The "Near acquisitions" thread is sad but very interesting on what might have been. On the flip side, were there any locomotives that were headed to the scrapper, but ultimately saved?

I think I remember reading in a late 80's issue of Trains magazine that the PM 1225 was saved as it was the first one in line in the line of retired locomotives. I don't know how true that was, but it sounds plausible.

Steve

my first reaction is about the Lost Engines of Roanoke, the scrapper there regularly scrapped engines but felt a few engines were worth something and did not scrap them, 3 M2-c 4-8-0's, a W 2-8-0, a couple of diesels, 2 tenders, some hoppers. There was an M 4-8-0 that was sold earlier, this is now operating at Strasburg. (N&W engines) A medical center nearby was expanding, the scrapyard was sold, the engines had to go, somehow,
a variety of deals from multiple people/resources whomever got the engines and equipment out and saved.

I think there are stories out there of unusual circumstances some pieces get saved.

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but the 4963 at IRM, and sister to the 4960 at Grand Canyon was removed from a scrap yard after IRM traded 8 ex GTW 0-8-0's that were given to IRM from the Northwestern Steel & Wire facility. The 0-8-0's themselves were sold to NS&W for scrap and were pulled from the dead line and used as shop locomotives for many years. It was too bad they sent so many steam locomotives to scrap to save one, but as far as I know, that's what happened. Also their N&W 2-8-8-2 # 2050, (the only other 2-8-8-2 to survive,) was also removed from a scrap yard before heading to IRM.

Steve

One of the most obvious situations of course, is the one about the ex-Grand Trunk Western 0-8-0's that were sold to Northwestern Steel & Wire for scrap. Instead, NWS&W used them as in-plant switchers for a number of years. Eventually some of the engines were scrapped anyway, but a number of them ended up being preserved, or in the case of number 8305, at least not scrapped....yet!

Les

There are two different accounts I have read for SP&S #700:

Account #1: Portland, OR, had been interested in acquiring an SP&S Challenger for display in Oaks Park, however, by the time the city made a formal request, all the engines, both Classes Z-6 and Z-8, had been sold to the scrapper. Instead, the remaining Class E-1 Northern, #700, was given to the city.

Account #2: When UP donated OR&N #197 to Portland, OR, for display in Oaks Park, SP&S decided to also donate an engine to the city. The line's modern steam power, both the Challengers and Northerns, had been placed in the scrap line. (The engine at the front of the scrap line), and therefore available to easily move for donation, was Class E-1 Northern #700.

*The Pacific RR Preservation Association (#700 caretakers) website does not list the part about the #700 being at the head of the scrap line, but I recall reading this in another version of that account.

I read somewhere that PM 1225 was in a line of locos to be scrapped, and the gentlemen selecting one saw the number 1225 and picked it because it was a "Christmas Locomotive" (12/25). I don't know if this was also why it was picked for the basis of the locomotive in the movie "Polar Express" but it IS appropriate!
SP Mogul 1727 on display in Dunsmuir, CA was selected because was small enough to fit the display area--originally SP had offered a much larger engine, reportedly one of the "Dunsmuir Mallets" (2-10-2). This from notes from the City Council minutes and oral interviews in the early 1970s of the involved people.

Not a steam locomotive, but the former DL&W GP7 currently owned by the DL was set to be scrapped before being set aside by the scrapper in order to have the frame numbers cut out as a memento, sat for awhile as new things took priority, then became the switcher for the scrapper. The full story is on another thread on here.

Certainly N&W 1218 would fall in that category.

This isn't really on the "scrapper" topic, but it's an interesting story that is similar vein and I figured you may want to hear it.

There's a former Family Lines System caboose that was on display here locally for many years and it was bought by a junk yard. I was somewhat worried about it being cut up for its scrap value, but the woman who runs this scrap yard put it behind her weigh scales and uses it as the scale house. The scale readout is mounted to the end of the caboose. It's a fairly unique re-purposing. I'll have to see if I can get some photos and run the numbers to see if there's photos of it in service and check the history. The numbers and everything are intact and original as far as I know, may have been restored before originally displayed but it also could be the last paint she wore in service. The scrap yard didn't do any repainting though, just mounted and modified it for scrap weigh scale use.

Two of our SD40s, WM 7445 (ex-CSX 4618) and WM 7496 (ex-CSX 4621) were acquired from CSX at auctions for locomotives intended for scrapping. Since every locomotive in those two auctions was scrapped, I guess it is safe to say if we had not purchased them, they would certainly have met the same fate.

WM 7445 was the first new locomotive delivered in the red-white-black paint scheme.
WM 7496 was the last new locomotive delivered in the black speedletter scheme.

What a coincidence.

I agree, I read somewhere that 1218 and 2 other class A's were used as stationary boilers in Charleston, WV and the other 2 A's were scrapped in place, but 1218 was saved by Nelson Blount, then transferred to VMT by the N&W and the rest is history.

Baldwin 26 was literally hours away from being cut up when Jerry Jacobson purchased her from Jackson Steel (according to him the scrapper hired to cut her up already had his equipment in the enginehouse).

I have also read that New York Central L-2d 4-8-2 2933 was "overlooked" during the time the NYC was cutting up their steam locomotives and was "hidden" from management in Selkirk roundhouse and wasn't discovered until 1962.

Two ALCO "S" class Diesel switchers had been used by Staten Island Rapid Transit and summarily retired. Car floats were no longer in service, but some very inventive, forward looking, and dedicated people managed to save them both, getting them off S.I. into preservation hands.