BOLO: 15 Storage Units of Steam Stuff!

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue May 27, 2025 2:09 pm

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Quote:

Help Recover Historic Railroad Items – Auctioned Storage Units of Gary Bensman

We’re reaching out to the public to help recover a piece of lost railroad history.
Gary Bensman—a legendary steam locomotive restoration expert and engineer behind projects like NKP 765 and C&O 1309—recently endured a medical crisis including a heart attack, torn aorta, and stroke. While hospitalized and unable to communicate, 15 of his storage units—containing a lifetime’s worth of rare steam locomotive parts, tools, documentation, and restoration materials—were auctioned off without his knowledge.

These units were located at: Route 57 Storage in Winchester[, Virginia].

The contents represent decades of work, historical preservation, and knowledge that cannot be replaced. We are currently trying to track down any buyers or individuals who attended the auction and may have purchased items from these units.

We are interested in buying back key items—no questions asked—if we can find the right people. These items could help continue Gary’s work and preserve irreplaceable pieces of steam railroading history.

If you or someone you know may have acquired materials from this sale, please contact us. Your help could make a world of difference in restoring and protecting a legacy.

Contact: garybensmanrecovery at gmail.

Or contact The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society
Thank you for supporting railroad preservation.

A rail preservationist's worst nightmare come true.........

mmi16 · **Joined:** Thu Oct 24, 2019 11:05 pm **Posts:** 182

If any others have things stored in storage units that they consider really significant - make sure you have set a payment plan that can be operative if you are incapacitated for some period of time - AND make sure those close to you KNOW about what you have, where you have it and how it is paid for.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed May 28, 2025 12:59 am

I had a friend who had a storage unit full of vintage motorcycle and Volvo parts. He died from "long COVID" and I have no idea what happened to it all.

The legend we had in Pa. was of a guy who had accumulated a priceless collection of old photos of local railroads in several nice albums, but resisted younger fans' efforts to scan them or to get them donated to whatever museums. He passed away while the two local guys were out of town railfanning out West, and by the time they got back and heard about it, not only bummed out at missing the funeral.................. the family, going through his place, had discarded the photos, but kept the nice albums.......

(The two guys went through the corner of the transfer station for six hours trying in vain to find the trash bags with the photos.......)

diningcartim · **Joined:** Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:34 pm **Posts:** 195

The length of time for a storage unit to be considered abandoned for non-payment varies from state to state. I understand that in Virginia it is 20 days. That is pretty quick and thus you can see how this can happen.

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 951

Do check the local scrap yards. A "burglary" happened at Mid Continent a few years ago and many bronze injectors and associated parts were gone. The response was file a report with the police. Finally some members checked local scrap yards and there was some recovery and a conviction of the perp. You need to act fast and some scrap dealers are shady to begin with and will not cooperate easily. Pretty easy to sell off bronze/brass or hide a pile of it out of site. A crying shame but things are what they are. Some rail fans think they got the cats meow when they find an injector or part but what are they going to do with it? Was it stolen? Also wouldn't hurt to mark your spare parts with an ID. I know who's got the time for this.

Dave_J · **Joined:** Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:52 pm **Posts:** 10

The owner of largest scrap yard here in Winchester is a member of the local NRHS chapter. He is not aware of any of this coming through his yard.

BOLO: 15 Storage Units of Steam Stuff!

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