Kahului & Wailuku Railroad No. 1, a 36" gauge 0-4-2T from the Lindley Bothwell estate in Los Angeles, California will be offered for sale at auction on November 11th, 2017.

Here is a link to the auctioneer's information page for the locomotive. The expected sale price seems reasonable, and it is being sold without reserve.

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/363/

There's a lot more than just that choo-choo, including an extra headlight, bell, "Magnetic Flagman" wig-wag signal (Lot 160), and no fewer than FIVE late-1800s-vintage West Coast horsecars (lots 358-362, right before the steamer), as well as a "caboose" for the steamer to pull.

There's also an exorbitant 25% buyer's premium on non-"motor vehicle" lots. Beware.

"Running his own railroad", when was it last running?

I tried to register for this auction just to bid on the bell.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/156/

After providing passport, credit card details, various other bits of personal info, and agreeing to all their terms and conditions in writing, they then informed me that I also need a letter from my bank to guarantee funds. That was too much!!!

Unfortunately, that is the exact style and configuration of bell I need for a locomotive project.

Call them on Monday, tell them the item number you are interested in bidding on. They should have the information, they should set a limit for you. I have purchased at their Auctions, they are fast!

The horse trolleys went from $7,000 to $23,000. The caboose for $4500. The 0-4-2, 4 cars, a speeder and a pump car went for $150,000. In addition, there was an additional buyer's premium of 25%.

Still no indication what the actual condition of the locomotive is in.

I talked to Mr. McHenry, its last engineer. It had some work done including (I believe he said) a retubeing about twenty years ago. It also had a ticket at one time; he said it had to have a LA certificate when he worked it for Hello, Dolly!, a gig he said lasted for a month.

Steve

610BS: The bell went for $2750 (incl. premium)

Hello Dolly? You mean for the elevated train in city shot?

Yes!

(maybe it was a whole month because of the horsecars, too. They all came from Bothwell)

There was documentation on the locomotive on-site. The locomotive was professionally hydro-tested at least 3 times from 86 to 98, and had been re-tubed in 86. Dixon boiler works did the latest inspection in the late 90s and upon UT testing, found that the tubes were in good shape but the lower boiler tube was dangerously thin. This is where the family decided not to continue with restoring it to operation, considering it probably needed a new shell patch, or more likely a whole new shell, and thus new boiler. It was pulled apart and cosmetically restored quite nicely. Main rods were removed from the pins, so there was no visible evidence of the pistons moving at all. Washouts were pretty rusty in some spots but not too bad in others. But otherwise, it was cared for quite nicely.

An older gentleman was on-site during the auction, who seemingly worked as a mechanic for the owner and knew the engine quite intimately having been around since the day it arrived there in '64. He had some good stories, including one where Bothwell accidentally ran the other 2' engine on the property off the end of the rails and into the adjacent street!

The locomotive was purchased at the auction by a family member who had a long and invested history caring for the locomotive. He seemed affiliated somehow with some other so-cal narrow gauge engines, and he seemed to convey he'd spare no expense in returning it to original appearance and operation. There was another major bidder on the engine (taking it to that high price) who, based on his bidding habits and my wild-speculation, was probably representing Jay Leno.

Any idea who bought the streetcars?

Wesley