Thought many members of the forum would find a current picture from this past Saturday of Frisco 4018 in Birmingham Alabama... This is the locomotive that about a year ago moved across town from a city park to Sloss Furnace. Just an opinion, but the placement of the locomotive in the corner of the property, away from the general public traffic areas, and basically totally isolated, came to me as a real surprise. The locomotive sits by itself in a corner of the property, along a weed covered old chain link fence... near the railroad.. however it is virtually invisable due to the weeds / vines that cover the fence ( from the railroad side ) ...

Unfortunately, I would think that installing the jewelry ( headlights, bell, markers etc etc ) would likely be a mistake as the location is not per say very favorable for security and safety of the valuable pieces of hardware.

I realize the placement of the engine is a better fate than seeing it scrapped by the City of Birmingham, however I was just a bit surprised about how much land is in Sloss Furnace and the reason the locomotive was placed in such a totally isolated location. ( especially given an antique steam shovel, bulldozer and the like being placed along the driveway...as you enter the property.. )

Anyone care to comment on who currently owns the locomotive, and what the future holds for the engine in Sloss Furnace ? Would like to know the plan on returning this engine to a more favorable condition...and if the engine will be part of some interpretation at this site.

thank you


Dean Levin

My expert opinion is that choo choo needs sand and paint. Thoughts?

That does seem to be an odd location. At the very least I would liked to have seen it placed on a section of original plant trackage, so it could look as if it was switching out the plant.

But doing so would have involved yet another reload. As it is the locomotive started its journey over the road, then was transloaded to a flatcar. To place the locomotive anywhere else at Sloss would have involved loading it back onto a rubber tired transporter.

However, at its current location it would be possible to construct a track connecting with the plant trackage, so someday the 4018 could be moved to a better location, or made so that it can be repositioned within the plant from time to time.

The Frisco engine in Sloss Furnace is at least in my opinion, representative of a host of problems display engines have experienced over the years. The most obvious is quite simple, that objects left outdoors require a caretaker... a responsible party... It makes me think of a particular engine often discussed on this forum. When the K4 was placed at the Horseshoe Curve in 1957 ( I believe ) the Horseshoe Curve and the K4 had a caretaker... a gentleman by the name of Guy Lockhard ( if memory serves me correctly ).. He took it upon himself to maintain the grounds and keep close eye on the locomotive and ensure its well being. Granted life was different in the 1960's and early 1970's... however the locomotive did not suffer greatly under his watch. Upon his death, things rapidly deteriorated...

The City of Birmingham, like the City of Altoona, City of Jacksonville, City of Pensacola and countless other municipalities, have ( or had ) the responsibility to be the caretaker of historic artifacts that were accepted by them for future generations to enjoy. In many cases, I would think the caretaker of City owned property likely falls under a parks department, or like municipal agency. Yet, in a high percentage of park locomotives, it seems like the care of these unique displays has been lost perhaps due to the locomotives becoming more of a public eye soar.

I recently offered a local municipality a significant donation to do a cosmetic restoration on a small locomotive, that sits on city land. Unfortunately the city declined the donation, due to internal complications of how to get the work completed and who would perform the work. ( city employees, private contractors etc ) . I started to realize that park locomotives, in communities without progressive thinking, will continue to deteriorate until the point where the one time pride of the community, has become a liability and attractive ( or unattractive ) nuisance.

Who will be the caretakers of these locomotives for future generations if the municipalities don't soon come to the realization that approximately 50 years of exposure to the elements, vandals etc has taken the luster off the communities one time park locomotive ?

Would be curious to understand on successful park locomotive restorations, how things were handled, and if the restoration was successful, who stepped in as the "caretaker" for the future.

Thank you


Dean Levin