The thread below on steam locomotives that were tragically scrapped is sure interesting, but what about the opposite question- does anyone have any TRUE stories of steam locomotives being miraculously saved?

I'm still waiting on someone to find an ACL R-1 or PRR T-1 coated in cosmoline in a warehouse somewhere...

the Ultimate Steam Page
whodom@awod.com

After 611's last excursion in October, 1959, I have heard two stories about her survival.

First, from what I have read, Stuart Saunders was hell bent and determined to scrap every last N&W steam locomotive. How #2156 escaped to St. Louis I do not know. I understand that the Virginian had stashed a 2-8-4, a 4-6-2 and a 2-6-6-6 in their roundhouse for posterity, that it they were quickly dispatched to the scrappers after the N&W takeover. At the time, the Class A's were being sold for scrap for $8000.00 a piece. I heard that a Florida businessman offered Saunders $12,000 for an intact Class A, and Saunders refused to sell it. Getting back to 611, I understand that for a couple of years she was kept hidden in a back corner of a Roanoke shop where Saunders and his scrap happy minions would not see her. The N&W did not donate the engine to the City of Roanoke until approximately 1961 or 62. If this is all true, then Saunders should join his buddy, Al Perlman in the same place mentioned in an earlier thread. Since they detested each other during the Penn Central era, it would be a fitting reward for both "gentlemen."

The second story which I am sure is true is that O. Winston Link offered to buy the engine, and was quietly lobbying everybody he could to keep her intact.

kevingillespie@usa.net

> The thread below on steam locomotives that
> were tragically scrapped is sure
> interesting, but what about the opposite
> question- does anyone have any TRUE stories
> of steam locomotives being miraculously
> saved?

(1)Aside from 611 mentioned already, there is 1218, which was a stationary boiler for Union Carbide in South Charleston, WV(on the C&O not the N&W). Nelson Blount saved it for steamtown.

(2)Canadian National employee Harry Home spotted the 4-8-2 #6060 at Transcona scrapyard(Winnipeg) on his way between the western region to Ontario in 1959 or 1960 and eventually was able to get it on display at Jasper, then later restore it to operate in 1973, etc. He's still with it!

(3) On a larger scale perhaps was the saving of the entire 64-mile narrow gauge between Chama and Alamosa with many 2-8-2's in 1970. The states of Colorado and New Mexico bought it from the D&RGW and it survives today as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, and most of the locos still operate with RIO GRANDE on the tenders.

(4) Union Pacific 844 was used as a snow melter in Omaha/Council Bluffs, otherwise it would probably have been scrapped also. Thus it was never actually retired so guess this doesn't belong in this thread..sorry!

Steamingly,
Greg Scholl

Videos and such
sales@gregschollvideo.com

> I'm still waiting on someone to find an ACL
> R-1 or PRR T-1 coated in cosmoline in a
> warehouse somewhere...

The closest anyone can ever come to a "NYC Hudson stashed in a barn" is SR&RL 6, the 2-foot gauge 0-4-4T stashed in a Connecticut barn in the 1930s and preserved there until the 1980s or 1990s. See Aug. 1983 Trains for a full write-up.

Another "stashed in a barn" title, although not steam, is the Edwards motor car preserved in the amber of the Hampton & Branchville car barn in South Carolina, now preserved by the North Carolina Transportation Museum.

And yes, there are legends of equipment "preserved" by misrouting, hiding from officials, etc. I know of a recent example where FIVE heavyweight Pullman day coaches, converted to work cars and en route to scrapping, were deliberately misrouted by railroad employees to the "safety" of a co-operative short line, which "lost" them on a weed-choked siding until donation of the cars to a museum was arranged. I cannot "go public" with the details as some of the employees involved are still working for the railroads, but if someone wants to trade some other worthy equipment for a Pullman day coach in camp-train condition, get in touch with me.


Baltimore Chapter NRHS
lner4472@bcpl.net

When I helped the Nevada Northern gang get going back in 1987, I heard a story that the #40 was supposed to have been scrapped or otherwise disposed of. Whenever the Kennecott big wigs were scheduled to visit, #40 was hauled up the hill to Copper Flat and stashed in a shed until the coast was clear and it could come back to the Ely enginehouse.

The fact that the NN 40 came back to life with the proverbial "can of WD40 and a match" was pretty amazing in itself.

earlk489@hotmail.com

Heck, I think that it is a miracle that the North Carolina Transportation Museum's 3 truck shay runs today. She was nothing but a huge piece of rust that use to be an operating shay when Jimbo asked that she be donated to us. And look at her now, after 8 years and many restoration funds and work, she is operating, pretty well I might add. I consider that a miracle.



North Carolina Transportation Museum

cookiemonster@rrmail.com

> I'm still waiting on someone to find an ACL
> R-1 or PRR T-1 coated in cosmoline in a
> warehouse somewhere...

Didn't you know about the PRR T-1 that the Air Force uses to transport the aliens around Area 51?

Seriously though, the UP 618 at Heber, Utah was close to being lost in 1969. As I heard the story in the late '70's, the engine, which had been donated to the Utah State Fair Grounds in the late '50's was taking up too much space there by the late '60's. Their plan was not to scrap the engine, but to dig a huge hole next to her, roll her over into it, and bury her!

