Well, I've been following a lead on an abandon locomotive in Uxbridge, MA. Seeing I have a thread on this on RR.Net, I'll Quote myself here, this is my most recent post. Saves me time on explaining, as all the explaining is already done on the thread, and the first post to give some sort of understanding:

"i've heard from my cousin that there are some trains (he wasn't very specific, said it was near his friend's house) abandon in the woods. unless it's abandon equipment from one of my great grandfather's lumber operations (i dont think any were near the new haven line) then i guess it's some stuff abandon by the new haven years ago. i'm planning to go all "indiana jones" and go to take a look at this stuff. figured our naugatuck guy otto would like to at least be in the loop ;)

either way, i might go hiking through the snow to see what it could be. my guess is just some freight cars, seeing there's virtually no chance that it could be somthing like an I-5 shoreliner, C-liner, PA-1, or a DL109 (although that would be nice) . so, i'll let you all know when i go to the site, and post some pics on my photo bucket page."
-February 7, 2011

"Was talking to my cousin yesterday. This has to be a steam locomotive. He said there is two holes in the top of "the train" that a person could fit through. Sounds like a removed steam dome and smokestack. He also said there are two compartments (smoke box and boiler from the sounds of it), both are separated. It is definitely sounding like a steam locomotive. I've also found info on a quarry that was near the area. I can only guess this was a engine that worked this line. the outline of the old roadbed is somewhat visible on google maps. The engine is located in a large clearing near Quarry Hill in Uxbridge. I'm hoping I can get out there soon. Wouldn't it be nice if it was a rare steamer?"
-April 20, 2011.

Anyone ever hear of this thing, or have information on the supposed line to the quarry at Quarry Hill? It could help me, and if it's worth it, maybe it could be pulled out of the woods. Problem is, if it's abandon, I'd have to find out who's land it's on, as they would be the owners if it's abandoned. Now that I think of it, if it's a quarry, then why would there be a line to serve a logging op? I don't even think that my Great Grandfather's op was even rail-served, or was it? That last one my grandfather would know.

Here we go, another "lost engine in a quarry" urban legend...

I have to say though, this one is a little more interesting than most because it's fairly close to home for me, and we don't have a lot of steam locomotives here in Massachusetts to begin with, so it would be nice if it turns out there's something to it. If the engine actually is in "a pretty large clearing", it should presumably be visible from the air, and the area around Uxbridge seems to be pretty well covered by aerial photos on Google and Bing maps. Seems like that would be a logical starting point anyway.

I'm looking on Google Earth.......wait, what is that? It looks like a fairly big engine and tender...........large coal bunker............water scoop lump on top......hmmmm, dome arrangement and cab roof look like American Locomotive Works. Appears big enough to have 6 drivers and a cast steel pilot. Damned trees, that's all I could see.

Who knows, maybe it could be the wreckage of EMD's half-size 4-6-2 #1936, although Uxbridge is a long way from the last place that one was photographed, running down the middle of a public street in Illinois in the 1950s.

PC

At least we got some humor. Through that conversation with my cousin, it turns out his friend got stuck in one of those "compartments". All I know is that there are two trains there, with one shaped like a soda can. That's my cousin's description. Like I said, I think it's just some engine that worked that line. I'm putting my money on an old geared steamer and a boxcar.

Tank cars also fit that general description...................

True, but wouldn't a tank car have one big tank?

Whatever it is, I would be heading right out to find out. Can your cousin explain the location well enough for you to find it? Even if it is old rolling stock, it would be very interesting. If it happens to be a locomotive, and if it is unknown to those who are interested in old locomotives, it would be a rather spectacular find. That does seem unlikely, though. For a locomotive to be truly hidden, it usually has to be buried, or under water.

Well, this solves the mystery. I had always wondered where that New Haven I-5 Hudson saved by Frank Ramsdell was hidden. Alice Ramsdell couldn't get the darn thing to the farm in Thompson, Connecticut. So she covered it up with bushes for later. Luckily the 2-footer was light enough to move to the farm.

Happy April 1st! 2012!

Tank cars can have multiple compartments.

I'm sorry, sometimes I can't help myself. I remember the PRR 0-6-0 in the quarry thread entertained me for a month a couple of years ago. I just can't help stirring it up. The Devil made me do it.

Don Wirth

OK, what is the big rusty thing near the white van, in the shade of the trees?

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=uxbridge+massachusetts&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Uxbridge,+Worcester,+Massachusetts,+United+States&gl=ca&ll=42.037593,-71.515892&spn=0.000717,0.001635&t=h&z=20

It's definitely at a quarry, is about the right size for a small tender locomotive and if you squint "just so" it might look like one. No tracks visible, but they could be gone or buried... OR... it may just be a rusty piece of quarry equipment.

And it is in a clear area, near Uxbridge, Mass...

Might be worth checking out.

I'd suggest you run this link by your cousin, see if this is what he saw, and that somebody should try to get in to see what he claims to have found, with a good camera.

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, Ontario

It could very well be a "lost" engine, look at the steam engine that was recently rescued from private land in Andover, NJ a few months ago. Few people knew about that one.

Hopefully someone can check into this further. Also if you can't make it out there soon try having your cousin go to rrpictures.net or rrpicturearchives and find a pic of something similar, it may help solve if it's actually an engine or a tank car.

Looks like two dark autos or package wagons parked close together.

Could very well be, but the image quality isn't good enough to know for sure. It would only take someone in the area a few minutes to look, and then we'd know. Google's imagery is useful but usually only provides possible leads which need to be followed up on the ground.

Also, this is not necessarily what the OP was writing about- I poked around Google for quite a while before finding a possible match to his second hand description. Only his cousin knows where he saw whatever he believes to be a locomotive.

Most of these reports turn out to be mistaken identity, long- outdated, or otherwise inaccurate, but I believe it's worth following up on them just to be sure.

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, Ontario