Western Star Rail Services of Newark, OH (740-344-3336) has just acquired a 44 ton GE ex-SN 146 that is located in west central Ohio and will be parted out soon.

Anyone looking for 44 tonner parts should contact WSRS promptly.

I have no commercial interest in this transaction, just want to make sure those with 44 tonners to preserve are aware of this opportunity.

Dave Hamley

SN 146 should be at the Western Railway Museum, see attached photo.
Perhaps it's SN 145. http://people.virginia.edu/~ggg9y/shepard.html

I talked to them a couple days ago, it is SN 145. The posting of 146 was an accident.

According to that Sacramento Northern Online article, SN 145 may still had a few distinctive SN features such as the roof-mounted number boards. It would be great to see that any such items make there way to Rio Vista. Especially since 146 does not appear to have its number boards anymore.

I was informed this morning that this loco, ex-SN 145, has been purchased by Western RR Museum and will be preserved intact and not parted out.

I view that as the best possible outcome of this deal, everyone wins.

Dave Hamley

Sorry, but my report on the sale of this 44 ton GE was premature. There is an interest in the loco, but no transaction as of this date and time.

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, CA is trying to save Tidewater Southern #735.

http://www.tidewatersouthern.com/TS735D ... nation.htm

Richard Wilkens

After some confusion about a possible sale of the whole loco, I've confirmed that this 44 tonner is being parted out.

If you're preserving one of these popular models (four motors, Cat D17000 engines) and need parts, the opportunity is at hand.

Dave Hamley

This is just a guess but I think with the high cost of trucking these days; it might be cheaper to make new number boards in the Shop than try to bring those pieces of sheet steel across the country.

And I want to wish the Western Pacific Railroad museum good luck in buying the Tidewater Southern 44 tonner. It is the first Diesel on the railroad. And they want to collect locomotives from all the WP subsudaries.

Since they gave two 44 tonners to the Western Railroad Museum the are most likely eager to represent that class of diesel in their collection again.

Ted

The cost would naturally depend on what else was being transported. If the load included a lot of other stuff then the marginal cost could be minimal.

The true cost of having volunteers fabricate new number boxes must include the cost of not having them work on other restoration projects. Hence, a relatively high cost of transport might not be so bad when the true overall cost of making new ones is considered.

A more important preservation question is to what time period is the locomotive receiving the parts to be restored? That is, when did SN add the number boxes to its 44-tonners versus what point in time the museum wants to portray?

Just a couple of questions from a shop person, who realizes that zero wages don't mean that volunteer time is free!

Thanks Ted. The locomotive was donated to WPRM, so ownership isn't an issue, however moving it from Kansas City to Portola is. Fundraising for the 735 is going well but it could be better. This may be the only chance to preserve a locomotive from the Tidewater:

http://www.tidewatersouthern.com/TS735Donation/ts735donation.htm

As an aside, there is still one 44-tonner currently in the collection at Portola, the Quincy Railroad #3, purchased new for that railroad around the time the Tidewater 735 (originally the 135) was purchased:



Maybe someday all of the west coast museums can get together and have a 44-tonner "roundup"

Chris Allan