http://www.ontarionorthland.ca/index.ph ... lus-assets

Bids were due yesterday and its interesting that its listed as "scrap" steam locomotive.

This was not on the site at the beginning of the month, so it could not have been up for very long.

-Andrew Cornillie

Preservation effort:
http://thomasblampied.blogspot.com/2012/06/appeal-to-save-219.html?m=1

The Northern Ontario Railroad Museum is attempting to come up with the funds to acquire and move the locomotive. Here's there web site with contact info. I'm sure you can get more info from them:

http://normhc.ca/

There's no mention of the engine on the web site though, probably due to how fast this disposal attempt happened.

This is a direct result of the minority Liberal government in Ontario deciding to sell off the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission to feed their voracious apetite for funds... but this is no place for politics and I'll shut up now.

Hopefully common sense will prevail, and NORM will succeed in protecting the engine.

Steve Hunter

Is there a story about how this engine lasted so long at ONR?

Wesley

Nothing like waiting till the last minute. Looks like it's slowly scrapping itself.

It didn't last that long just on ONR.

In the late 1960s or early 1970s I shot it at Normetal Mining, just over the border from northern Ontario. It was at the time the back-up for Normetal's 80 ton GE.

It had been there quite a while.

Keep in mind this is entirely a politically generated issue. The engine has been sitting there a long time and the museums in the region don't have a surplus of funds to chase after such projects unless forced.

From past dealings I had with the ONTC, I would suspect roadblocks may have been thrown in the way of any previous serious inquiries.

Steve Hunter

David -

For the record, the Ten-Wheeler was built as Temiskaming & Northern Ontario #119 in 1907 and renumbered 219 in 1935. Sold to Normetal in 1938 and repurchased by the Ontario Northland in 1975, perhaps as an historical artifact.

Les

I remember reading somewhere it was purchased for a possible excursion program that never happened.

It's in pretty rough shape.

We've all seen worse. What is that blue glop?
She may not be picture-perfect, but she appears too good to be sacrificed for steel.

Apparently some emergency asbestos removal was done when it started dripping onto the ground, and the tarp/ goop is sealing everything that was left.

Steve Hunter

Could they have shoved it any further down that track? Looks like the front tender truck is still on the rails.

Looks like the Northern Ontario crew succeeded. Quote from their homepage, link at the end of this post:
"The Northern Ontario Railroad Museum's bid to purchase former Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railroad steam locomotive #219 was successful. Arrangements to transport the locomotive to Capreol are already underway. The museum is seeking assistance with the costs associated with transporting and restoring the locomotive. Please contact the museum if you are interested in getting involved" - Northern Ontario Railway Museum
http://normhc.ca/

That's wonderful news. The old girl has been needing a good home for years.