Another Mystery Locomotive

steaminfo · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:36 am

I am in search of a "lost" locomotive. A 570mm gauge 0-4-0T built by Arnold Jung (CN 9933) in 1942 for Hibernia AG. It was acquired by James Mahacek of Northfield, MN in 1978 but was not ever brought to Northfield. It was sold, and Jim doesn't remember to whom or under what circumstances (as of 1998, anyway).

It is believed to be somewhere in the U.S. at this time. Any leads would be hugely appreciated.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/locobro ... old%20Jung

search down Hibernia

says its in Northfield , but as you say...

what was its last known location?

tomgears · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:31 am

Jim passed last June. Perhaps one of his kin knows where the locomotive ended up. It is mentioned in his obituary so it might be known by someone.

http://northfield.patch.com/announcemen ... achacek-81

It was running as recently as 2007, practically last week.

http://dev.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 10,2803150

tomgears · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:39 am

I misunderstood, I didn't realize he owned 3 locomotives. I get it now.

Jeff Terry · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am **Posts:** 281

Could this be the mystery Jung 0-4-0T now at Merrimac, Wisconsin? Jung-built 0-4-0Ts are a rare bird (at least in the US). I had a chance to look over the Merrimac locomotive yesterday, and it's definitely a Jung.

steaminfo · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:08 pm

Jeff Terry wrote:

Could this be the mystery Jung 0-4-0T now at Merrimac, Wisconsin? Jung-built 0-4-0Ts are a rare bird (at least in the US). I had a chance to look over the Merrimac locomotive yesterday, and it's definitely a Jung.

Probably not. The information on the locomotive that passed through Jim Mahacek's hands is pretty solid, and it was indeed built as a 570mm gauge locomotive. The Merrimac Arnold Jung is listed as 700mm gauge, and I presume that information is by measurement. I wish it were though. Missing/lost/confused locomotives drive me a little (more) bonkers.

steaminfo · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:09 pm

steaminfo wrote:

Jeff Terry wrote:

Could this be the mystery Jung 0-4-0T now at Merrimac, Wisconsin? Jung-built 0-4-0Ts are a rare bird (at least in the US). I had a chance to look over the Merrimac locomotive yesterday, and it's definitely a Jung.

Probably not. The information on the locomotive that passed through Jim Mahacek's hands is pretty solid, and it was indeed built as a 570mm gauge locomotive. The Merrimac Arnold Jung is listed as 700mm gauge, and I presume that information is by measurement. I wish it were though. Missing/lost/confused locomotives drive me a little (more) bonkers.

Woohoo. Just got a call from Jeff Terry. He revisited the Merrimac locomotive, and found the builder's plate on the other side of the locomotive! It is the Northfield/Mahacek locomotive. Database and website are being amended accordingly!

o anderson · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:47 pm

This thread is the first time I am made aware of the 22.5" (roughly) gauge of the Hibernia AG. Apparently this was a coal mine railway? Does anyone have more information about the line from which these numerous engines were imported into the US?
Thanks!
O. Anderson
18 to 23 Inch Gauge yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/18inch

tomgears · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:49 pm

Thanks for the update Doug!

steaminfo · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:45 pm

o anderson wrote:

This thread is the first time I am made aware of the 22.5" (roughly) gauge of the Hibernia AG. Apparently this was a coal mine railway? Does anyone have more information about the line from which these numerous engines were imported into the US?
Thanks!
O. Anderson
18 to 23 Inch Gauge yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/18inch

Okay...I can offer a little information. In 1962 through 1964 there was a massive effort in Germany (West Germany, anyway) to dieselize the small industrial railroads that switched various plants.

A dentist from Oelwein, Iowa (James Valesh, I think) bought and imported 24 of them, a fair number of which had a Hibernia AG pedigree. These were resold throughout the US and all 24 of them (that I know of) still exist.

Hibernia AG was a mining company that persisted well into the 1960s. I don't know if it still exists.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:02 am

Curious update:

From a post on Facebook's "Abandoned Rails" group:

Quote:

I was invited down to a 2' gauge operation that shut down due to a fatality several years ago. The family that owns the operation is not interested in keeping it, or the operation of it. They would rather see it gone, but they are taking their time looking for buyers for the equipment, rails & switches, and M.O.W. hand tools and other equipment on the line. The depots are also up for sale when the value gets nailed down:

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.455749, ... a=!3m1!1e3

Flickr page with lots of good photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/50621316@ ... 7157906781
NOTE: GO TO PAGES 2 AND 3 for photos of the O&K and Czech tank locos and Plymouth--including builder's plates.

Reposting this strictly to pass the word of a potential opportunity around to preservationists and to update these long-ago threads.