Apparently Dave Shirey, the president the Geigertown Central Railroad Museum Inc, oversaw an auction held of some of the equipment in the PA town. I believe the only rail car on the auction block was a Reading caboose, but I do not know exactly what was on the list or what sold. I am interested in the small gauge Davenport and battery locomotives which operated at an explosives factory - perhaps they were retained.
News from the Pottstown Mercury:
http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121004/FINANCE01/121009669/geigertown-family-to-auction-railroad-items-cars

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Geigertown+pa

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.221002637957897.54926.100306926694136&type=1

O. Anderson
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/18inch
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NG-Traction

Gee, one of those classic cases of labeling a junkyard a "railroad museum." Or vice versa.

Look closely--in the photos from 2004 on Flickr are/were one of the Wanamie steamers, another 0-4-0T, a GE 45-tonner, four cabooses, a vintage tank car, and a former SEPTA PCC.

Did ANY of that stuff survive? An aerial view from Google/Bing shows that at least the cabooses and some of the stuff survived, but I can't nail down the steamers for sure....

If I'm piecing various legends together correctly, it was past owner's D.J. Shirey's accidental death on the Blue Mountain & Reading, when a crane toppled on him, that put an end to the initial steam era on the Blue Mountain & Reading/Reading & Northern. Talk about a "young gun"--he was only 26 at the time......

Sandy,

There was never a Wanamie lokie in the Geigertown collection. The tank engines on-site are from iron & steel companies. SteamLocomotive.info has them listed if anyone wants details.

Both steam locomotives were there as of two years ago, and the current Google street views shows all of the locomotives in the position they have been in for decades.

There are some gems in the collection (despite the ravages of time).

Rob

DJ's unfortunate accident had nothing to do with the end of steam on the BM&R/R&N. The growth of the freight business required the attention of all of the employees. Please when it involves someone's death get your facts straight before posting, your words can be very hurtful under the circumstances of someones passing.
Thanks,
Mike Tillger

You'll forgive me if this loco does a danged good job of passing as one of the Wanamie cluster:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/road_less_ ... 038374127/



The Conrad Steam Loco Directory of North America does confirm it as a 36" gauge Porter from Phoenixville, acquired by David Shirey in 1980 and purportedly "stored serviceable" in the 1980s. But its construction number, etc. apparently remain a mystery.

As for the legends (and yes, that's the best we can call them) surrounding the end of steam on the BM&R/R&N, I fully concede that a steam program could hardly be "dependent" upon such a young man and his expertise. But I've heard variations of this tale from too many people in the field I trust not to give it at least some credence.

Sandy,
Never let the facts as told to you by someone who was there get into the way of your reporting.

Mike Tillger

There are quite a few spotting features (valve gear, pilot beams) but the big one is the shape of the tank. High, square shouldered tanks are a hallmark of Porters. Not as classic as the Vulcans with their rounded tanks, if you ask me.





As for the steam decisions on the R&N, Mr. Tillger was actually there...

Forgive me for doing journalism long enough to know that absolutely, utterly true facts stated by people who were actually there do not always include possibly pertinent and relevant facts not stated by same. Listen to any press conference by any politician, media spokesperson, or public-relations specialist as evidence, especially when it involves a situation or problem they would just as soon not discuss.

The subject of this ersatz collection has been raised here before:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6368

Part of the preparations for the auction mentioned in the original post were filmed for an upcoming episode of the new reality show “Money Barn,” presented by Original Productions and Animal Planet, according to https://plus.google.com/u/1/11586627131 ... T2r9Kb8F2T

The PCC that was at Geigertown was acquired by Seashore earlier this year:

http://carter.gamerspage.net/Seashore/large-592.html

Seashore also acquired another ex-KCPS SEPTA car, this one from Electric City:

http://carter.gamerspage.net/Seashore/large-591.html

I'm not sure which one is for keeps and which is the pahts cah; I assume that will depend on condition. FWIW the Geigertown car is unusual in that it was retired in the late 1960s, earlier (I believe?) than any other Philadelphia PCC in existence.

Frank,
I wonder if Seashore noticed and acquired the arch bar electric freight trucks... perhaps from Differential?
note streetcar profile wheels

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwmoran/6159348560/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwmoran/6159337998

-O.

A sister car, 2257 was also retired and "preserved" along with 2289, and accompanied it with Trolley Valhalla from Tansboro to Jobstown, where it still remains.

Speaking of rumors about the demise of steam programs, is there any truth to the rumor that the Ohio Central steam program ended as a result of an employee stepping through the deck of a flatcar?

Those look like Phila. Brill sweeper trucks to me. Difco archbar trucks have 2 springs on each side of the bolster. Being broad gauge, they are not too much use to anybody but PTM, and we have lots of them.

And actually, the Baltimore Streetcar Museum has developed a couple ways to expand "Penna. Gauge" wheelsets an extra 2 inches to fit "Baltimore Gauge." And we have one snowsweeper, plus another being held for someone else......

Hmmmm. When were those photos taken, again? (But knowing how snowsweeper-obsessed our one member is, we probably already have "vultures" watching those trucks intently.......)

Adirondack RR back in the late 1970s had the idea that those sweeper trucks used standard gauge axles with dished wheels for wider track gauges. They thought that standard gauge wheel sets would fit, so only the brake shoe mountings would have to be changed. Unfortunately, the Winter Olympics revival didn't last back then, and the idea was never carried out.
They were going to push a regauged Philadelphia snow sweeper with the brooms lowered all the way to clear down to the ties, and encourage the snowmobiles to ride on the outside of the trackway.