What is the status of this 4-6-2? My understanding is that the City of Hagerstown sold it to a private individual in the 1980s, who allowed a high school welding class to start taking it apart, ostensibly for future operation. Is it still in the park? Who owns it now? What repairs (or damage) were done? Any photos?

WM 202
ryarger@rypn.org

> What is the status of this 4-6-2? My
> understanding is that the City of Hagerstown
> sold it to a private individual in the
> 1980s, who allowed a high school welding
> class to start taking it apart, ostensibly
> for future operation. Is it still in the
> park? Who owns it now? What repairs (or
> damage) were done? Any photos?

Bob, I came across it quite by accident in 1999 (had no idea it was there). It is in a park, near the main, fenced off and under cover. I would be very surprised to find out it suffered the fate you described, it looked pretty complete.

There was an item in the Hagerstown paper in January 2000 that the Western Maryland Scenic had proposed leasing 202 and operating it. To my knowledge nothing has come of it.

Sure would be nice to see 202 on a local train at Helmstetter's, though.

JAC

I stopped by there about and talked to someone in the Hagerstown roundhouse back when 2100 & 614 both lived there. The person I spoke with told me that they had steamed the 202 in place to test the boiler. I am not sure how true this is but that is what I was told.

Tom Gears

> What is the status of this 4-6-2? My
> understanding is that the City of Hagerstown
> sold it to a private individual in the
> 1980s, who allowed a high school welding
> class to start taking it apart, ostensibly
> for future operation. Is it still in the
> park? Who owns it now? What repairs (or
> damage) were done? Any photos?

The good news is that restoration has been relatively meticulous, as opposed to haphazard. It is under cover, and all parts are seemingly accounted for, etc.
The (somewhat) bad news: The restoration of this loco is apparently controlled by an individual, who has reportedly shown no interest in working in conjunction with anyone else. Although rumors of the loco going to the WMSR in Cumberland occasionally surface, consider the fact the the local Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum apparently has no ties to the 202 outfit--and has to "make do" with a Baldwin diesel instead of THE last conventional WM steamer.

To wit: The engine is very "safe" from deterioration or destruction (unlike, say, the EBT), but is certainly not going to improve or operate in its current state.


lner4472@bcpl.net

Anyone have some recent photos of the 202?

ryarger@rypn.org

> Anyone have some recent photos of the 202?

Not on me. It has been hard to photograph because of the surrounding pole shed, the trees, its not-open location, etc. That and the barbed-wire-topped fence surrounding the site.


lner4472@bcpl.net