after 22 years of rusting away in the weeds at Gowanda, NY, the only surviving "Ford" GE centercab finally moves to a museum!

http://www.velocity.net/~lsrhs/loading1700.html

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21635

http://www.s363.com/wag/centercab1.html

http://www.s363.com/wag/photos.html

Scot

Awesome! Another great save! Indeed a rare piece.

Later!
Mr. Ed

Are the famous "Ford Grills" still around?

Okay, forgive either my ignorance or my contrariness, but my notes on this diesel--WA&G #1700--show that it was "preserved" by the Lake Shore NRHS/Railway Historical Society not long after the WA&G was abandoned in 1979, presumably because it was a classic example of General Electric locomotive, built nearby at Erie. My most recent scribbles in my Second Diesel Spotter's Guide (which serves as my de facto notebook of diesel preservation) indicate that it was on the NY&LE, and I'm guessing that info dates from the late 1980s or early 1990s. Actually, a perusal of the WA&G history pages linked above reveals that the loco reached the NY&LE in 1984, under LSRHS ownership with an apparent "handshake" agreement to restore this locomotive for excursion operation! Allegedly, it left the WA&G in operable condition (well, we know the drill--charge up the batteries, change the fluids and filters, etc.)......

So, rather than "celebrate" the apparent "preservation" of this locomotive in 2006, I will ask the question that will produce uncomfortable pacing and throat-clearing: Why has this allegedly "preserved" locomotive sat neglected at a "foreign" location for 22 years? We all have projects we "plan to get to one of these days", but 22 years of apparent complete neglect indicates to me some profound disagreements between the relevant parties.

I ask this not to shame any involved parties, but to ask for a clearer explanation, and hopefully some lessons to be learned for future preservationists.

The below photo, although lousy in resolution, gives a proper perspective and scale to this admittedly-massive loco, en route to Gowanda in 1979, coupled next to a former EL SDP45. If that is indeed Conrail 6666, maybe we can blame that number for a jinx?:



Photo from 1996 while in storage at Gowanda:

Alexander,
good questions!
and I have no answers..

I thought the loco was now moving to a different historical society than the one from 1984..but some quick googling shows its the same group then and now..

why they havent moved it since 1984 I havent a clue..
perhaps the LSRHS can give us more info..
im hoping more photos from the move will show up on-line over the next few days..

no matter what the reasons for the 2 decade delay, this new move can only be a step-up for WAG 1700..

Scot

The Lake Shore Chapter NRHS/Railway Historical Society is a group that should be discussed more here. They have a great collection of passenger cars, however I have not seen a complete roster anywhere. There have been rumors that some very nice cars have been sold from here in the past decade, but again, I haven't seen details.

Tom Cornillie

The problem here seems to be that if we discuss this group, there's the likely prospect that it may descend to name-calling and mud-slinging. I've heard a few rumors of strained internal relations within this group a long time ago, and nothing of late--which leads me to think it *might* have become one of the many groups that have badly stagnated, with the current crew inheriting problems or liabilities not of its making. I could also note that we hear nothing firsthand from this group on this forum, and I've never managed to find reliable information on any alternative forum, so we may be dealing with the proverbial "out of sight, out of mind" place.

I can shed some light, on a couple of minor elements of this story.

The upper photo was taken by me in the Fall of 1983 (not '79). (My very own photo displayed on RyPn, and posted by none other than A.D.M. IV. I shall be insufferable for days, perhaps weeks!) The photo was taken at the then-new Conrail Allegany Yard. The train was Westbound on the former Erie / EL mainline and the trailing Conrail unit was the 6696 (not 6666). Although I'm not much of a photographer, the original photo was considerably sharper than the scan that has made it onto the Net.

My understanding, at the time, was that the engine was destined for the NYLE and presumably was interchanged to them at nearby Salamanca.

Regarding its storage at Gowanda on the NYLE:

Although I have no direct affiliation with any of the parties involved with this, I would respectfully like to make a couple of points. The WAG was owned by the Salzberg company, and they have a long history of operating as well as scrapping rail lines and equipment. The WAG folded as a railroad operation in 1979. Whether sending this engine to NYLE was a mistake can be a topic for legitimate debate. But there can be little doubt that it was, in fact, saved from almost certain scrapping, when it was purchased from the former WAG. (The rolling stock that remained on the WAG in Galeton was, in fact scrapped circa 1986. Several interesting and historic pieces were lost at that time).

Also, the engine has to be one of the heaviest four-axle diesels to have ridden on "friction" journals, at 132 tons (about the same as a GP-40). Those journals must have played a role in its inability to move on its own wheels, during the past 15 years or so.

I believe that we should be celebrating the efforts that have (eventually) resulted in this unit being brought into the collection at North East.

John R.

Alexander,

The Northeast Chapter's new President is an internet acquaitance of mine; a friendship formed through keyboards, a common interest in trains and involvment in NRHS Chapters.

I will make him aware of this discussion on RYPN.org and leave it up to him to decide if he wishes to answer many of the questions posted here. I do know he is very excited about his new position and the possibilities ahead for his group. I think moving WAG 1700 was just the first of many good things to come.

Regards,
Chris Hauf
Rochester Chapter NRHS
http://www.rochnrhs.org/

has the fate of this loco changed?
I was at NW and helped run the Stanley on compressed air 2-3 years ago

Whats the current state of it, as it was a fully working loco then, but time plays XXXX on everything that doesn't get used

dr