May SD40-2 7600 have a better fate than the previous locomotive that carried that number on the B&O - the first EM-1, 7600, which also was supposed to have been saved for the museum.

I'd say that modern B&O/Chessie power is pretty well handled at the B&O museum:
There's the B&O GP30, GP40, SD35 and the GP38.

When an SD50 is thrown in, it's a pretty good representative collection of B&O/Chessie/CSX locomotives.

The only stuff missing is stuff still in pretty solid use. Maybe a CSX C40-8W, then an AC6000 and possibly a GEVO someday.

Now that I think about it, I think I really should go get myself a membership there...

With the lack of space at the B&O Museum, I have to wonder what equipment now on display they might banish to the first mile graveyard to make space should all of a sudden some of these modern units show up.

With their current space problems, perhaps they should consider temporarily loaning excess equipment to other institutions, where they could be better protected and maintained?

As they develop more space, loaned equipment could be recalled, and it wouldn't get trashed in the meantime.

This is something we should all consider!

Steve Hunter

I think they actually recently did that with the RDC that was running around western PA.

The most recent operator of tourist trains on the former FM&P line south of Greene Jct. was the Fayette Central. They were using that RDC loaned from the B&O Museum. With the demise of the FC, where is the RDC now?

Wasn't that RDC returned to the museum at the museums request?

The RDC was returned in 2011. The FCRR then leased 3 coaches, one of which became a victim of arson. the FCRR ran their last train in December 2012. The current equipment is a B&O painted S4 (Ex-PRR, Exx-RF&P) the two coaches, and two cabooses, a Penn Central Transfer Caboose and P&LE cabin.

That noted historian was misinformed. Keeping the hood of that unit "patched" into WM has a great deal of historic meaning to both railfans, historians, and especially the employee's of the former WM who had just been screwed by the merger.(The suit from which was just settled recently).

On an interesting note, I just cataloged the stencil used to patch it so many times as I have been organizing and cataloging our stencil collection.

One more thing worth noting, CSX 4621(WM 7496) is among the units including 8888 that is on its way to Waycross for scrapping.

Was the 3798/6573 "significant" in that it was the highest horsepower loco ever built, or hauled the American Freedom Train, or set a speed record, or hauled a Presidential campaign train, or starred in an Oscar-winning movie, or was the last locomotive built by EMD, or anything like that?

No.

For that matter, the same thing could be said of B&O 4500 and 5300 at the Museum. Or of two-thirds or more of the equipment at the B&O Museum, and indeed most railway museums. Indeed, one locomotive is specifically preserved at the B&O Museum expressly because it's so mundane and typical: B&O 3802, chosen as "America's typical diesel locomotive" by Trains Magazine years back.

Human nature being what it is, every broad-interest museum "needs" some superlative and/or "freak" attraction to garner attention from the otherwise-bored. With aquariums it's the sharks and dolphin show; with the Smithsonian it's the Hope Diamond, the Spirit of St. Louis, the million-dollar stamp/coin, a moon rock you can touch, and Washington's false teeth; with rail museums it's the Big Boy, the GG1, or UP Centennial. But the "eye candy" should be there to draw you in to the breadth of the collection, to get you to learn about the jellyfish and alewife, the history of currency/commerce/aviation, and the 2-6-0 and mixed train.

That same emotional "eye candy" situation is what drives some folks to think that the 8888 must be preserved (ditto PRR GG1 4876). Not gonna happen, sorry. A stronger case could have been made for 3798/6573, and also 3802, but in each case that argument is still largely emotional, though their preservation would easily fit any clear-thinking curator that wanted to preserve either badly enough.

The thing about the WM 7496 is, same with Crazy Eights, is that there is no actual need to preserve it. CSX 8888 might even be more worthwhile to preserve than the 4621 as we already have TWO Western Maryland SD40 type locomotives belonging to the George's Creek Railroad.(7471 & 7445) One is currently on sight in as delivered WM Black. Another will be going in for a rebuild/repaint to circus paint in the very near future. The George's Creek also owns an SD35, Two GP9s, and an Alco FA unit. All are in or are planned to be restored & painted into Western Maryland paint.

You may argue that they are not "truly" preserved as they are all on a shortline instead of inside a museum, but the owner, who also posts here occasionally, is a very big fan of the Western Maryland Railway. He won't send any of the locomotives to scrap.

"One more thing worth noting, CSX 4621(WM 7496) is among the units including 8888 that is on its way to Waycross for scrapping".

"Was the 3798/6573 "significant" in that it was the highest horsepower loco ever built, or hauled the American Freedom Train, or set a speed record, or hauled a Presidential campaign train, or starred in an Oscar-winning movie, or was the last locomotive built by EMD, or anything like that? No".

"The thing about the WM 7496 is, same with Crazy Eights, is that there is no actual need to preserve it".

There is so much good, technical, and historic information out there that the average railfan/preservationist is not aware of. CSX 4621/WM 7496 is a good example.

