I'm wondering why after the old southern Steam Program the Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 #2839 went to the Reading & Northern and what was the purpose of her going there.
Then after that why was she sold to the Nethercutt collection here in California where she remains on display. I do wonder as well if she's in good to moderate mechanical condition as well. Thanks y'all!

Jeff I found nothing at all pertaining to why she wasn't restored by the Wilmington & western or Reading & northern. All I got was people saying it's out in California and talking about it's CP history. Nothing at all pertaining her being disassembled or not being restored. I make these posts to get DIRECT answers, I never understand why people can't just straight up tell me what happened and why. I'm not at all blaming you Jeff but this is easily the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this happen where a question is not directly answered and a link to either another topic or the person is told to search or look it up.

Thanks Jeff! I visited the 2839 today. she still looks pretty good! I was having too much trouble trying to upload the photos so I'll hold off on that.

AFAIK, 2839 is in relatively strong shape. She was too light for the service which Southern placed her in. The locomotive was owned by a consortium of prominent railroad photographers. I don't know why she was sold so far away from her home rails, other than the owners wanted out and the museum wanted a steam locomotive - any steam locomotive. She's in good hands and is well taken care of, but my personal taste says, a CPR Hudson in California, is out of place. Another locomotive might have better fit the bill, particularly as this one was only recently in service before the western placement, and she's an "oil Royal". Might have been a good candidate for restoration to service north of the border.

Thanks for the contribution Richard!! As I stated previously, I went to the Nethercutt Museum and got to visist the 2839. She still looks good, paints faded but nothing really bad. Makes me wish she would be able to leave and have another excursion career.

May I also add, I think Southern, or at least the Claytors, went a little "hog wild" as they pushed through the steam program - not that I'm complaining about seeing a Class 1 railroad take a first class interest in a steam revival. Let me try to put together a list from memory; Southern 630, 722, 4501, T&P 610, CPR 2839, C&O 2716, N&W 611, 1218, any others? Wonderful stuff, but some many were shot lived and "a shot in the dark" for the longevity of the program. Several wound up retired almost immediately after rebuild and initial operation due to needed firebox repair, lack of weight, lack of speed? It was great while it lasted, and for what it cost, the railroad made undying friendships and got terrific adulation from the general public, news media, and railroaders. I'd love to see all of these locomotives brought back.

Any constructive discussion of the former Southern, then Norfolk Southern steam restorations?

Dont forget S&A 750!

I have happy memories of a day trip from Alexandria to Charlottesville, VA behind CPR 2839. The engine moved right along at track speeds with the long train. I recall that while CPR 2839 was built for speed like the mainline to Charlottesville, it could not pull on steeper grades elsewhere in the SR system.

C&O 2716 was quickly sidelined for firebox issues when N&W 611 came on line. And the rest is history.

Wesley

Keep looking. Long story short, the anecdotal history is there, if spread out over several threads.



Annnnnnnnndddd THERE'S your problem. In far too many instances like this, there ARE no "direct answers."

I was involved with the Wilmington & Western at the time 2839 showed up, and even spent a hot afternoon helping to hydro-test the superheaters. The ownership was something of a mess. It was relocated to the BM&R for reasons I never quite figured out, was fired up once there for the "opening" of the railroad, and that was it. If you had asked the three/four owners about it, you might have gotten three/four different answers. Ask the BM&R, get another answer. Ask the W&W, get another. This is what happens when private individuals, not publicly-held corporations, own assets like this that consume money.

And this is a "crowd" of rail preservationists here in a much better position, on average, to "know" what's actually "going on" than your typical online or trackside railfan.

There are any number of situations in rail preservation where there aren't, and probably never will be, "straight answers." Just what happened to the Gettysburg RR? PRR 1361? Trolley Vahalla/Buckingham Valley/Penns Landing Trolley? The NYC electrics owned by the Mohawk & Hudson NRHS? Reading 2100? The Spirit of Washington Dinner Train? the Pemberton museum? The East Broad Top situation now playing out? The Catskill Mountain RR situation now being debated here? Steamtown in Vermont/Scranton? A collection of steamers rusting in Oregon? The Ohio Railway Museum? The Escanaba & Lake Superior Baldwin (and other things) "horde"? Don't bother looking for "straight answers" because they don't exist; at best you'll get a mish-mash of the stories from various sides, and the side that really matters--the actual owners or stakeholders--ain't talking.

You are asking "direct questions" those best answered by the stakeholders or principals in said organizations. However, you are asking them to third parties who may have only heard rumors. Even when the principals post here on RYPN, it is difficult to get direct answers out of them, like the GBX.

Frustrating, yes, but in a situation like the 2839, you just have to examine all sides of the issue and come to your own conclusion. I realize this won't give you the instant gratification you desire, but it is what it is.