I know 4501 was mentioned, but Southern Ps4 1401 is another example of a class that was almost lost. Had it not been for the Smithsonian and the history behind 1401 the entire class of Ps4's could have been lost.

If I remember correctly, I read somewhere that Southern had offered Ps4's to a few larger cities for display only to be turned down by each.

Trains Magazine had an article which stated three PS4's had been serviced and readied for donation. 1401 was taken by Smithsonian, and more in regard to hauling FDR's funeral train, while the other two sat waiting for redemption which never came.

I didn't know that.
You know the SRR deeply regretted that soon afterward once the steam program got going.
You only have to see how they later wanted to buy Dick Jensen's Pacific (and how his counter offer was too much for SRRs checkbook) to turn into a PS-4 copy that they'd have loved to have run another PS-4 on those trips...

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I thought the story was SR wanted A&WP 290 as the PS-4 stand-in?

Wesley

That one was also on Graham Claytor's radar screen. It "got away" earlier (1967?). I recall the attempt with Jensen was in 1972, during an early Tourist Railway Association convention, when Jim Bistline was in attendance, having come to Chicago to meet with Jensen. It was definitely talked about in the hallways at that event.

Howard P.

I don't think that the narrow-gauge 4-4-0 "EUREKA" has been mentioned. If it wasn't for Dan Markoff, a history major turned lawyer, who saw the fire damaged locomotive and decided to save it we would not have this 1875 locomotive in operating condition. If he had not stepped up. the EUREKA might have become just a pile of scrap.

Florida East Coast Railway steam would be nonexistent if it weren't for second owners. Pacifics 113, 148, and 153 were sold to U.S. Sugar, (113 spent the Great Depression years languishing in the Walter Wallingford Cos. scrapyard), 80 was sold to the Savannah & Atlanta where she became their #750, and 88 was sold to the Georgia Northern where she became their # 107. 0-8-0 253 was sold to the Louisiana & Arkansas,and was displayed for several years in a park in Texarkana, Texas. She was rescued two weeks before she was scheduled to be scrapped.

The only surviving WP CZ locomotive, 805A, preserved at the WP Museum in Portola, CA, almost didn't make it there. While being shipped from its last operator to the museum some local crew around the Texas area (Yeah, that's a big area, but I don't have any notes to go by) didn't read their waybills and assumed that "clunker' locomotive in their consist was going to the scrapper on their route, so they dropped it off there. Fortunately the scrapper realized it wasn't their property and didn't start cutting into it immediately. A railfan who was aware of the move to Portola, saw the engine in the scrapper's yard and called the museum. A few rather hurried and panicked phone calls later, the locomotive was picked up and sent on its way again. A close call for certain!

I think that almost any locomotive in a museum has a story attached. The second largest collection of steam locomotives are at he Illinois Railway Museum. They were gathered from parks, private collectors, the Museum of Science & Industry via a Chicago street, a sand mine in Georgia and of course scrap yards.

I have read some of their stories in the Rail & Wire magazine; notably the save of the Northeast Steel locomotives at Sterling, eight of them at once!

I hope some of the people involved with them put the stories down on paper before they leave us. Mr. Bob Richardson did document his saves better than most.

I like narrow gauge so the Maine two-footers come to mind. How often has any locomotive such as the WW&F #9 waited 70 years to go to a museum, much less run again! Let's not forget the little S.D. Warren Paper Mill #2 at Boothbay Village; 1930s to 2018 between steam ups!

Ted Miles, IRM Member