Got to be careful on this one, folks! No flames allowed!

There have been a number of locomotives that were started toward restoration, partially disassembled, the abandoned due to failure to find funding, deaths of those who initiated it, local interference, lack of interest.
Can we collect of a short list of those locos, and a factual statement of how they stand today? No claims and counter-claims, no villification, just a factual list, and perhaps a photo reference?

Some of these we may see are less "abandoned" than "Don't ask when!" as famously chalked on the boiler of N&W 475 at Strasburg during her lengthy restoration.

One that comes to mind is the ex-Army 2-8-0 at Cass (611?) that was acquired for use on the now-severed C&O line between Cass and Durbin. With Cass no longer having enough "level" mileage to justify its return to steam there after the 1985(?) floods, it definitely needs a new home.

Wilmington & Western 92? After initial service in the 1960s and 1970s, it remains in pieces awaiting a restoration that always seems to get shoved back behind (in turn) W&W 98, 3, 37, and 58 and the flood-ravaged right-of-way. Sisters 89 and 91 have seemingly come and gone and returned while we await this "hangar queen".

How about the last RS-1 built-GTW 1951 ?

Rumor says that a private party bought it-donated it to a certain museum-took it apart for'restoration'-with the person dying an untimely death. And there the piedces sat..and sat..and sat.

Can anyone confirm or deny ?

Dave

The 611 was transferred to TVRM a long time ago. That's one engine I'd love to see (and hear) run, since it's the last U.S. steamer existent equipped with Franklin rotary-cam poppet valves.

Well, I may not know the whole story. The locomotive was purchased by a private individual, Bob Johnson, who was a huge GTW fan - and who acquired several other pieces of GTW equipment. The intention was always to place them at IRM and this was regularly done via formal donation without a lot of hand wringing, delaying, or other tap dancing. In the time he had available, he tried to keep up appearances and do basic maintenance to avoid the equipment sliding inexorably backwards.

He passed on very unexpectedly due to a fatal on the job accident. All of his stuff is part of our collection, and I believe all under roof. In my years at IRM I have not been aware of the loco being 'taken apart' and lying in pieces.

There are always projects and priorities and for the past few seasons our internal combustion department has had a dozen or more diesels running to provide service and also for special photo runs and members enjoyment That is not too bad, and cannot be an easy thing to do. They have also restored and repionted two locos recently and are working on others.

Many of the diesels in the collection are rare types or possess other significant histories. If their mechanical condition suffers a major defect, it may be lower down on the list of needed work to do, as maintanance and operation of some other piece would take precedence.

Bob Kutella

The 612 went to Cass but, as far as I can tell, they never attempted to begin a restoration on it. The 612, as well as our 610, were in states of partial disassembly when the Military shut down steam operations at Ft. Eustis. I don't know if that is the case with the 611. What we got from the previous owner was a bunch of parts that we might be able to resurrect a steam locomotive out of.

I must admit that our K&T 10 falls into this category. The restoration work was started in 1973 and to this day it stilll sits in pieces. With it needing an entire firebox replacement, a cosmetic restoration may be all it sees.

I took some pics of the work in progress on Southern Ks-1 630 and Southern E-8 6914 yesterday. Perhaps I can get them uploaded on our website this week.

http://www.mcrwy.com/collectn/steam/lc2.html
http://www.mcrwy.com/collectn/steam/cips6.html
http://www.mcrwy.com/collectn/steam/up440.html

K&T 10 at TVRM must be one of the locomotives torn down for the longest period of time. If I remember correctly it was disassembled in the mid or late sixties. The 10 however is not a forgotten locomotive and many of us hope to see it return to service some day. Steve or Mark can correct me if I am wrong but I think the 10 was considered for the next return to service that saw Southern 630 actually chosen. From what I remember 630 was chosen mostly because it was smaller and more practical to run on the local trains as well as the Georgia trains. Hopefully the Georgia trains will continue to grow in popularity and either 4501 or 10 will be needed for their extra tractive effort.

I think the 972 at Strasburg has been torn down for about 20 years now. With declining traffic they have no need for an additional locomotive at this time so I doubt it will return to service in the near future.

There is a Frisco 4-8-4, I think either 4500 or 4501, that was torn down and then largely abondon making news a year of two ago. I do not know the status of that locomotive.

Spencer has a military 0-6-0T that was torn down for restoration to service before they bought BC&G 4. It is still torn down but slated for cosmetic display when the new backshop is opened. I straightened and reinstalled the pilot footboards 3 or 4 years ago but I am not sure if any additional work has been done to the engine since. I suspect it has, little by little.

Western Maryland 202 in Hagerstown, MD City park was torn down for restoration to service by an individual in the early eighties. While the overhaul was apparently mostly completed the engine remains painted in a basic black with no lettering and the mainrods were still down on the piston end the last time I saw it. The city constructed a shed over the engine several years ago and the individual moved in several cabooses he is planning to make into a museum of sorts. Of course Hagerstwon Roundhouse Museum is also in Hagerstown and it is doubtful the city can support two museums. The 202 now needs a new FRA boiler certification and was never operated after the initial repairs so money spent on the boiler work was more or less wasted. The good news is the engine is now protected and in much better cosmetic shape than it was. The individual who is doing the work is now rather elderly and it remains to be seen what will happen when he passes.

Army 612 mentioned above came to Cass as a nearly operational locomotive. The Cass shop foreman at the time told me it basically needed superheater tubes to return to service. Today it sits in the dead line beside the shop as a rusted hulk that desperately needs a home. The problem is getting it away from the state and then getting it out of Cass. From what I understand neither is easy.

John Bohon

C&NW 175 up in Hancock, Michigan comes to mind as a very neglected engine that has been proposed for rebuild and use many times, yet remains in pieces, neglected and most of the time forgotten. It was actually prepped for a move not too long ago, but never went any where.
http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=651

John Risely photo

While the first two are true the 440 was never in the process of being restored. It was largely torn down prior to movement so that the asbestos could be removed. It has since been sold to a wisconsin town for a cosmetic display.

BTW, a correct tender does exist for this loco. Mid-Continent has it.

SP 2-6-0 1629 at Newhall, California was still dismantled last I knew, after a return-to-steam effort failed. The Fillmore & Western people were supposed to reassemble it, but I've yet to hear if that was acomplished. C&O 2700 is another one that got dismantled and has yet to be put back together. The biggest problem is that vital, near-irreplacable parts can get lost in the shuffle. Gauges, bells and whistles you can find - siderods are harder to replace. The stuff at North Freedom, Union and Chattanooga is probably ok, but the here-today-gone-tomorrow groups involved in some restorations are cause for concern.

Another aborted project was the St. Louis-San Francisco 2-8-2 #1352. This Frisco engine currently sits in Taylorsville, Illinois. I am not sure how far the group got with the restoration. Hopefully someone can update us, and what, if any, plans there are for the Mike.

Les

I have to admit, it does get a little discouraging that some engines have sat in pieces for so long. Many of these engines would be better served by being put back together and put on static display.
Eric

Add DL&W 2-6-0 565 to the list. It was taken apart and partially rebuilt to run on the original Adirondack in the 1970s, but the rebiliding was never completed.

It is now at Steamtown; the last I heard the lead truck was among the missing parts. Too bad, as that would make the ideal engine for use around the yard in Scranton, and could go out on the road with a small train or as part of a doubleheader.