In 1946, the Carnegie Ilinois Steel Corp. (US Steel) purchased four Alco S2 switchers for the Ohio Works in Youngstown, OH. These Alcos replaced a fleet of 0-6-0 switchers then in use at the plant. The Ohio Works had the blast furnaces and steelmaking furnaces to convert iron ore into steel and roll it into semifinished shapes such as blooms and slabs. Those shapes were then moved 3.5 miles by rail over the US Steel owned Youngstown & Northern Railroad to the McDonald Works where the finishing mills were located.
The four Alcos, 70-73 worked at the plant until the Ohio Works was shut down in 1980. In 1981 a group of investors reopened a portion of the McDonald Works operating two of the rolling mills, and included in the deal were Alcos 70 and 73. The 73 was operable and became the plant switcher, while the 70 was retained solely as a parts source for the 73. 73 was renumbered 777, painted in a yellow,orange and red scheme and housed inside the mill building when not being used. 70 was parked on a siding in between two buildings and largely forgotten about.
McDonald Stopped using the 777 several years ago and instead bought a trackmobile, which is much easier on the sharp curves inside the plant. But because the company's founder was a railfan, nobody had the heart to get rid of the 777 o it was simply left to sit on her siding.
I have known several of the principals at McDonald Steel for years; one of their board members is also on Youngstown Steel Heritage's board. So a couple of weeks ago when I stopped in to discuss storing our 80 tonner on their trackage until it can be loaded out, the subject of their Alcos came up. I had no idea that they were interested in getting rid of them, and I wasn't really interested in them at any rate because we don't have anywhere to put big locomotives at our museum. But over the next couple of days I just kept thinking about those Alcos, and slowly a plan developed to justify saving them.
So, as of today Youngstown Steel Heritage has taken ownership of both of these locomotives, with plans to preserve both. 777 will be going with the 80 tonner, (G&W 20) to the Lake Shore Railway Museum for temporary exhibit, and the 70 will be stabilized, repainted and left on its siding until we figure out what to do with it. 70 will never run again but may make a nice static display somewhere, but the 777 will be running again within a few weeks. It will forever retain its McDonald Steel paint scheme and will be dedicated to David Houck, founder and fist president.
It is interesting to note that these two Alcos have never left the property of the Youngstown Works since their original delivery from Alco. They are also the largest existing artifacts from the Ohio Works, which has been totally demolished.
More photos are in a flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33523379@ ... 975843163/
By the way, this is the same property that LTEX has a couple hundred diesel locomotives stored at.
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