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Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36450		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:21 am ]
Post subject:  Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
It's rather remarkable halfway through the second decade of the 21st century for EMD "covered wagons" to be scrapped, but it's remarkable they stuck it out this long.

According to Steve Glischinski writing at Trains.com, the following locos have been scrapped or about to be at the Morristown, NJ yards of the Morristown & Erie:

Three FL9 locomotives, former Amtrak Nos. 485, 486, and 487 built in 1957 for the New York, New Haven & Hartford, owned by RRPX, a railroad leasing company owned by Morristown & Erie owner Wes Weis.
Quote:
Weis tells Trains News Wire the FL9s were scrapped because they had been stripped for parts and were vandalized.

According to Weis, a former CN M420W that was scrapped had a broken Hi-AD truck, seized turbo, and the drive had failed between the main generator and the auxiliary generator. Ex-Canadian Pacific C424 No. 4231 had a failed prime mover while out on lease. Former Erie Mining RS11 No. 7205 had been for sale for four years with no takers, and had been vandalized.
Author:  davew833 [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Hmmm... Pictures I've found online of #487 from last September at the M&E shops show that it was visibly intact and didn't look particularly vandalized. I guess they can't all be saved.
Author:  YeOldeEnjine [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Looks like the #487 is no more......... http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 112&nseq=0
Author:  Richard Glueck [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Come to "Touch A Train" on April 12th, at the Rockland station of the Maine Eastern. Two FL9's will be present, and one available to sit in. Donations benefit the restoration of Maine Central 470, presently displayed in Waterville.
Author:  p51 [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
YeOldeEnjine wrote:
Looks like the #487 is no more......... http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 112&nseq=0

Here she is in happier times:
Image
Image
Author:  Mgoldman [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
That's a dang shame - I know of so many museums that could benefit had there been a feasible way to purchase and move them. In some cases, those F's could've actually ended up being among a top 3 attraction.

Too bad we can't(?) have certain engine models declared "historical mobile landmarks".

I can't recall - though I was thinking about smaller museums (such as Whippany or the likes of Hagarstown and NYC Museum in IN), does an F unit even exist at the Railroad Museum of PA? Of course, an FL9 might make more sense in north of NY.

/Mitch
Author:  alzubal [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
There are two in Cooperstown jct. NY
Al
Author:  Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Mgoldman wrote:
That's a dang shame - I know of so many museums that could benefit had there been a feasible way to purchase and move them. In some cases, those F's could've actually ended up being among a top 3 attraction.

I can't recall - though I was thinking about smaller museums (such as Whippany or the likes of Hagarstown and NYC Museum in IN), does an F unit even exist at the Railroad Museum of PA? Of course, an FL9 might make more sense in north of NY.


An FL9, being unique to the New Haven and successor lines, is 99% inappropriate to the RR Museum of Pa.
And why would they need any F unit when 1) three nearby groups have preserved one each of the even more significant (to Pa.) Reading FP7s and some even come to visit on occasion; 2) they have the ONLY preserved E7 locomotive, and 3) F units are preserved in significant quantities elsewhere?

If the only reason to get one is to attract people to a classic EMD "bulldog nose" and have a "top 3 attraction," not only are there others more readily operable/movable available elsewhere, but if you drag an ex-New Haven/PC/Amtrak loco to, say, New Hampshire, Florida, Arizona, etc., then you are probably guilty of running, facilitating, or creating a "McRailroad Museum," a hodgepodge collection without a mission.
Author:  Mgoldman [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Like I said... much more appropriate NY and north.

As for McMuseums - where appropriate, it would serve as a good draw to a museum that might not otherwise get the opportunity to share it's collection which at times can be limited to old lanterns, tickets and spikes.

/Mitch
Author:  Richard Glueck [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Image
Another view of same event. One might think the shell could be saved as a housing for some type of mockup display. I always liked the FL9's rocketing into Grand Central. Sad to see another simply vanish.
Author:  davew833 [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Looks like a lot of good F-unit parts went to scrap without much effort to salvage anything. I wonder if the passenger car truck frames on the left went to scrap as well.
Author:  Mike LaBouliere [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 12:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
My guess is that vandalized meant "stripped of copper." They weren't kept in a really secure place as I recall. Plus they've been there for 10 years or more. They made two operable of the six? Sold one that is now operable, by way of Florida,Ohio and now Canada. Also they had a MNCR parts FL-9. As far as FL-9's go Connecticut DOT has some in storage in New Haven yard.
Author:  davew833 [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
Good point about copper thieves-- they don't necessarily break windows or tag equipment with spray paint, but the damage they do to get to the copper can be far worse, rendering a locomotive marginally worthy of restoration or preservation completely unsalvageable.
Author:  Richard Glueck [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
I have it from a "very good source" that those parts which can be used to keep the remaining two FL9's in service were carefully gleaned from the hulk. There was literally nothing of value to the railroad, left on this unit. And yes, vandals (and that breed of railfan which calls itself "collectors") had literally swarmed through the locomotive leaving nothing behind.
Still an exceptionally favored variety of F cab, one with so many lives, well it's just painful. Kind of like putting down a older, beloved dog, riddled with cancer. There are times you a called to do the respectable thing. There was little future for this F, without putting down another.
Author:  Trainlawyer [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Three FL9's, Alcos scrapped at Morristown & Erie
There is another factor here, a rather unfortunate one, which may well have been part of the decision to convert the assets to cash rather than sit on them further. Some years ago (and this can all be verified from the public record - I would start with the Newark Star Ledger) the former CEO of the Morristown and Erie went on a buying binge of locomotives, passenger cars, et c. They had also been the recipient of significant State funding for various rehabilitation projects, one of which, the Rahway Valley between Summit and Cranford, NJ is still not completed and what was wrong with that project is a story in itself.

When the smoke cleared, almost exactly two years ago, two former State DOT engineers were in jail and the CEO and his sales manager were indicted, unemployed and I believe are still awaiting trial.

It seems that the State was being significantly over-billed for much of the work, the two state engineers were receiving their cut for the certifications, and the difference was going into the pockets of the two officials and into much of the neat equipment which had the local railfan community drooling. Under the standard State contracts the company was responsible for returning any funds which were not used for their intended purpose so anything that could not be recovered from the CEO and the sales manager had to come from somewhere. The surplus equipment which they purchased during the period when they were rolling in State money was a reasonable place to begin if the cash wasn't available.

Just please remember in this discussion - Innocent until proven guilty.

GME
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