In a lucky coincidence, the Rio Grande was about to abandon their Heber Branch at the same time, and the rest is history, but the 618 is not!

When asbestos was recognized as a carcinogen, this "roll it over into a pit" scenario was said to be discussed with serious faces for Rock Island 4-6-2 938 at Enid, Oklahoma and also Santa Fe 5030 at Santa Fe. Fortunately, both survived, though the 5030 was pretty well butchered by a careless abatement contractor when the lagging was removed.

> Seriously though, the UP 618 at Heber, Utah
> was close to being lost in 1969. As I heard
> the story in the late '70's, the engine,
> which had been donated to the Utah State
> Fair Grounds in the late '50's was taking up
> too much space there by the late '60's.
> Their plan was not to scrap the engine, but
> to dig a huge hole next to her, roll her
> over into it, and bury her!

> In a lucky coincidence, the Rio Grande was
> about to abandon their Heber Branch at the
> same time, and the rest is history, but the
> 618 is not!


bobyar2001@yahoo.com

While not actually a barn, more of a shed, the Sumpter Valley's Heisler number 3 was found in a logging mill in Cascade Idaho. She was and still is in practically new condition for being used for logging and then as a stationary boiler for several decades. Almost fully complete except for her stack and headlight she even still had her origional lettering on her tender. Only took something like $10,000 to restore I believe. Today she's as lovely as ever and holds the title of the only operating narrow gauge wood burning Heisler in the world.

Thanks, Taylor

thrush@smt-net.com

Ok, here is another one from the Maine Narrow gauge. The Monson Railroad shut down in 1943 and the two engines went to the Rochester Iron and Metals companny to be "salvaged". According to Lin Moody it was sometime in 1945 that he heard that they were still there. Imagine two years!!

Mr Atwood sent him to Rochester with a checkbook and the rest is well known.

The only other case in the United States that I know about, of steam engines leaving a scrapyard is the group of switch engines that went from Northwest Steel and Wire to the Illinois Railroad Museum. Too bad but some of them got cut up later anyway.

ted_miles@NPS.gov

While this really can't be classified as a 'save', the lost engines of Roanoke aren't really saved. They still sit their waiting to be scrapped. The scrap yard owner won't sell individual locos, but as a whole package. There is some interesting stuff in their. So, who knows what will happen to them...


unfunkyufo76@hotmail.com

> Heck, I think that it is a miracle that the
> North Carolina Transportation Museum's 3
> truck shay runs today. She was nothing but a
> huge piece of rust that use to be an
> operating shay when Jimbo asked that she be
> donated to us. And look at her now, after 8
> years and many restoration funds and work,
> she is operating, pretty well I might add. I
> consider that a miracle.

Not quite the story, Hayes. I made the trip to Robbinsville in Fred Corriher's Mercedes back - oh 13 or so years ago - along with Bill Weant when they took a check to the heavy equipment dealer / scrapper that had 1925 on the property. NCTHC bought and paid for 1925 and for the transportation.

There followed a weekend or two of driving to the remains of the old Graham County and disassembling the hulk of 1926 and taking all the small stuff off 1925 and bringing it back to Spencer in our cars. Tony Marsico had a little green Honda wagon that was dragging its rear on the ground. I roomed with Arch Fisher in the local motel and didn't sleep a wink due to his loud snoring. Still, best breakfast I have had east of the Mississippi the next AM.

Richard Morse handled the boom truck to do the rigging and a good time was had by all.

Dave


irondave@bellsouth.net

> The thread below on steam locomotives that
> were tragically scrapped is sure
> interesting, but what about the opposite
> question- does anyone have any TRUE stories
> of steam locomotives being miraculously
> saved?

> I'm still waiting on someone to find an ACL
> R-1 or PRR T-1 coated in cosmoline in a
> warehouse somewhere...

I think one of the more remarkable "saves" of the post steam era is this:

A company called Phoenix Steel had closed a plant in Harrisburg PA in the late 1950's. Discovered on the property were three old steam locomotives. I believe two of them were saddletankers but the THIRD was a former Pennsylvania Railroad B-4a class 0-6-0. It was long thought that all of this particular class of switcher were gone. The PRR engine (and one of the saddletankers as I recall) were saved and the 0-6-0 (PRR #643)was restored and operates occassionaly today from what I understand.

midlandblb@cs.com

ok, sorry bout that dave, I got mis-informed by someone else. she was still a wreck though, eh? =^)

Hayes Smith Jr.

TAMR-Steam Dept.

North Carolina Transportation Museum
cookiemonster@rrmail.com

I just remembered another one- the mid-1800's vintage 4-4-0 that had been used in logging service in Florida which was rescued from the bottom of a river and partially cosmetically restored several years back.

This engine, and the "lost engines of Roanoke" bring to mind a whole other class of existing steam- abandoned and not yet rescued. A couple of Shays have been reported languishing in the backwoods here in SC (photos have been posted on the net of one of them), and there are a couple of 2-8-0's in the middle of nowhere in Maine someplace.

Any others?

the Ultimate Steam Page
whodom@awod.com