One you don't see very often. Ex-Burlington 0-6-0, last used by Midland Electric Coal Co., at Quaker Square, Akron, Ohio. This photo from 1984.

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?o ... 984_02.jpg

Bob:

Thanks for photo. Midland Electric Coal in Middle Grove, Illinois also used a couple of ex-Minneapolis & St. Louis 0-6-0's in their operations, numbers 84 and 87. Anyone know if the Louie 0-6-0's replaced ex-CB&Q #1548, or did they work side by side? Also, anyone know how many steam locomotives worked for Midland Electric Coal? Finally, does anyone have any recent photos of Burlington 1548 and/or advise of her current condition?

Les

Here's a photo from the Quaker Square website.

Wesley

More on the Midland Electric Coal Co. ex-M&StL 0-6-0s here, scroll down:

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr1527.htm

I parked my car next to the "Q" 0-6-0 when we vacationed at Akron last year. The engine was in typical park-engine condition, although I can't recall if the insulation was out from under the jacket. I don't recall seeing piles of asbestos, so maybe that has been taken care of. It was generally beat and deteriorated, but not missing too much. The same was true of the German 0-4-0T.

Of much greater interest were the 1938 Broadway Limited observation car and diner that are built into the hotel bar. These still had quite a bit of their original Loewy interior details. Lots of books have photos and renderings of these interiors, and it was fascinating to actually see them. Or, strictly speaking, about half of them - lots of furniture and stuff is gone. The hotel has a fair amount of railroad junk on display, including some live steamers. I don't know how many diamond cutting wheels they went through sawing hotel rooms out of the concrete elevator silos, but it's a neat re-use of an industrial building. The kids liked the technology toys in the Inventors' Hall of Fame next door, but the actual inventor exhibits were kind of prosaic.

Are these cars fully enclosed inside the building, or are they partially outdoors? As I understand about half of the carbody is cut out of them - is that so?

If anybody knows of photos of the cars in their current condition, they would be quite helpful.

Many thanks,
Tom Cornillie

As I recall the 1938 PRR cars were more or less whole. I know the observation car is entered through its tail door. There may be a heavyweight diner that has had some chunks cut out of it. The cars are indoors.

Picture of the observation car from the Quaker Square website:



Wesley