Seeing IC 2-10-2 #2807 on Bob Yarger's thread "treading water" got me to thinking. How many pieces of equipment got saved because they were kept around for some other purpose by their owners and then eventually preserved. I can maybe think of a few:

T&P 2-8-2 #400 (ex-FW&D #410) purchased for high water (flood) duty.

B&M 4-6-2 #3713 kept around for snow melting duty.

CSL #1374 kept around for salt application over city streetcar lines.

UP 4-6-6-4 #3977 kept around for snow melting duty.

SOO 4-6-2 #2719 kept around for snow melting duty? Not sure about this one.

CofG 4-6-0 #403 (ex-SC #103) purchased to provide service for a CofG subsidiary short line when the diesel provided proved unsatisfactory.

There was also a New Haven DL109 saved for some time beyond the scrapping of its many sisters but I cannot recall for what reason. Unfortunately, it eventually met the scrappers torch too when Conrail came into existance. The reason I mention it that it was a DIESEL saved for another reason and perhaps there were others. I am not sure if the list above should be expanded. Just wondered.

Les

1218 as a stationary boiler

I was told the UP kept Pacific 3203 for high water duty around Portland, because of its high wheels.

Central of Georgia 223 for flood relief coverage - at least until the flue time expired.

dave

There was also a New Haven DL109 saved for some time beyond the scrapping of its many sisters but I cannot recall for what reason. Unfortunately, it eventually met the scrappers torch too when Conrail came into existance. The reason I mention it that it was a DIESEL saved for another reason and perhaps there were others. I am not sure if the list above should be expanded. Just wondered.

Les, I believe that the unit you refer to was scrapped after the inclusion of the NH into PC in 1969 (please correct me if I am wrong).

There is a UP, GE-U28C donated to the St. Louis Museum of Transport that was long used as a maintenance instruction locomotive. In the process it lost its long hood - but is still the only U28 remaining.

There are still opporunities out there -
Iowa Chicago & Eastern has ONE nee-Soo passenger GP-7, #137 still on its roster from the sizeable group it acquired with its acquisition of I&M Rail Link. The remaining units will likely be fodder for creation of Green Goats or Gen-Set Switchers.

See: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=173433

It is my understanding that the SOO was very conservative with the maintenance which allowed their GP-7/9 fleet to mostly retain their as-built configuration - which may make this one of the best surviving former passenger jeeps anywhere.

Tom Cornillie

I think C&NW 1385 was preserved becuase she spent a couple of years melting frozen ore or as a stationary boiler somewhere in Wisconsin after the end of Northwestern steam.

New Haven 0716 was retained for many years as PP716 (Power Plant). Its engines and generators were used to power third rail test track. It fell into extreme disrepair and was scrapped near what is nowadays the ladder track to the MBTA layover yard at the Southampton Yard in Boston.

New York Central 4-8-2 #2933 also survived as a snow melter in Indiana until it was donated to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis in 1963.

The number of electric cars that were saved because of non-preservation reasons is extremely high, between the cars that were used in work service and cars that were saved due to use of carbodies as sheds or dwellings. Of the 12 CSL/CTA streetcars preserved, four survived because they were used as salt cars and three more because they were being used as storage sheds. Only five, fewer than half, originally survived scrapping by being held for preservation.

Hi Frank -

I know that a number of pieces of electric traction survived by the fact that they became storage sheds/salt spreaders/chicken coops/summer homes/etc. both at IRM, and at other museums. The reason that I included CSL 1374 is that is was restored to what it was originally; a Chicago streetcar. If a carbody is still basically a storage shed/salt spreader/etc., I didn't add it to MY list, because it hasn't been restored yet. Others may look at things different.

Someone I'm sure would then bring up something like T&P 400 which is currently in a shed and not on display supposedly due to an asbestos problem. But the engine WAS originally put on display and viewable by the public for some time. So that is why I included it on my list. If other cars at IRM HAVE been restored then I would certainly welcome their addition.

Les

P.S. Haven't read the book yet!

To the growing list I would add W. H. Eccles Lbr. Co. Heisler #3. Preserved as a backup stationary boiler at a sawmill in Idaho, it had a current boiler certificate in 1970 when it was recovered & restored to operation by the Sumpter Valley Ry. restoration group.

Wasn't UP 844 a snowmelter for a brief period of time?

The last time 765 was fired up by the NKP was to provide steam heat for a passenger train in Ft. Wayne, although I have no idea if this had anything to do with its being preserved.

I'd like to mention Chattahoochee Valley 2-8-0 #21.
CV kept it for high water duty until the bottom of the tender rotted out. It was given to the Atlanta Chapter NRHS and as I understand it, when they opened the boiler to inspect the flues, some of the grease pencil markings on the tubes were still there from its last shopping.
Doug

Well, if we are including electric, there's Charlotte car 85 restored to operation from a shed, a Cincinnatti curveside moved from Kentucky where it was a shed and restored as a replica of a Marietta, GA car, and (almost finished) a Oklahoma single truck Birney replicating an Appleton, WI car (static display). These are just from my shop over the past few years. I got numbers written down somewhere. Frank probably knows them off the top of his head!

dave

How about railroad passenger cars? B&LE combine #25 spent 25 years as a tool car for the EJ&E wreck train after passenger service quit on the B&LE. Now restored and in service at IRM