Absolutely understood, Gary, and I was pretty sure it would be impractical. It would be really cool and the attention of young'uns would be guaranteed, though. Not every museum has a pre- squashed freight car available!

It's a thought for any other group which might have a car damaged in an "incident" on their own property! I can see the interpreter's comment... "Accident? Heck no, this is just part of our new display preparation!"

Was there any damage to the other equipment, or did this brave little boxcar protect it by absorbing the impact?

Steve

I understand it broke the coupler on the back of the crane. (unsure whether the shank or just the knuckle). It probably shook quite a bit of rust out of some of the other pieces..............:)

So what is the story with the pile of signage letters? Were they letters from the museum, or salvaged/saved from a local business?

Thanks,
Rich C.

Les, I think the one you've got is in good hands for future use. Perhaps the stripped, not equipped, 2700? It has suffered much indignity - something like that would certainly make it a real "WOW" artifact. I still think the cutaway that J David did for Steamtown is one of the best displays on steam in North America.

My God, which of the PRR collection would you opt to cut in half? I would hope that no large preserved steam locomotive would be cut in half to show how it works! The fact they've made it into the 21st century is alone, reason to keep the locomotive. There are plenty of other artifact locomotives, small enough to handle and shot enough to dissect, without going after something big, beautiful, and with the potential to run or support restoration of a sister.

Incidentally, we are wandering aimlessly from the original topic once more.

Whichever one we have 14 of. So I guess a GG1.

I got to thinking about this a little more, and I suddenly realized that we HAD the perfect example! The 13th preserved C&O Kanawha was badly vandalized and eventually scrapped by the folks up in Buffalo, New York about 1960. So, there we had the perfect big 2-8-4 to cut apart for display, since it was going to be scrapped anyhow. I guess we just missed the opportunity. But maybe not. If someone just invents a time machine...............!

Les

That STILL leaves 12 "preserved" C&O Kanawhas...... along with a number of pretty-darned-close-in-other-respects NKP and PM 2-8-4's........

And let's point out that some of those C&O 2-8-4's are STILL not in exactly good shape today...... although the situation isn't as dire as it was for a couple true basket cases, at least some of these 2-8-4's qualify as neglected stepchildren......

Aside from that, let's note that this is all conjectural at this point; no one is offering a check to pay for the sectioning of a steam locomotive with either private or public monies.

Aside from that, if there's a candidate for "over-preserved" locomotive type aside from the humble 0-4-0T, it's possibly the AT&SF 2-6-2, with seventeen examples of a couple classes scattered in town parks across the old Santa Fe........

Cut in half a C&O Berk?? Nah. Try finding that steamer in the quarry!

Well, rather than a dissection, I'd sure like to see just one of those 17 AT&SF Prairie's restored to run again. Know of any of the owners that might be willing to donate theirs for a restoration attempt? No? I didn't think so.

Les

[quote="Gary Gray"

Maybe enough wood will make it down to VMT to build a nice bonfire, Bev could then hold a "wake" for the boxcar.[/quote]

Gee for $9.95 you can own an authentic piece of an old N&W boxcar from the gift shop. And if you take some of that lumber down to Abingdon you can probably find an artist to fix something up that would look very nice in a train room. And they could probably sell a bunch of it down there.

Hold off on the bonfire.

Tom

Tom,

I offered Bev a bunch of original 1964 "Chesapeake Western" sand that we dug out of 662's sandboxes for the gift shop. Unfortunately, not enough "foamers" through there to justify the packaging of the "relics"......................:)

I to have wondered about the pile of letters by the wreckage of the boxcar. Anyone know what they were from?

I'm working on the photos taken this past Saturday and hope to upload them to Flickr by the end of the week. I've already put up a few of 1118.
If I ever had incorrect information or if there is a photo that needs to be taken down for what ever reason would someone please send me a message.

Why can't we simply disassemble with a wrench? This is reversable and still opens up the inside of mechanisms to view. Looking at the disassembled parts in real full size 3D combined with a digital presentation showing images of the parts at work woulod be much more enlightening than seeing cutaways that just sit there.......leaving the visitor to guess what was going on in motion.

dave