Hi All,
I had an interesting talk with the people at the scrapyard in Roanoke VA. It seems that the Virginia Museum of Transportation never sent a letter of acceptance to the Scrapyard people after they donated the equioment to them.
So. The scrapyard people are now looking for someone else to take the equipment.
It is my understand that there is interest in part of the equipment there but I dont know how much.
Here is the link to the Lost Engines Web Site: http://lostengines.railfan.net/

With the change in leadership at the museum, is there a possibility that the museum could finalize the acceptance at this point?

I think there are benefits to doing so, even if some/all of the locomotives never ultimately go on display there. For one, the preservation community in general will benefit as the museum can be seen as a local, benevolent curator. Second-the museum has local ties to local funding sources. Third-the museum and others can work with NS on permission needed to reconnect the siding to the active track (if needed). Fourth-the locomotives could be part of the "trading fodder" that museums and other preservation entities use.

Fifth (purely sentimental on my part)-these engines should not be scrapped. I did see in the latest issue of Trains magazine that the engines were compared to bones on a beach/some preservationists question preserving them. Yeah, all true....but after the N&W Y6s were cut up in Roanoke in the 1970s sorry but it's hard to see any more scrappings of steam (yes, I'm aware of the ex-GTW 0-8-0s being scrapped since then, and yes, I understand why). Yes, pure emotion, not based on logic and/or fact, and others will surely challenge this....

They should be kept if for no other reason if for parts or restoration because they just don't make them any more! Remember you can't run down to the local locomotive shop and order a new steam engine. Just like you can't run down to your local Ford dealer and order a 1956 Crown Victoria. I first saw the pictures back in '02 and we would love to grab one of them but again, freight would kill us to bring it up to NJ. So if someone close to the facilty can keep them from being scrapped, it would be a great interim solution until someone could be found to take them into their collections.

Later!
Mr. Ed

Seriously, I have seen a park locomotive in Maine that competes with the "Lost Engines", and I have looked over all the locos. It is likely that SMS in New Jersey would love either or both the Baldwin Diesels. I have not any contact, but they collect Baldwins for service. The N&W 4-8-0 and the Consols have potential, if only cosmetically dressed up to show how a locomotive works. I seriously doubt people would get behind an effort to cut up these locomtives. They are legendary, and a public affection exists for their preservation. The scrap yard also houses a series of ancient hoppers and GKW under the piles of other metal. It wouldn't be too awful to break them up as a set and distribute the locos to good museum homes as display pieces.

Hi All
For those who want to keep up with the ongoing discussion of the Lost Engines you can check out the yahoo group: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/lostengines/

Andrew Martin

GKW?