Come to think of it, I know about another four small engines being worked on, but I've been sworn to secrecy. Their owners can announce these projects when they decide the time is right.

Ohhhh does someone know a secret? You must be a very special person! Congrats.

It seems rather obvious that my last post wasn't about ME, and should not require any more explanation than the less than two lines I used. All I was suggesting is that if I know about 4 steam restorations that are under the radar, there must be 50 or 100 more around the country that I don't know about.

Four under restoration - at one place? Because that would be very hard to keep under a lot of radars. I imagine some (if not all) are at separate places.

Yes, Jim, I'm allowed to say "4 different places". It isn't so much that the owners don't want anybody to know what's up (such as the case when buying a locomotive or negotiating a lease), it's just that they are not ready to deal with inquiries, so it's easier to just keep quiet for now.

These are small engines, the kind that frequently get overlooked. They are also privately owned, and so are not entangled in any kind of public type organization. When the day comes that they are made generally known, I bet it won't be world news headline material. And, I bet most of you reading this thread can come up with one or more examples of what I'm talking about.

So, let's all think happy thoughts, shall we ? It makes me happy to think that there is such an extensive underground steam locomotive restoration movement. Everybody can't be publicly funded. Us little guys are saving what we can, the best way we can, too.

Just now, I received word that a group of friends in Palau, Coahuila, Mexico have gone out in the middle of the desert and rescued the decayed hulk of locomotive #4 of the Compania Carbonifera de Coahuila, a standard gauge Baldwin ten wheeler, no specifics available now. They have been at it for at least five years, and have moved the engine to someplace nearer to civilization, and cleaned her up and painted her. I'd say getting that wreck to ever run is pretty much impossible, but I'd have said the same thing about what they have undertaken so far.

I don't know if this project qualifies for inclusion in this list, because it's in Mexico, but these guys deserve recognition and help. It's also been under the radar, but that is not intentional. It is simply the result of the guys choosing to spend their time working, rather than making noise about their project.

Pictures????

Yes, I had to see pictures before I posted about it. Right now, the best I can do about sharing them is to suggest visiting www.MEXLIST.com and checking the discussion board, under the topic "Locomotives of Sabinas". It will certainly be a pleasure to post better pictures here when I can. Thanks for your interest.

Thanks for the link. However when I clicked on that link I don’t see a link to the discussion board.
Hopefully some pictures will become available soon.
I wish that group the best!

Keith

Keith,

Thanks for your inquiry. The spark plug for their project will be in the field for a week, studying prairie dog colonies. When he gets back, I will suggest that he start a thread here.

I've been offline for over five years, pinching pennies so I could save up enough to fix up my own locomotive. All my new computer gear still has booby trapped software, just like it always has. When I get it to all work right, then I'll post the pictures if necessary.

I didn't either - perhaps one needs to join to have it available.

Ok, the message board is hosted by groups.io

https://groups.io/g/MEXLIST

That is the landing page. Th group appears to be open for viewing. I suspect this link is a good place to start:

https://groups.io/g/MEXLIST/topic/80844653#22169

Brian

Guys, MEXLIST is free and open to all who are interested. You might just email the webmaster, and he can help you. He's a computer whiz. The topic link is close, but no cigar. You're looking for "the lost locomotive #4".

Those guys are going to be tickled pink that somebody in the USA actually cares what they're doing. Thanks again for your inquiries.

Another addition to the list: Wild Goose Railroad 0-4-4-0 #3 (Council, Alaska), Climax Class "A" Sn. 313, a 3ft NG built in 1902 for the Nome Gold Rush, has been successfully retrieved from Alaska by Corry RAILS and arrived in Corry, PA, the home of all Climax locomotives, on October 16, 2020 following 3 years of research, planning, negotiations, inspections and fund-raising.

Being that Corry RAILS new Restoration Shop is uninsulated and unheated at this point, the container is inside and awaiting warmer weather and the snow to go away before we begin unpacking the container, sorting the parts to storage areas and then commencing the first evaluation sessions leading to the beginning of work sessions and restoring A-313, the only known original and nearly complete Climax Class "A", back to full steam operation. Follow us on Facebook at " https://www.facebook.com/Corry-RAILS-823473098015930/ " and our website " https://www.corryrails.com " [Thanks, Carl W.]