Not on Mondays.

http://www.losttracksoftime.com/p609837046

The current disposition of Pennsylvania RR Alco RS-3 #8479, once part of the "Standard Railroad of the World"; sadly now amongst the weeds on an abandoned siding near the Philadelphia Inquirer building in Swedesland, PA.

Photographed 3/23/14 with a Mamiya C330F/55mm F4.5/Ilford Delta 400.

Matthew

Another locomotive that needs to be saved from the group that saved it.

If I understand correctly, the ARHS has made numerous attempts to offload said locomotive, but has yet to be able to find someone to take. So if you want it, contact them.

As I understand it, quite a lot of work was done to the engine while in preservation. Though it appears as a long lost and abandoned engine in it's original PRR colors, it was actually in PC and Amtrak colors before being repainted back to PRR. It was also moved at least once.

Maybe an online campaign could've helped, but then again, I don't see many individual railfans donating to such causes - most of the money seems to come from corporations and grants.

Now here's a question - if the ARHS did not step in and grab the engine when it did, would it not have been scrapped years earlier?

/Mitch

Mitch, I agree that online campaigns like "Kickstarter" and "Indiegogo" have limited appeal. They do generate some funding, and that's not to be sneered at. You are correct in stating that at least a carbody, frame, and trucks remain today because of earlier intervention. Perhaps someone should assess what remains of the prime mover and generator. Is it salvageable as a relic? Is it repairable? Should money be brought together to send it to the ALCO Museum? If not, it remain a derelict foundling.

Answer those questions and build a case for "preservation from there.

You'll have to forgive my lack of proper identification of parts but I'll try my best. A good deal of the power assemblies are gone as are the heads. The block is likely shot as it's been sitting with the hood doors open for years. The radiators and fan are gone. I don't think there's much wiring left either. The cab floor is rotted out and the control stands are stripped. It could be restored but you'd need to replace A LOT of parts.

This locomotive was purchased and has been used as a parts source for CNJ 1554 for the past 30 years or so. It was never really intended to run - they may turn the empty shell into a static display at some point, but the ARHS is currently looking for buyers.

The trucks, complete with traction motors, are under former LIRR 603, IIRC, which in now up in Scranton, PA. 8479 is just a shell now, pretty well picked clean.

Parts can be replaced relatively easily, though at substantial cost.....
The problem is moving it. It looks like, in the pictures, it has a least a couple of EE style roller bearings, but it would need all of them, with good wheels, working brakes and at least coupler blocks welded in ( provided you could get CSX to accept them if it goes on to their tracks).....
As a core for a rebuild it would be a decent candidate.....I'm thinking a 12-251 prime mover, maybe some electrical improvements....yes, costly, but possibly cheaper than some locos...really depends on the deals you get for various components, etc....
In the end, you could come up with a nice, 1600 +/- HP, very reliable, simple and above all, more fuel efficient (than an EMD) loco for an industry or perhaps a tourist operation.....probably around 150K-ish maybe less?
Depending on who does the work....probably need a well paid pro to do the electrical, but the rest could be done by reasonably competent people at most any railroad.

There are two commercial, railfan-centric "Alco-haul-ic" railroads within relatively easy access of that loco, as well as at least one Alco-using excursion line even closer. If none of these three have gone after these remains, well.......

There are a couple of tourist railroads that are buying genset locomotives for their operations. These modern genset units are ugly to be kind. An alternative may be to use this RS-3 carbody as the basis for a genset unit, which would make the locomotive more aesthetically pleasing for an historical based tourist railroad as well as achieve the fuel savings and EPA compliance that they need. Perhaps that is what the future may hold for these oddball first generation locomotives to keep them in service into the future.

" . . . as well as achieve the fuel savings and EPA compliance that they need".

There are no EPA compliance criteria for historic locomotives. If there were there would be no Alcos operating anywhere.

There have been instances in places like Southern California where grants were awarded to industries for green technology. The "offending" locomotive had to be destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable as a prerequisite compliance issue to get the $$$.

Is this the Alco that burned recently?

http://www.nj.com/salem/index.ssf/2014/ ... salem.html

Fire apparently set inside engineer's cabin on locomotive in Salem
train c.jpg

Flames can be seen in the engineer's cabin on this locomotive at the old Salem City railroad station on Hubble Avenue. (Staff Photo by Bill Gallo Jr.)

Bill Gallo Jr./South Jersey Times By Bill Gallo Jr./South Jersey Times
on June 16, 2014 at 10:24 PM, updated June 16, 2014 at 10:53 P

SALEM — A fire which appears to be suspicious was found burning inside a locomotive Monday night.

The first alarm was sounded around 9:15 p.m. for a commercial vehicle. That vehicle turned out to be a locomotive parked on the tracks at the old Salem railroad station on Hubble Avenue, just off Grant Street.

When Salem City firefighters arrived on the scene, flames could be seen coming from inside the engineer's cabin.

The locomotive reportedly was an inactive one.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and remained on the scene for about 45 minutes.

The cause remains under investigation.

No further information was available late Monday night.

No, the fire was set in ex Washington Terminal RS-1 #59 that has been stored in Salem for a number of years. I think it is part of the Ed Bowers collection. Salem is a cool little town with a tourist side and tough side. It doesn't surprise me to see a locomotive get torched there.

South Jersey has not been good for historic railroad equipment in recent years, Vandalism and scrapping have out numbered any positive motion.


Rob

59 is owned by Amsterdam Leasing (ALGX), not Ed Bowers or SRNJ. ALGX recently had two other units, also stored on the SRNJ, so heavily vandalized that they had to be scrapped, a C-420 and a CF-7. Agreed, South Jersey is not a good place for historic preservation

EDM
ALGX