At Houghton, Michigan:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8854749@N0 ... 425158@N25

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8854749@N0 ... 425158@N25

Not sure how recent these photos are, but this winter seems like a good possibility. Note the cab of Ten-Wheeler #175; the roof has rusted off of the cab. Also, the original tender has been replaced by one from a Northern Pacific engine. Not sure if the original tender has been scrapped or not. This engine was the last C&NW locomotive in steam, powering a special for the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin at the very end of the steam era on the NorthWestern. At least until a much later day resurrection of sister R-1 #1385. Supposedly the 175 is owned by Clint Jones, and was kept company in Houghton for years by Copper Range 2-8-0 #29, which eventually ended up at Mid-Continent in North Freedom. Hopefully 175 will end up there too, or at some other place where she can be taken care of, unlike the care she is being given now. A third R-1 (oil-burning #444) is in the Forney museum in Colorado. Hopefully, the 175 will have a better future than the one she is facing now.

Les

I agree with you Les I would like to see it go somewhere else too. The engine isn't getting much worse, even though it may appear that way. The boiler is painted {some sort of primer}. Most of the appliences are taken off, she is pretty stripped down. Clint told me he had all or most of the parts in storage. I may be wrong about this, but I think I was told that the roof of the cab had a building roof collapse on it years ago. Can't remember if it was the Copper Range roundhouse or if it was up in Calumet somewhere. When up there a couple of years ago we pulled the remaining roof off so that the roof rafters were left bare. The boards were not even rotten, just weather worn. She does truely look forlorn up in the UP winter, but after seeing what repairs need to go into a steam engine to make it operable by FRA standards, I doubt anything terrible is going to happen to it just sitting there. If the running gear is junk, it will need overhaul, no doubt the boiler will need a major overhaul or rebuilding or even replacing, but none of the repairs should be because of the weather.
I asked about the original tender and I believe I was told that it was scrapped many years ago. It looked like a fair amount of work had been done to make the NP tender fit it's new engine. Getting the engine across the bridge might be the hard part, but doable. The bridge between Houghton and Hancock is quite the set up. I would like to see the engine moved before the bridge is permantly locked into place. I think they had to raise the bridge and truck through the lower level to get the Copper Range #29 out. If the DOT ever condemms the bridge from further movement, you would have to barge it across the water as I am pretty sure it is the only bridge. Cheers, John.

Here are some pictures I took June 28, 2008. There are more if anyone wants to see them.