on the road for a couple weeks.

And THEN, and only then, did they get bad ordered for lack of alignment control when they hit UP. They ping-ponged back THROUGH the setout destination twice (right past it) to the next terminal (Ft. Worth - Dallas - return) to be bad ordered at the next terminal. Twice.

It took multiple phone calls and I distinctly remember it was a final SPECIAL TRAIN move from the terminal to the setout when the local had already dragged it past the very same destination switch - and a special move on a holiday weekend. I know the story and who was called and what was said but that part will remain quiet. They are alive and well today. Just never underestimate the ability of a railroad to be confused by virtually anything out of the ordinary.

Age of Steam just emailed that 643 arrived. Hurray! So glad that "The King" has found a forever home at last.

DONE!

Arrival also confirmed on their FB page.

One would guess that they want to stop paying per diem on those expensive flat cars. Would they be able to re-mount the boiler on the frame in one move with one crane rental, or will it require a lot of prep time to put it back together?

At least they have the turntable to make sure everything can face the correct direction since the tender is already there.

As nobody has mentioned it yet, as of 3:00 p.m. yesterday, February 6, 2024, at the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio, the boiler of B&LE 2-10-4 #643 was removed from its flatcar and placed back onto the previously unloaded frame, cylinders, and wheels of this massive locomotive. This huge and difficult part of the project has been completed, and now begins the complicated effort to put all of the removed parts, pipes and appliances back onto the #643 to produce a beautiful display locomotive.

No, it was never considered to restore #643 back to operation because its rigid 2-10-4 wheelbase is too long--22 feet, 4 inches--to negotiate the tighter curves of the former narrow gauge right-of-way now occupied by the local G&W which serves the Age of Steam Roundhouse. Also, #643's maximum axle loading of 38 tons when running precludes its operation on all but America's heaviest rails.

Thank you to those loyal fans whose faith never faltered, as AoSRM continued Jerry Jacobson's quest to save #643 from scrapping and bring it to its indoor, forever home at the Roundhouse in Sugarcreek. Be Safe.

John B. Corns

Hear hear!

John B. Corns said, "Also, #643's maximum axle loading of 38 tons when running precludes its operation on all but America's heaviest rails."

What rail did B&LE use? I know 112-lb and 131-lb were around in the mid 1940s (152-lb for the non-standard railroad of the World) but the War Production Board never allocated as much new rail as the Office of Defense Transportation requested. On the other hand, the Edgar Thompson Mill in Braddock, PA, churned out a lot of rail which may have been used without the knowledge of the WPB. I really don't know what rail they used.

I can't tell you specifically what rail was used on the main line but I can tell you it was maintained and continuously upgraded as a heavy hauler over its lifetime. it basically was a conveyor belt for iron ore heading south and coal heading north between Conneaut and North Bessemer.

Hearty congratulations to Tim Spasato and his crew for this important victory. I'm absolutely sure that Jerry Joe is looking down and smiling as he witnesses the safe arrival and re-assembly of this giant icon.

Mr. Corns is spot on that her rigid wheelbase and axle loadings make her a poor candidate for operational restoration.

She will make a significant addition to the already impressive collection.

Ross Rowland

I recall reading here that the excess weight of the engine is partially due to wartime materials/metal shortages, so that things like the main rods were heavier than normal, which probably means that you could shave some of the weight off of it if you were willing to spend a fortune on new running gear, etc..

Why?