How do you hide a 2-10-4?

David H. Hamley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm **Posts:** 705

A friend and I just spent 30 minutes examining the 2012 Google Earth images of the PA&MRR property at McKees Rocks, PA, looking for B&LE 2-10-4 643. We could not identify anything on that property that looked like a steam loco.

Has it been moved elsewhere, or back indoors? (Or worse yet........"terminated?")

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:10 pm

My search of Google Maps finds it. Here are the coordinates:

40.470999, -80.057112
40°28'15.6"N 80°03'25.6"W

Mark Trebing · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:35 pm

What is on the rails behind 643? A diesel locomotive and some kind of railroad car?

-Mark

Tim Botti · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:41 pm

Still there. The most recent picture I have is from September 2013. Taken through the fence so please excuse the quality.

Attachment:

643_sept2013.jpg [ 196.47 KiB | Viewed 22034 times ]

Behind the engine sits an Alco switcher. Behind that is an aux. water tender build from an L&N 2-8-4 tender.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

we've discussed this engine to death here, we're all kinda wait and see for something to happen.

co614 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:48 pm

It's now landlocked and there's a very strong chance that eventually it will be scrapped in place. Yes, it has been discussed here at length previously.

Ross Rowland

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:53 pm

Why assume the worst? Let's pray someone with vision is ready to grab her for service.

CountryAcres · **Joined:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 2:59 pm **Posts:** 24

co614 wrote:

It's now landlocked and there's a very strong chance that eventually it will be scrapped in place. Yes, it has been discussed here at length previously.

Ross Rowland

doubt anyone would be stupid enough to scrap a steamer that large this day in age..

Emmo213 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:48 pm

It's not about stupidity, it's about money.

Loco112 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:06 pm

One of the older posts about this locomotive;

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30780&p=153388&hilit=B%26LE+643+cost+%24+%24#p153388

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

someone posted there was work being done to operate on former B&LE trackage.

Landlocked doesnt mean the end of the line, he's run the engine on air and could move it snap track wherever. Anything we say here is guessing. IRM moved the Sante FE 4-8-4 from the Museum of Science and Industry via snap track over city streets, anything's possible.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:42 am

dinwitty wrote:

Landlocked doesnt mean the end of the line, he's run the engine on air and could move it snap track wherever. Anything we say here is guessing. IRM moved the Sante FE 4-8-4 from the Museum of Science and Industry via snap track over city streets, anything's possible with bucketloads of money, a cooperative locomotive owner, and cooperative property owners.

Fixed that for you..............

co614 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:51 am

Mr. Mitchell says it very well. In this case all 3 of the critical components are missing!!

Ross Rowland

nkpsteam779 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:47 am

It's really down to buckets of money and owner cooperation. More the owner cooperation is the nut that needs to be cracked. As far as the site owners are concerned they are very willing to see it worked on and some of us who do care about 643 make a annual run over to the "rocks" to lube and oil the locomotive to keep her limbered up even if the owner does not care to do it. So if you can crack the nut with the owner you might be able to go for the pot of gold you'll need to make it run.

Keep Steaming
Steven H.

Emmo213 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:19 am

nkpsteam779 wrote:

some of us who do care about 643 make a annual run over to the "rocks" to lube and oil the locomotive to keep her limbered up even if the owner does not care to do it

While I understand the sentiment I'm not sure trespassing on private property to work on a locomotive which isn't yours is the best way to get on the positive side of the owner.

How do you hide a 2-10-4?

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