It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:26 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:42 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 5:52 pm
Posts: 559
Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota
If we can't totally delete this thread, at least lock it. I also smell a troll.

Thanks!

_________________
Jim Vaitkunas
Minnesota Streetcar Museum
www.trolleyride.org


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:27 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:54 am
Posts: 1016
Location: NJ
BrassPhoenix, no offence taken-

Everyone else, where is this 'Trapper' from? Eastern PA? Can't tell a tank car from a steam locomotive? Just saying-


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:22 am 

Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 4:59 pm
Posts: 351
Location: western Maryland
EDM,

The Potomac River in Cumberland is not deep enough to hide ANYTHING in it, including rocks.

_________________
Apparently Not A Serious Preservationist


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 11:20 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:54 am
Posts: 1016
Location: NJ
Didn't the Army Corp of Engineers bury it in the Potomac when they when they did all the Wills Creek concrete work? (Just kidding-)


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:01 am 

Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:46 am
Posts: 2603
Location: S.F. Bay Area
wm303 wrote:
The Potomac River in Cumberland is not deep enough to hide ANYTHING in it, including rocks.

Yes, and the Big Boy is why that's so.

One of the Big Boys was built specifically to go to the Smithsonian. Then the war broke out, and the USRA used every engine available, so the unit operated extensively in the Washington DC area.

Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers was dredging the Potomac River in the area, strictly routine; but the Nazis thought it was strategic: part of an effort to restore the Ohio canal to create an inland waterway and keep shipping away from the U-boats. Nazi soldiers snuck into the country to put an end to the project. They absconded with the Big Boy and its train, and derailed it at high speed. The engine and the entire train careened into the river, falling into the very channel that had been recently dredged. This foreclosed any further dredging, so the river would remain shallow and rocky.

Since this was one of the few successful Axis operations on American soil, it was covered up for the sake of morale. Since the dredging and the train canceled each other out, both were denied... until well after the war, by which time Kennedy was pronouncing "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" and there was no reason to dredge up old war news. But if you follow the history of each of the Big Boy units, you'll find the one of them just sorta "disappeared" during the war and was never seen again.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:08 am 

Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 5:07 am
Posts: 66
Location: Illinois
I need a Tylenol...

_________________
Chris


The Norfolk & Western...home of the A's,Y's,M's,K's and the Mighty J's....well done Roanoke....well done.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Finding Big Boy Locomotives and About The Challengers,
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:21 am 

Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:04 pm
Posts: 91
Location: PA
He saw "Railfanning and before the first drop of drool hit the key board, he joined and made his first post.

Thanx for da laffs!

_________________
I am sure it has truly been said that no other product of Man's mind has ever exercised such a compelling hold upon the public's imagination as the steam locomotive...

-R. F. Hanks
Swindon Locomotive Works
March 18, 1960


Offline
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


 Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: