This came through on my Flickr feed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39923705@N07/4658268872/

I used a web translator to translate the caption to English:

In the decade of years 1980, the Brazilian railroad equipment manufacturer ADDITION, bought, with the preservation purpose, one of the three lendárias disel-electric locomotives Alco PA-2, popularly known as `Jaburu', that they had been mattered by the São Paulo Cia. of Railroads, in the year of 1953. Unhappyly, the company declared insolvent before any work of restoration had been executed in the locomotive, that was abandoned, in the city of Sumaré, the sky opened, during many years. More lamentable fact, however, was the sad end that Alco PA-2 had, since, in January of 2004, it was cut in pieces and part of used it as element of decoration in a commercial establishment in the edges of the Fernão Highway Days, in the height of km 398. Photo, taken off in 11 of December of 2009, evidences that the project already was disactivated and, what remained of the locomotive, completely abandoned.

You notice in that photo series... those 10-story apartment buildings a stone's throw away. They got vandalized because their location is too urban. That's why most of our railway museums are located out on the exurban fringe, a nominal hour's drive from the city center, where at worst you have small-town teenage hoodlums well known to the local police.

Looks like the nose of the PA was heavily graffitti-ed before it was built into whatever the building is. It doesn't look too bad in the 2009 pic (aside from the fact that it's been amputated from the rest of the loco!)

It would be a nice nod to Brazilian history if this was restored in time for the 2016 Olympics.

Flicker is down and I could not see any photos.

My understanding from the post is that this "PA" in Brazil has been scrapped. This is sad, as the carbody looks to have been in very good condition and the trucks were still there.

For reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALCO_PA

Speaking of PAs, didn't the Denver & Rio Grande Western have a PB shell around as a steam generator car or power car? It ran with its original trucks for years, and later had those trucks swapped out for a pair of 4-wheel Blombergs. I'm was thinking this is something to "stockpile" for restoration later, and was wondering if it was still around; couldn't find anything on it.

YouTube video showing still photos taken in 2012 at the FEPASA Museum in Jundiai including the PA in yellow primer pictured above. The whole museum facility appears to be abandoned with heavy vandalism evident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Kpgzg-NUc

D&RGW had two PBs converted to steam generator cars in the '60s. #252 was never converted from its original A1A trucks and reportedly was scrapped by UP-- trucks and all-- in 1992 at the Burnham shops in Denver. #253 was converted to EMD Blomberg trucks. It was later converted to an HEP generator car for the Ski Train and lasted until that operation ended. It was then sold to Algoma Central. Very little beyond the basic carbody shape remains to identify it as a former Alco PB.

Even better walkaround video of the FEPASA Museum & the PA2. Lots of interesting stuff slowly returning to nature...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAFYQriiPAM

That video is hard to watch. In fact, I couldn't watch all of it.

It does shed some perspective - despite the constant rumbling - of how good we have it in the US and Canada.

Rob

Came across this while looking at something else; sadly, no subtitles or translation available for the video, although the comments can be translated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-5uOoJ9QVk

"It would be a nice nod to Brazilian history if this was restored in time for the 2016 Olympics."

Do they have the inclination (they might think of it as U.S. history and not their history) and the means?

Or they could "nod" it in our direction...?

Are the trucks the same as the standard gauge trucks except for the actual wheelsets or is the truck frame wider as well?

Steve

There is an active steam preservation movement in Brazil. A Teresa Christina 2-6-6-2 was recently restored to operation & there are a number of steam tourist lines.