This forum is littered with debates over the worthiness, or lack thereof, of proposed rail preservation targets. I believe that we can agree that being unusual or unique does not, in and of itself, warrant an object's preservation, especially if it's a big piece of operable rolling stock.

Today, this auction offering was posted a couple times on Facebook as "why doesn't someone save this???" or the like:

http://www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com/detail.asp?id=852

Discuss or chuckle as you see fit.

If the wheelsets are in good shape with plenty of meat, I would love to preserve the rotating end cap bearings & boxes for our Alco T6... as for the rest of it..... no comment

The carbody is kind of an acquired taste but it was a useful locomotive for quite a few years on the T&N which primarily serves its owner, a steel mill specializing in pipe (or it did when I looked at this beast when shopping for locomotives). The electrical cabinet had clearly had some input from the railroad's electrician, you could walk in and everything was easily accessible. T&N had quite a fleet of 539 equipped switchers which were being converted to Cummins power.

It is available for $85,000 "or it will be sold for scrap". Doubtful that scrap value is that high, so I think that a deal could be struck. But what is historic about it? Nothing that I can see.

Hey, my GE 80 tonner is still available, and it is historic, being the Genesee & Wyoming's first diesel locomotive. And I'm motivated to sell it for much less than the oddball is available for.

because its oddball deserves a save.

there are a number of N&W oddballs, and are not saved

Does being rebuilt from an ALCO RS3 count?

The only thing RS-3 that remains is the frame. The prime mover is a Cummins KTA with other mechanical items supplied by EMD..... a nice example of a "kitbashed" locomotive is all this is.