http://www.ebay.com/itm/PENNSYLVANIA-RA ... 2679883%26

Remarkable that it survived in the first place. Somebody must have bought it directly from PRR during the dark days of scrapping off the steam fleet.
Gift wrapping is not included.

Richard -

Can we possibly hope that he also purchased the REST of the locomotive, but had to separate this part because it wouldn't fit in his garage....shed.....factory siding....etc.? If so, where's it at?????

Les

In the quarry.............!

Item is described as being in Altoona, Pa.

I believe someone has inflated expectations of value. In Britain, I know of a complete diesel locomotive cab from frame to roof, full nose, back cab wall, all seats, cab appliances, wired for lights and the like, etc, mounted on a road-worthy/legal road trailer that changed hands for much less than $10,000.....

Richard Sanders, the owner/head of the West Shore Excursions operation out of Lewisburg/Mifflinburg, Pa. years ago, at one point somehow acquired title to the entire surviving remains of the Bellefonte Central RR, a stone's throw from the Bellefonte Historical RR's base of operations; somewhere in the mess, supposedly lying face down in the dirt, was the complete smokebox front--door AND front sheet--of a former BC/PRR steamer (I'm thinking a former PRR 2-8-0). Sanders had the front moved to Mifflinburg for display in the "station;" I'm not sure where it may be today.

Alex #4, I may be mistaken, but didn't you once report the smokebox front of an I1 Decapod being unearthed in a yard? Someone did, several years ago.

Les, perhaps at these prices, he is auctioning off the 2-8-0 piece by piece?

The K4s cab at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is rumored to be not off a K4s, but a G5s. I know of two other restorations where the historic cabs require complete replacement, and the originals will serve display purposes.

Anyway, this one would make a nice museum piece. I am delighted and amazed to see it exists, 60 years post steam eradication.

Richard,

This is a good find.

I'm curious as to how it survived. I know some railroads used cabs as modified storage sheds, or even guard sheds. It could be the start of a nice display piece somewhere, and a good chance to recreate a back head.

Very interesting but I think the present owner suffers from some sort of antique dealers illness that makes a person think anything related to a railroad is worth 10x the actual value.

Whoa Whoa Whoa buddy. First off that cab is not from a PRR H3A. It isn't even close in design. There may have been a H3A number 4679 at one time, but this is a much later cab, probably from I1s number 4679. Feel free to compare the pics on the auction to pictures of 4483's cab. Interestingly, that cab in the auction seems to be rusting at the nearly the same exact places that 4483's cab had before restoration.

Secondly, I seem to remember an N&W J cab that just sold at auction last July for $2750, and it was in much better shape over all. Seems there would be more demand for that J cab than a H3A or I1s cab?

I agree with AlcoGuy. This from a Decapod, not an H3, making it no less valuable.
I think the owner is fishing for a price. The value is probably best served as a donation and tax write-off. At least someone with welding skill should replace some significant metal, arrest the corrosion and use it as a photo prop for visitors. Heck of a find, for which I can only take credit in passing it on to you folks.
It'll be an interesting one to watch, at the least.

Not Railroad related but http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sedgwick-Machin ... 5892edf49c I asked this lady if she ment to put down $50.00 and made a typo. Nope she wants $5K for a wooden box, to put that in perspective you can get a working handcar or speeder for that much and dumbwaiters tend to be trashed and not even saved by building salvagers.

It's worth that, if the provenance is valid. And if by $ you mean yen.

Uh oh; this reminds me of a story. Sorry too late, here it is:

My folks purchased a house in an old neighborhood in Chicago. Two floors, with an attic above those two stories. I was nosing around the attic one day and found a big wooden box filled with old rags. The box was plain, but when I looked at the back side against the wall, I could see some kind of a tag. I moved the box and the tag turned out to say Victrola. I was telling a fellow I worked with about the box and he said, "what do you want for it"? I said, "Phil, it's just an old box!" He replied, "I know you like old Lionel trains; how about I trade you a Lionel Hudson for the box?" My Dad said that I could have the box as he was going to get rid of it anyway. So, the trade was made. I talked to another friend at work and told him that I felt bad about taking advantage of Phil. He said, "Phil probably has an old Victola that he will now be able to advertise for sale as "coming with the original box! Don't worry about Phil; he will make out like a bandit!"

I know not the story about the box for sale above, but something might make it worth $5K. Maybe only the buyer knows its true value.

Les

More likely, only the seller knows its true value :)

No, whatever the BUYER (if there is one) pays, is the true value.

Les