http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=18082

The unit for sale at the listing above is clearly (or was at one time) an S1 or S2.... I can't tell without the right stack.

They've obviously mistake the "model" for the model of GE traction motors it has. But it looks surprisingly good for something that has been butchered at some point.

I checked on it after seeing that also...it does have roller bearing trucks though. I have a pic of one of the trucks. They are asking $50k, but can't even verify what it's powered by. They "think" it's a cat. At a remote quarry in SW Virginia.

Shape of the radiators implies S2 (or S4; sometimes the trucks were swapped around)

The front windows also appear to be the (slightly) older style of an S2.

JR

This looks like one of a number of ex-SCL and ACL Alcos rebuilt somewhere in Georgia or the Carolinas as "car movers" about 35 years ago. They had small diesel engines (Cat?) and generators installed, along with a slab of concrete for ballast and went to power plants, coal mines and the like. I note this one's horsepower is listed at 325. Would this make it an S-1/2?

So, anybody have a spare 539?

The ad says New York, it looks like it is hauling wood chips so I would guess upper NY.

Catskill Mountain RR had a spare 539 block that they were going to use on their original (i.e., pre-Soo absorption) Wisconsin Central RS1 that suffered freeze damage, but I think it and the RS1 were probably scrapped a few years back when their home city was trying to evict them, no one from them will say what happened to it.

You guys are good!

50k Doesn't sound terrible if you want a parts source. The trucks w/ traction motors alone should be worth about 1/2 of that right?

Click on the attachment in the ad: it's a conversion to 'Auto-Haul' 335hp with "Telemotive Radio" for the Clinchfield Coal Company; GE requisition 89865.

Be interesting to have someone scan the rest of that document or one like it and post it here.

There are inconsistencies in the Ad. Sterling Rail didn't even know where it was when I inquired. As I stated earlier, it is in a remote part of SW Virginia at a quarry. 2 months later, the ad isn't corrected.

I have a 539 that is complete with a main generator, but that was hacked up by vandals.

The CMRR painted the old ex-Soo RS1 so it looks presentable and still have it, and also still have the 539 block but it is just a bare block with no crank, heads, liners, etc.

Trucks cost around $20k to convert to RB. If you could buy this for around $20k and scrap the rest it may be worth it. There's a complete, running S2 on OMR for $22k and nobody seems to want that

I came across this photo two years ago on the website of Mountain Forest Products, 1031 Chip Mill Road, Clintwood, VA 24228. A quick check now doesn't show the photo still being there. In the original photo you could read Mountain Forest Products on the side of the locomotive. In the Sterling Rail ad, this has been airbrushed out. Keep in mind that Sterling Rail sometimes uses a photo for representative purposes and the locomotive in the photo isn't necessarily the one actually for sale.

If this is indeed the unit rebuilt for the Clinchfield Coal Company, it probably has much more historical value than an ordinary Alco switcher. I do not know if any other versions of the General Electric/Cleveland Transportation Services "Auto-Haul" units have been preserved, and I wonder specifically if VMT would take an interest in this one since it may have significant Virginia history 'as converted' (as well as potential use as a very economical shop switcher!)

There are at least a couple of brochures on the Auto-Haul system: 'The Solution for Special Industrial Haulage' (GEA 11465, 6/84) and 'Switching Locomotives' (GEA 11446, 4/85)

For those that are still interested, I personally visited the switcher a couple days ago. It's located in a remote part of Dickenson County, in Southwest Virginia. It was originally an ALCO S2/S4 (not sure), and it was acquired by Clinchfield Railroad in 1977 after being rebuilt by GE. The switcher is still there. Supposedly, it'll start, according to Sterling Rail. I noticed there were new cans of starter fluid and new filters laying around. It's in pretty descent shape to have set abandoned for 17(ish) years. I'm not sure if I've done the image src right, but here is a photo I uploaded to imgur. https://imgur.com/a/Jttt4

I have some 4k video that I'll be uploading in the next day or so, I'll post a link for you to see it, if you want.

I may want to add, the current price is $40k. I'm not in the market to buy one, but I was curious about the price, so I asked. Figured I'd pass that along. Also, here is a link to google maps which shows the exact location:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Red+Onion+State+Prison/@37.11535,-82.5289081,83m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x884535b3bc363fcb:0x1e74f1c1ae020e64!8m2!3d37.1112169!4d-82.5485095

I'm certain the up-to-date-and-onsite photo and information is appreciated by anyone looking for a one time Alco S2.

Reactivating this thread, CSX has filed to abandon the 13.65-mile line leading to where this locomotive is located. Looking at the site in Google Earth, the locomotive is still there.

Here's the filing:

https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 300567.pdf