It looks like this photo was taken in the middle of repainting. Note the white trucks. http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=112055Tom Cornillie

Tom, that had to have been taken on July 5, and that's a primer coat. Later in the day they were painted the same color blue as the locomotive. She sure is looking a lot better.

If your date of 7/5 is accurate, this is a very timely update...The latest update on the NKP 190 page is late June !Guess they're working more on the engine than the internet.Here's the link for the engine sitewww.nkp190.com

Anyone know about the schedule for rebuilding the Santa Fe sister locomotive? I gather she's in far worse condition.

Richard,Didn't you see the press release about someone spending 3.1 million dollars to rebuild that thing ? The end-user may have been a tourist operation in Kansas or something like that. I can only wonder where they planned to come up with that type of money ?Seriously, the other locomotive had rolled over (at least once)and was in essence, a total loss. Somewhere, I have some slides of the more significant damage, taken in Mexico by someone who KNEW what they were looking at. In other words-not a buff with stars in his eyes. I think his comment was something to the effect that 'there wasn't a right angle to be found within the confines of the entire locomotive.'So, to invoke the terminology that finds favor with so many within this forum-the resulting locomotive would have so little of the original fabric remaining as to be pretty meaningless within any historic context. In other words-a replica.

I dont think its quite that bad..not to the point that it would be "a replica"..yes, it rolled, and the body is beat up bad,but the cab and nose look ok..maybe the body behind the cab will have to be replaced completely, but the cab, nose, frame and trucks will still be all original..IMO that doesnt cross over into the "replica" catagory..here is a pic:http://www.nkp190.com/scans/Mexico/%7Emax00632.jpgand lots more here:http://www.nkp190.com/gallery.htmlScot

Yeah, you are right.Just set the hulk up on the locomotive Frame-O-Liner and pull everything back into shape...Years ago, an Erie Alco PA met a GP-7 in a head-on collision-at track speed.The EMD died on the spot-and the Alco lived to run again. Think about it.

As part of the NRHS convention, on July 8, the Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland was open to conventioneers. I was able to spot some D&H blue and gold still lingering in the upper portions of this PA. The roundhouse itself is not much to speak about, but the treasures that lie within... astounding!

I didn't do the roundhouse trip at the convention because my Florida guests didn't wanna go. I wish I had now. But as I don't live that far away, I think I'm just going to have to go down and see that PA now that it looks like a PA. I saw her and her sister in that yard near Salem (just found it by accident when I was interviewing for a job there) back in 2002. If you guys had any idea what it looked like then, you'd be truly amazed at the work Doyle's crew has done!

I'm delighted to see the progress on the 190. I have a special sentimental spot in my heart for the other PA. I rode in the cab of then D&H 16 from Whitehall to Plattsburgh back in 1975. But I think I'm giving up on asking for cab rides. I bring the engines bad luck. My first cab ride was on CP 1278 at Steamtown, and it blew up ten years ago at Gettysburg. You have all seen what happened to D&H 16 after I rode in that cab. Enjoy your weekend everyone.

That brings back great memories of the lashup of three PA's sitting at the Bevier Street roundhouse in Binghamton the evening before the fall foliage fantrip back in 1973 (I think that's the right year). Two of them had recently been in the shop for work (#17 had a 12-244 in place of the 16-244 if I remember correctly) and the engine rooms were recently painted. I was fortunate to have friends on the railroad who gave me access to the units, and I spent quite a few hours out there looking over ALCO's design masterpieces, splendid and clean in their fresh coat of paint.

All of the above is interesting information, and yes, I've seen the images of the wrecks as they arrived in Oregon. Is there a schedule, or predicted calendar date, when the second PA will be cosmetically restored?

To my knowledge, no. The second PA is owned by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, and to the best of my knowledge, they have no current plans to begin work on it. SI has been known to store objects in their unrestored, as-aquired condition for years or even decades before working on them. Objects come to the front of the line when there is a reason to work on them--they are needed for an exhibit, or are requested for a loan, or funding becomes available that is specificially relevant to that object, or some reason of that nature. Until then they have no problem with simply storing an object safely as is--they do it all the time.

Where is the SI's PA stored?

Folks,I don't know much about the Nickel Plate Road. Did it operate any PAs?Or is it simply a matter of Doyle or somebody in his crew liking the NKP?I have the Santa Fe scheme American Flyer ABs on my shelf at home. If and when the Smithsonian ever does their engine over we are a ll in for a treat!Ted Miles