Why is everyone so afraid of just separating the boiler from the frame? This is crazy, torching the cab in half and torching off the steam dome and then still having to pay through the nose to haul it as a superload. The much better alternative is to pull the boiler off and ship it as two permit loads.

Is it because people are no longer capable of dismantling machinery without utterly destroying it anymore?

You can cut the smokebox around the outside of the saddle, and even cut the waist sheets. The boiler slides will unbolt. When the loco goes back together the smokebox can be tack welded back together and nobody will be the wiser.

Nobody can forsee the future, and what may be a strictly static display today could become a candidate for operational restoration 10, 20 or 30 years down the road. A new smokebox can be rolled any day of the week at a well equipped fab shop. New waist sheets can be burned out just as easily. But replacing a steam dome that was hot formed in a four post hydraulic press... That does not happen as easily and could be the one thing that forever dooms the locomotive.

This isn't the first time I've seen this. The 0-6-0 in Gambier, OH, a modern Alco that came from New Orleans also has its steam dome cut in half.

Sure there would be some added expense in another day or two of prep work, and one more truck load (two moderately expensive loads instead of one extremely expensive load), but it is worth it if the alternative is irreparably damaging an historic artifact. In this case, there is going to be at least a days worth of welding that cab back together and putting the domes back on.

I am going to have to agree with Hotmetal.

Let's see, super size load which requires very special permits and escorts, oh and 2 very large cranes at each end to load and unload.

I have moved several diesel locomotives by truck as well as a steam locomotive. The number one thing I learned very quickly, avoid "Super Loads".

I saw some pictures of the move on Facebook, even cut the steps off a bay window caboose to move it. There should not have been any height problem with that caboose with the proper trailer.

Mr. Penn. You seem to know about this move, so how much did this "super load" cost to move?

All of the comments about cutting the steam dome and cab roof off are understood. However, what has been totally missed, and not even mentioned by boilerwash in the original post, is that something even more severe was done to the locomotive when it was moved to the boat basin display area in Bainbridge, GA.

At that time the engine was literally cut in half, top to bottom, including rods and probably the frame, although I'd have to dig out my print photos to verify that. I'm pretty sure the cut was made just behind the steam dome, and so is hidden in the linked photograph by the welder. The gap was crudely patched with steel bar stock welded over the gap. No doubt the boiler was already damaged beyond economical repair by those earlier actions.

The engineer's side was the side more commonly viewed by the public, and even so, a couple of the rods on that side have fairly severe kinks where the cut rod ends was re-welded together without the rods being completely straight. Some of the reattachments were welded nicely, while others were not. It looks in the photo that the eccentric rod has a bit of a kink on the fireman's side.

Hopefully the errors made when the locomotive was moved to Bainbridge for display can be fixed at her new home.

Also, I should mention that I know where the original builder's plates are for this specific locomotive. (I don't have them, nor would I benefit in any way. I'd just like the plates to be with the locomotive.) If they are not already in hand, I would gladly share the information with an actual representative of the museum. I can be contacted by PM.

" There is a Pullman built steel business car that was also "cut in half", moved and then the two parts welded back together. I know...it seems crazy but I have seen the pictures and talked to people who have seen it in person."