GN 4-6-2 #1355 being shoved into the old Milwaukee Road roundhouse in Sioux City, Iowa:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IumybaB3iJY&feature=related

After a long attempt at a restoration to operating condition, the decision was finally made to do a cosmetic restoration instead. The CMStP&P roundhouse has been preserved and is the future home of the H-5 class Pacific. Originally built as a Ten-Wheeler by Baldwin in October of 1909 (s/n 33908), the GN converted the engine to a 4-6-2 in 1924. Although the Great Northern has long been a favorite of modellers, it appears now that none of the eight surviving GN steamers will be restored to service.

Les

Was a major problem discovered during the rebuilding, or did they just run out of money? Such a shame.

Kudos on this group making a rational decision once the realities became apparent.

I think we have maybe a few too many operating steamers - generically speaking - spending a lot of time not earning income cold in the enginehouse. Our problem is one of distribution, with maybe a bit of appropriate size and configuration involved as well.

Gramlings have solved the distribution problem in their size and configuration category. Cass, CATS and D&S have as well, but keeping everything they have busy. Who else has?

dave

Here is a link to pics of the restoration:

http://www.gnrhs.org/gn_1355.htm

Of course a good cosmetic restoration will undertake a number of measures which will extend the life of the locomotive and prep it for eventual restoration to service. I'd like to see them run, but it does make sense to bank the funds and allow them to accrue. It also allows for some operating locos to be phased out of service and make a "gap" into which freshly restored locomotives can be placed.