As somebody who built a whole website about four very rusty steam locomotives (and a couple of diesels), I have to admit there's a certain raw, poignant beauty to rusty, neglected equipment. It's not the rust that makes it beautiful though, it's the potential. The real beauty comes when those photos become the "before" images, and the "after" view is a locomotive fully restored to its former glory.

I'll tell you what:

Go run some first-generation diesel somewhere. REALLY run it. Haul some cars around with an EMD SW1 or F3, a GE 44-Tonner or 45-Tonner or 70-Tonner, an Alco S1 or RS3. Hell, let's go all the way, as the Delaware-Lackawanna or WNY&P does, with an MLW M636. Earn a day's pay.

Then when you get back to terra firma, go climb in the cab of a current SD80MAC, SD70ACe, Amtrak P42, MP36, B40-8, you name it. Hell, go for an Amtrak HHP-8. Or one of those NJT ALP-46's or a new British PH37ACmi. Something where you can't whittle a wedge for the dead-man's pedal for with a penknife and a red flag. Run one of those about for a while. Work an eight-hour shift.

Then--and ONLY then--get back to me about "soul-less."

But grant this much:

The ultimate objective was for all six locomotives to eventually NOT be rusty--no?

A rusty steam locomotive is better than no steam locomotive. See my photo essay, "Iron Horses Put out to Pasture":

http://homestaydenver.com/mcsa

Incidentally all these locomotives have been preserved and several have run since I was there.

Can I ask a question of the group?

How many different steam locomotives have you personally run? I have my suspicions that the number is relatively low. My point? It's easy to find a locomotive's personality when you are not running many. I'll give an example. I worked on the road with a multitude of diesels. No real personality, but they are all just machines. Now I am in a smaller yard with about a dozen regular assigned engines. Even though they are mostly the same model - they have their personalities. You can ask the hoggers or the mechanic. I'm remote-qualified and have a regular SD40/ slug set. She has a personality all her own... (maybe it's just running traits?). Some days she'll pull the entire yard, other days she grumbles with just a few cars.

So to me, diesels have personalities. And can be sworn at just as easy.

Relating this to the original question: there are many diesels with rust running out there. Steel mill switchers, industry switchers, and don't forget anything assigned to work near chemical refineries (New Jersey's chemical coast comes to mind).

3

Three.

And yes, I agree fully that diesels have personalities as well- the older they get, the more personality surfaces!

Well, five out of six isn't bad...

Rusty locomotives in a picture...
... Poignant, intriguing, artistic

Rusty locomotives in a museum...
... Ugly, sad, unkempt

I think that is all that can be said
O.

I have been trying to stay out of this but I think I will attempt to answer now. I first ran a locomotive, steam, 33 years ago. Since that time I have ran at least a half a dozen other steam locomotives and first generation diesels by Baldwin, Alco, and Extensive Maintaince Daily. I have ran several second generation EMD's and the newest thing I ran was a nearly new SD-50. I have worked for shortline railroads for 27 years so I have made my living around and, at least occasionally, running diesels and still do run them occasionally.

Change the name of the railroad to Western Maryland and my story is similar to that of Frisco 1522. My father and two of his brothers worked more than 125 combined years for the WM. I was born after steam was gone but in a family who loved steam and did not like diesels. I was regaled with stories of steam from the time I was born and occasionally taken to see what my father called old time railroading. I to grew up disliking diesels though I can at least tell the difference between a FA and a GP-7. I can not say that about the giant boxes running trains today. Unless I see a builders plate I have no clue if I am looking at a GE or an EMD.

Older diesels do often have some personally but it is mostly due to the degree of lack of maintaince they have recieved rather than quirks in a particular locomotive. I am convinced some, like Baldwins, only sold because some railroads just could not get enough EMD's to satisfy their desire. Nobody in their right mind would buy one otherwise. Still, running any of these things is like driving a car with an automatic transmission. You have to have some skill but not as much and there just is not all that much to do. In other words, there is not a lot of challenge unless you are over tonnage.

Simply put, I have made my living around diesels most of my adult life but I still do not like them. No diesel I have ever ran has had more the 5 percent of the personality of a 1901 PRR 0-6-0. Like my family before me, I enjoy the challenge of running and firing steam locomotives. Running diesels is mostly boring unless the railroad is very challenging. One of the oldtimers at Graham County called diesels boxcars with motors in them. I have never heard a better discription. While I travel to see and work on steam locomotives, I often do not turn around to see the current model boxes go by.

Having diesels in the preservation industry is important because it is part of the history of railroading. They also bring in those individuals who would otherwise not be involved in preservation. In my case, diesels are more likely to send me packing. All of this is just my opinion but it is the way I feel and I can do nothing to change that.

John Bohon

Rusty locomotives can serve several purposes. The one at the Western Railway Museum is not a display as such. It is a weather break to help protect the cars stored inside the building. Prevailing winds blow rain into that end of the building. The pole barn is grandfathered under the building code and cannot be modified by adding doors.

The locomotive was bought as scrap for a parts source. It contains many parts that also were used on GE 44 tonners. Diesel haters are welcome to enjoy the rust.

fk

I would have to agree with this. When I see a rusty engine, I get mixed feelings. Mainly, a mix of these two:

1. Sad to see that someone let an engine get to that state of disrepair

2. Excited that it's survived as long as it has, and that someday I may be able to help bring it back to life (or rather, wake it up - it's just sleeping, after all. :) )

Coughs and sneezles spread diseasels.

I've always had the notion that the emphasis of preservation was to abate the rust in order that the object being preserved would appear to not need preservation.

> the cause of steam genocide

1. filthy dirty
2. labor intensive
3. inefficient use of the energy produced
4. internal combustion in all forms

To give credit where credit is due, Alco did make a sincere effort to make a diesel look like a steam locomotive without the cost overhead of high maintenance.

By the way... how come nobody bashes steam engines?

And, in a situation where one side bashes and the other doesn't... isn't the bashing made doubly uncouth by the lack of return fire?