R J Corman Engine House, Guthrie, Kentucky destroyed by Fire

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

this came thru the Rail Chicago Yahoo

Quote:

The R.J. Corman Railroad enginehouse in Guthrie near the Kentucky-Tennessee state line was destroyed by fire Sunday. Workers who were inside the building cleaning reported the blaze about 7 p.m. Sunday. They tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but the fire grew too fast.

Up to two locomotives may have been inside the building at the time.

Media outlets report five fire departments responded with nearly 75 firefighters, three from Todd County, and two from nearby Tennessee departments. No injuries are reported.
The fire caused several small explosions and led to the brief evacuation of about six homes.

Officials evacuated the homes after learning other hazardous materials such as diesel fuel and paint thinner was also stored in the building.

Todd County Emergency Manager Tim Pulley says officials believe barrels of paint caused the explosions.

The fire was under control by 9:30 p.m. The Kentucky Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause.

I'm trying to find more info on what engines were inside.

-edit-

apparently 3 engines went in for repainting in the paint house and the fire started in the painting area.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/csx ... ?reverse=1

The "guessing" around what engines were...GP38-3 3814 and GP38 7697, the third not known

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:31 am

and this has exactly what to do with preservation?

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

Apparently they've modded some GP-9's

good enough for you?

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

we might be focused on museums, etc on preservation but the other groups out there, the businessmen that find abandoned or near abandoned lines find new life for those lines and find a thriving business.

R. J. Corman also has a Chinese QJ steamer used on occasion.

http://www.american-rails.com/rj-corman.html

John D · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:28 pm **Posts:** 484

Until more is known, this topic could well have preservation overtones-the QJ, and the two preserved ex-Southern FP-7s would seem relevant, for starters.

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 3:36 pm

John D wrote:

Until more is known, this topic could well have preservation overtones-the QJ, and the two preserved ex-Southern FP-7s would seem relevant, for starters.

The two FP7s are still in Bardstown, which is at least 90 miles from Guthrie, and the QJ is in Lexington, which is probably over 160 miles from Guthrie.

Matt Bumgarner · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:33 pm

Thanks for the heads-up on the fire.

I think your post has *EVERYTHING* to do with preservation and is completely relevant to this board.

Matt

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:40 pm

True. Any organization could be visited by permanent deaccession by fire. Old Pueblo Trolley lost several vehicles to a brush fire and there's the NCTM fire to remember as well. Loss by fire is (largely) preventable.

Lincoln Penn · **Joined:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:40 pm **Posts:** 841

3 common, everyday EMD freight locomotives burned up.

Absolutely nothing to do with preservation.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:56 pm

When the source of the ignition for the fire is know, that should be shared. Because such matters are valuable knowledge to all shops whether commercial or museum restoration. No one wants to have an incident like this happen to their shop.

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

something similar happened to Hesston when their storage barn burned, they lost some irreplaceble passenger cars. The Shay was inside as well, however the shay has been restored and running. The cause apparently was some welding equipment next to the hot locomotive before storing.

3 common everyday Geep engines... say that back when they made a film of 2 steam engines crashing into each other "They were going to be scrapped anyway..."

now see how hard it is to find steam...

Today we are finding Diesels heading to museums...

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

dinwitty wrote:

something similar happened to Hesston when their storage barn burned, they lost some irreplaceble passenger cars. The Shay was inside as well, however the shay has been restored and running. The cause apparently was some welding equipment next to the hot locomotive before storing.

3 common everyday Geep engines... say that back when they made a film of 2 steam engines crashing into each other "They were going to be scrapped anyway..."

now see how hard it is to find steam...

Today we are finding Diesels heading to museums...

If the road numbers are right, an MKT and a PC GP were lost.

I have no problem with this thread as it a) pertains to a railroad with classic locomotives and the initial reports did not contain positive ID on all the locos that were in the barn and b) any loss of 40 year old locomotives is worthy of note to many of us. In the strip-to-the-frame rebuild era, Geeps are quite an endangered species.

Rob

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:32 pm

Bottom line is that flammable materials should be stored in a proper facility (preferably a separate building when possible) and that only the quantity of materials immediately needed should be stored in the building. Sounds like that may have been a contributing factor in this fire.

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 490

Maybe THIS instance of shop fire does not have to do with preservation, but.......

Maybe ANY instance of shop fire reminds of the dangers of same:

Lincoln Penn · **Joined:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:40 pm **Posts:** 841

[quote=If the road numbers are right, an MKT and a PC GP were lost.

I have no problem with this thread as it a) pertains to a railroad with classic locomotives and the initial reports did not contain positive ID on all the locos that were in the barn and b) any loss of 40 year old locomotives is worthy of note to many of us. In the strip-to-the-frame rebuild era, Geeps are quite an endangered species.

Rob[/quote]

OK, let's just say that a GP16 and two GP38-whatevers became unavailable for preservation. Or became possible preservation projects for future generations with plenty of time and money.

Sorry. I just can't seem to be able to equate this with the Cass fire or the D&SNG fire or the B&O museum roof collaspe.

Mark IS right about it being a reminder of what could happen to almost any railroad
or museum at any time.