Rusting away in Detroit in 2002. Don't know if it is still there. Has same features as CRI&P units, could be a possible depot display if saved.

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... 4-02_A.jpg

That is none other than Ohio and Morenci 142.

Other photos
http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?j ... ndoned.jpg
http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?j ... tGrill.jpg
http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?j ... bandon.jpg

Compare that last picture with this picture (scroll down):

http://www.tmny.org/tmnyarch.html Whoops they moved it here: http://www.tmny.org/cat5064.jpg


The O&M had 2 segments: From (west of) Toledo west, hugging the Ohio side of the border until finally crossing into Morenci, Mi. And an isolated line from Adrian to Blissfield, Michigan. The O&M dieselized with this unit, a 35-ton Plymouth #52, and a 30 ton Plymouth #61. Note that the digits of their road numbers all added up to 7, as did caboose #25.

O&M 142 is privately owned. By an individual of my personal acquaintence, who works for Great Lakes Steel. He is involved in the Southern Michigan Railroad Society (itself keenly interested in the O&M) and is well aware of the historical significance of the engine.

What I wonder is, how operationally restorable might it be? I see a great hollow spot underneath the cab - what would be missing from there?

Whats missing under the cab? If the unit is laid out like a GE 44T, the compressors, exciters and reverser would be under the cab. One of the photos show what looks like a distributing valve, which may also be located down there. Interesting little unit-

What I wonder is, how operationally restorable might it be? I see a great hollow spot underneath the cab - what would be missing from there?[/quote]

That is where the "cage o' hamsters" is inserted to power the little beast..... They come on a pallet just like the replacement gen-sets on the new Green Goats, Green Kids and the like.

Don C.

Sorry, I must be hallucinating from too much pumpkin pie!

If the owner needs parts, I know of another derelict Davenport 45-ish-tonner in the Baltimore area that might still be available for parts raiding. Let me know, and I'll take a machete and see if it's still underneath that blob of vegetation. Brother Zuiderveen probably knows which one I refer to, and can probably update accordingly.

Same yard as the T-1's?????

Steve

guys,

Let me change your thread a bit and what is the chance of finding parts for a GE 44 ton switcher?

The Western Railway Museum has two of them that will need parts some day.

am not involved with the project so am asking for my own interest?

Does the 44 ton switcher have its own web site some place like Yahoo?

Ted

Logan Corporation has some parts, I guess it all depends upon what you need and how much you have to spend!

http://www.logancorp.com/locomotiveindex.htm

Railswap is always an option as well.

David Farlow

Try Western Star Rail Services, in Newark, Ohio. 740-344-3336
They specialize in parts for small GE locomotives.

Here's a photo of our (operational) Whitcomb #27 at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum. Both units looks remarkably similar.

Bob -

Thanks for posting the photo of the Whitcomb at our museum. The original subject of this thread (O&M Davenport #142) and HVRM #27, have the same body style. I believe Whitcomb purchased the Davenport Locomotive Company and for a while, made certain locomotives as either Davenport or Whitcomb locos. Note the name on the grill of both units. I am not sure of the power plant in #142, but our Whitcomb has two Caterpillar V8 diesel engines. And, as you pointed out in your note, it is definitely operational!

Number 27 has a long and varied history. Originally built for the Day & Zimmerman Company (a munitions contractor) by Whitcomb in August of 1941 as their #4-44, it became U.S. Army #7308 during the Second World War. Sold to McGraw Construction Company (number unknown), it later went to the Chicago Gravel Company in South Elgin, Illinois as their #509. It finally ended up at the Port of Indiana where it was given the number 1776, and yes, it was painted red, white and blue. The locomotive came to HVRM in 1988 and was the first piece of motive power that was operational at the museum.

Thanks again Bob, for posting the photo.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

Whitcomb bought Davenport? Where, oh where, did you get THAT bit of totally erroneous information? (My immediate apologies for the spear, but I do not like to see bad info being spread.)

Here's some real facts:

Those early Davenport, Whitcomb, etc. 44 tonners all had a similar look because they all used the hoods supplied by Caterpillar as part of the standard power package for the D17000 V8 engine. Each builder added their nameplate to the end of the hood.

Whitcomb had been controlled by Baldwin since c.1929 and did buy out Milwaukee Loco. Mfg. in 1932. Whitcomb was absorbed by BLH and the last few years of production, from 2/52 on, came from the BLH Eddystone plant. The last few locos carried BLH builder's plates and late literature carried only the BLH name.

Davenport bought Porter's loco business (only) in late 1950. The last Porter locos left their plant in 11/50, altho exact dates for the last few are not known for certain. Porter in turn had bought Heisler's fireless loco business in 8/41, and there were at least a couple Heisler fireless locos that were delivered with Porter serials, 7330 was for certain such a loco.

Davenport was in turn bought out by Canadian Loco. Co. in 1956 and the various CLC industrial locos built between then and the end of production in 1968 were in fact mostly Davenport and Porter designs, mildly modified.

Vulcan Iron Works delivered their last locos in 1955, but continued in other business lines after that for several decades.

Plymouth stayed in business until 1998, mostly on the strength of also building various lines of huge forklifts and similar machines. They sold out to Ohio Locomotive Crane Co., but no locos were produced under that short-lived ownership. OLC went out of business and the wherewithall of the PLW business now belongs to W. W. Willams Co., who will supply parts.

Brookville Loco. Works has become Brookville Equipment Corp. in recent years and has greatly expanded their product lines, but will still build industrial locos when the market is there.

Questions?

Mr. Hamley -

Thanks for the correction. Also appreciate the info on the other "minority" locomotive builders.

Les

I spoke with the owner of this unit a few weeks ago. He tells me the unit is in a secure location, and is under the watchful eye of a group of folks who are taking it on as a project. It's gotten a coat of paint.

He tells me many tons of metal which were used to "ballast down" the unit were cut away. If you compare the picture here
http://ABPR.Railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?n ... redirect=1
with here
http://www.tmny.org/cat5064.jpg
you can see that indeed, 3-4" of plate had been added all the way around the outer walks. He thinks he removed about 12 tons of metal.

I would say the unit would be a challenging restoration project, but it is one of the very last remaining artifacts from Michigan's rich interurban history.

Just how many artifacts DO remain from Michigan's "rich interurban history"? I am sure that Frank Hicks and his list of existing electric equipment probably shows them, but I think you have to have the names of the railroads to check them out. And of course, O&M #142, being a diesel, wouldn't show up in this listing anyway.

Les