During massive reconstruction of the Sara Long Bridge, B&M 3666, a Pacific which fell into the river with loss of life, has become a topic of major interest. There are some interesting Youtube videos of the locomotive available. This image was just posted to NHDOT's Facebook site. Why the pony truck was recovered is a bit of a mystery. Whether more will come up is likewise, a mystery at this time. No word as to where this piece of locomotive will end up.

It needs a little paint......

A quick search lead to this video, which reveals a surprisingly intact (if crusty) No. 3666, laying on her left side. Of note is that the pilot truck is missing, and had been for some time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNb8FvbdfDE

The bridge being replaced is of interest as well.

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

That underwater video was pretty neat. I bet if this was in England they would already be pre selling tickets for her 2020 return to steam!

WD40 can do lots, but I think re-steaming 3666 is a bit of a leap of faith! It is surprising how much wreck is recognizable, albeit encrusted with anemones, barnacles, and crusts of iron oxide. I can guarantee you, she'd only be a roadside attraction for a little less than a year, before the stink and oxidation would render her into flakes of objectionable orange junk. There does appear to be significant brass and bronze on the parts. I'm told everything recognized as from a steam locomotive is long gone. As much as I'd love to examine the wreck myself, I pretty certain she serves a better historical purpose as is, where is.

With enough money anything can be made to run again. A case in point is the New Zealand Railways K class locomotives that were dumped in rivers as rip rap and have since been retrieved and made to run again.
http://www.whitebusfamily.co.nz/first_restoration.htm

Keith

Probably the most important question with regards to raising the wreck:

Is this a saltwater estuary, or just freshwater? If the former, it would be prohibitively expensive to stabilize the object to neutralize the salt (see the preservation of the Monitor ironclad http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/restoring-the-turret-of-the-uss-monitor.html ). If the wreck is freshwater, it depends on the water temperature and other factors--it might be in better condition than one might think.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Saltwater estuary, unfortunately.

A conservation assessment of the pony truck may provide answers on the effects of the salt concentrations in the estuary. Of course what is one thing for the heavy steel of the truck wheels/axle and parts, may translate differently for the steel plate of a boiler. It would be interesting research however.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Once MEC #470 and B&M #3713 are done, maybe the preservation world will be be ready for a #3666 effort! ;-)

It looks like CIANBRO has everything necessary to raise the 3666 already on site. Pick it up and set it on the riverbank "as-is"! What an attraction that would be! ( Preservation efforts to be organized later.) Lift it and they will come!

For those not familiar with the area, here is the approximate location:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sarah+Mildred+Long+Bridge/@43.0864811,-70.7625251,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89e2bf065728732f:0x8ceb1e9350bd4517!8m2!3d43.0864772!4d-70.7603311

-Philip Marshall

This is not particularly deep water, but a few notes bear scrutiny. It's just up river from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard; the Sara Long Bridge is still under construction; tidal currents are fast and change swiftly in this region of the Gulf of Maine.
I think bringing it up, just to see it on land would be less good a choice than just leaving it where it lays for now.

The question I have relates to whether or not the locomotive is in the way of where the new bridge piers will go? Does it have to go away in order to make room for the new construction?

Keith

My understanding is, it has been moved already.