In the November 2006 issue of Trains Magazine, there is article titled "CSX Pushes Diesels To The Max". Jay Potter is the author of that article. Loconotes had a thread about that:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LocoNotes/message/88838

To summarize the thread, there were some locomotives ballasted to 420,000 pounds and tested extensively in a mountain railroading environment. The direct result of the tests was the production of CSXs Class CW44AH and ES44AH locomotives.

You are entitlted to your own opinion as to whether or not 4621 is historically significant or merely some emotional eye candy situation. As a Western Maryland preservationist and amateur historian, I take the position that anything WM is worthy of preservation, and that "the owner, who also posts here occasionally, is a very big fan of the Western Maryland Railway. He won't send any of the locomotives to scrap".

As was previously mentioned, we have two WM SD40s. Why a third? Because my ambition is to have one locomotive from each Western Maryland order for second generation power. So far We are three for three, and as long as I have a pulse I will pursue the other four; 7495 or 7496, 502/3577, 3797 or 3798, and 4257. It looks like 7496 will be the next one available.

So, Mr. Potter, if you are a subscriber to this forum, when the acquisition is complete I would like to invite you to visit 7496 on George's Creek Railway as my guest and satisfy your curiosity as to how 4621 was ballasted.

As the legendary Paul Harvey would say at a time such as this, "Now you know the rest of the story".

I respect your opinion Mr. Altizer. Now I do know the full story as well, and I say go for it.

The point I was trying to make with my post wasn't that the 7496 was unworthy at all. In fact I praise the attempt to purchase all of the WM engines that you can, as you will have a rolling history museum of the Western Maryland as it appeared in the late 60s-early 70s. I was trying to convey the point that "Crazy Eights" is a example of a CSX/Conrail SD40-2 that could be taken in as an example of motive power for either of the two railroads, added to the fact that many people who know of it, know about it due to its runaway.

In short, if you can get it, and maintain it either cosmetically or operationally, go for it. The George's Creek Railway seems like an excellent representation of a railroad-centric preservation movement done right.

cood101,

I was aware of what your point was, and my response was in no way intended to belittle your comments. They were right on target with the general thread regarding 8888 and the prospect for its demise.

My point was that often there are circumstances that the average railfan and historian are unaware of, and my comments were only to reveal the unknown (generally) history of 7496.

All of that aside, anyone who knows me understands what drives and motivates me. The only relevant criteria to me is that 7496 is genuine Western Maryland and that in and of itself puts it on my endangered species list. It also satisfies my self-imposed ambition to preserve at least one unit from every Western Maryland order for second generation power.

It is not realistic to think that George's Creek Railway can "save" every WM locomotive that is extant, but to the degree that we can acquire enough of them to fulfill our corporate need and keep more of them from the scrappers is a compelling mission for me.

I have not always been successful. In 2000 I missed saving S2 125 by a few weeks. The next year, we lost the only existing GP7 because of (a) lack of communication, and (b) the need for the owner to recoup some of his investment in acquiring and storing 22/5634 for nearly two decades.

The loss of that geep hounded me for weeks. I vowed that it would be the last WM sole survivor that would become extinct. Since then, the only WM locomotive that has been scrapped is SD40 7447. There was an auction, my business partner was the high bidder, and when the auction ended we had "won" it. But a bankruptcy court trustee in Kansas City, MO nulified the results and a deal was made with a locomotive shop there and 7447 died at that shop. There are still 11 of the 12 SD40s alive and well and in no apparent danger, except 4621, and we're working on it. The other attractive feature about it is that it is still a straight SD40, never being upgraded to dash 2 specs.

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. We are, in fact, going for it; not only for George's Creek Railway, but for all fans and employees of the Western Maryland Railway who hold our beloved Wild Mary in their highest esteem.

Many here say 8888 is unworthy of being preserved. The mere mention of its demise is enough to warrant a thread in a forum with three pages of responses, but no its not historic!

Actually, any museum that could obtain the 8888 would be making a sound financial move, as I am certain that locomotive can be a moneymaker. It was the star of a well documented and very spectacular story of how three railroaders saved a city from destruction. It also inspired a blockbuster movie roughly based on the incident. This locomotive is a pop culture STAR as far as the general public is concerned, and if it was on display (or better yet running) it would certainly drive attendance just to see it. The public doesn't really care if a locomotive was the last/first one built or any of the other mundane things that those of us in the trade find significant. They care about how does it fit into a story. Ask yourself, why is the Titanic still fascinating? Not because it is a 1912 era steamship. Its identical sister went to scrap in 1935 and not many paid notice. Its the story that matters. Why do many people care about the 4876? Many couldn't care less that it is a GG1, but the story of it crashing through WUS elevates it to a higher status.

8888 has star power, and a wise operation would be trying to acquire this unit as the centerpiece of a "runaway" exhibit. People want to see where history was made and to make a tactile connection to a real story. We have to get out of this box that all of us seem to be in and to focus on those things that the public can relate to.

What would be even better than having the 8888 on exhibit. It being coupled to the PRR 4876!