OERM big hook

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2005 6:41 pm

This looks like it might be a steam to diesel conversion that was aborted by the Santa Fe. Anyone have details?

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?j ... 9774_a.jpg

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:35 pm

This was an item that came to OERM through the California Southern Railroad Museum which mergered into Orange Empire Trolley Museum to create OERM in 1975.

Cal Southern was given this hulk by the Santa Fe. It was an earlier conversion to diesel by the Santa Fe; the ATSF took the diesel out to dieselize another derrick. It then gave Cal Southern the diesel-less dieselized big hook and also gave them the boiler and steam machinary from the other derrick.

Orange Empire Railway Museum was later given a 60-ton Southern Pacific derrick that had once served as part of the San Luis Obispo relief (wreck) train. That derrick is complete; but, the boiler was taken out, retubed and still awaits being reinstalled.

jsmatlak · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:40 pm **Posts:** 79

The Santa Fe derrick is also available free to any responsible party who can remove it from our property.

We've offered it on several occassions previously and have had no takers, but since Bob brought it up, I thought I would mention it again.

As Brian pointed out, the SP derrick fills that spot in our colleciton, and thus the ATSF unit is surplus to our needs.

http://www.oerm.org/

Dave · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:56 am

So John, this is basically a do it yourself steam Big Hook kit? Could you be a bit more specific about what is offered, condition and state of completeness, etc?

dave

Al Stangenberger · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:59 pm **Posts:** 650

Western Railway Museum also has a surplus ex-SP big hook which is
available free (as-is where-is). It's complete, but of course would need
boiler work, etc.