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Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
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Author:  wesp [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
The following information was posted on Ahead of the Torch. I have no interest in the ownership of these locomotive other than passing along this news.

Quote:
"There is a newspaper post that the Village of Woodsfield, Ohio is seeking the owner of the two 0-4-0T locomotives located there.
Village number is: 740-472-0525"

From steamlocomotive. info
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Quote:
Posted: Dec 28, 2009 @ 13:12:43 by Steve Perkins
After conversing with my Dad who grew up in the area, I mentioned the current listed owner F.L. "Tinker" Sulzberger (misspelled, Sulsberger is the correct spelling). The name was instantly recognized to him as Francis L. "Tink" Sulsberger, longtime Monroe County Ohio Sheriff (Woodsfield is in Monroe County). Tink died in 2008 and actually was Sheriff at the time of the shown purchase of the engines in 1965. It is quite possible that he owned the property on which they now reside. His widow died in 2010.
Author:  jayrod [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
Probably coincidence but the narrow gauge Ohio River & Wester roadbed was obliterated by Rt 800 next to where those are located.
Author:  kevin kohls [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
It's my understanding that those two 0-4-0T Saddletank locomotives were purchased with the intent of reconstructing some of the former OR&W The plans fell through, but at least they sat real close.
Sad too is that many of the surviving passenger cars and freight cars have also been lost to decay in the last 30 to 40 years.
There is an excellant FB site on the OR&W (not mine).

Kevin K
Author:  QJdriver [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
WOW !!! I thought the engine I bought was a neglected hulk, but THOSE really take the cake. What I thought was a piece of sheet metal shielding the poor things from the elements is in reality what a saddletank looks like when the bottom has completely rotted out on both sides.

As some have said on this forum: These days there are very few good candidates for restoration, but still plenty of wreckage available for those with more dollars than sense.
Author:  Rick Rowlands [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
QJdriver wrote:
As some have said on this forum: These days there are very few good candidates for restoration, but still plenty of wreckage available for those with more dollars than sense.


Sometimes it makes sense.

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Author:  Boilermaker [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
History tends to remember little of people who stuck to doing the easy things.

The most exciting restorations are the basket cases that "didn't make sense" and were written off. There's a home for these tank engines out there somewhere, and someone with the drive to be a savior to them too. I hope they find each other.

-Sam
Author:  Becky Morgan [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
Tink may have been the one interested in trying to start a tourist railroad as close to the OR&W as possible. (Yes, everybody called him that. He was much loved.)

Not all of the railed is gone, albeit the County let its donated cars sit outside to rot and we’re rapidly losing the once elegant business car #5 because Herman and Ruth Payne passed away before they could transfer it to a museum (EBT had stopped running at the time and no one else wanted it, the tarp blew off in a bad winter...) Those engines were not in great condition when the mill closed and they’re just about dissolved to rust now. The only upside is that they’re small and could be trucked out easily if there’s anything usable left.
Author:  GTW Dude [ Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
Not to derail the thread about the 0-4-0's but while we're on the topic of if the 0-4-0's can be saved...

“If you can dream it, you can do it. It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Railroad enthusiast, Walt Disney.

People will initially laugh at your projects but will envy your achievements.

Now that's settled. who wants to lease an extra big U-Haul trailer and drag those 2 things out of the mud with their truck if nobody claims them? (Not that i would expect them to be claimed).
Author:  Dave [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
Claim them how? If there's a clear owner of record please post it...... otherwise just showing up with a trailer and loading them up is theft.
Author:  GTW Dude [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
Dave wrote:
Claim them how? If there's a clear owner of record please post it...... otherwise just showing up with a trailer and loading them up is theft.



Many have suggested that the previous owner and spouse have died. While there isn’t a clear indication of who owns them (which is the point of the city hosting a spot in the local newspaper asking who owns them) I’d assume it’s likely they won’t be claimed in due time by someone but I could be wrong. The whole trailer thing I was joking about. Of course you can’t just show up to some random property and haul away what you think is “abandoned” without a record of who owns it. I’d assume though that the city if they aren’t claimed would want to dispose of them for being “eyesores”.
Author:  scratchyX1 [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 12:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
jayrod wrote:
Probably coincidence but the narrow gauge Ohio River & Wester roadbed was obliterated by Rt 800 next to where those are located.


Where are they located? I can't find them on google map.
Author:  wesp [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 12:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
From steamlocomotiveinfo notes. "Opposite Water Works Road - they are actually visible on street view!, to the right of the gate with the traditional welcoming No Trespassing notice."

https://www.google.com/maps/search/waterworks+road+woodsfield+OH/@39.7854974,-81.1219276,103m/data=!3m1!1e3
Author:  p51 [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 5:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
"Just show up with a trailer" is sadly not a joke. A pal of mine who has a rusted hulk of a WW2 tank on his property (recovered from a scrap yard, a former gunnery target), clearly next to a house with a modern fence around it, has twice looked out a window to find someone with a 18-wheeler and a crane starting to hook up his tank to make off with it. Each time, those declaring it 'abandoned' show no remorse or apologized for trying to steal his property. He had to call the cops on one (that one got cited for attempted grand theft) and in the second case, the cops were busy with a bad accident elsewhere and the would-be thieves in that case declared he didn't own it at all and threatened to beat him if he didn't let him take his own property. They didn't know he was packing and in no mood for it. They were all made to leave his property without the crane or the 18-wheeler. It took them a while to get the police to finally show and when they did, the cops were crying with laughter. They got cited, too.
He's since put a stand-off security camera and signs stating that it isn't abandoned and any trespassers will not have a good day. He's also found a way to block a truck from getting back there to make off with it anyway.
I heard all about this from him when I ran into him last summer and frankly I wasn't surprised one bit.
He once talked with a lawyer about it and confirmed that if someone had made off with it, and he found it later, whatever had been done to restore it would be on the party who did it. In other words, if you grab something like this and get it running later on, the actual owner can (and should) show up with his own truck and say, "Thanks for restoring my steam engine, I'll be leaving with it now".
Dave wrote:
Claim them how? If there's a clear owner of record please post it......
Who owns the land? That should be easy to find out. That doesn't mean the land owner owns everything sitting upon it but it's the place to start.
Author:  SlideValve [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
This is part of a process that began some time ago, and is still in-progress. Scrapping is not on the table. When the time is appropriate, an announcement will be made, so we only ask for patience in that regard.

I respectfully ask those with questions to let the city work, and to instead direct general inquiries to: thecarnegietwins@gmail.com

Thank you.
Author:  dieselloco [ Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Abandoned? Wheeling Steel 0-4-0T in Woodsfield, OH
I've had my eyes on those locomotives for years. Looked all over them around "95. They are really neat. They have walscherts spelling incorrect valve gear covered by a sheet metal housing. Ohio route 26 followed the OR&W not route 800. In Armstrong Mills Ohio an original freight station and store/station still exist. Just off RT. 26 in Ozark Ohio a narrow gauge passenger car is setting in a farm yard, was under cover until a couple years ago. This is just outside Woodsfield the county seat.
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