643 for sale on eBay?

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 11:32 am

hullmat991 wrote:

Charlie wrote:

There is another "official" B&LE 643 facebook page besides the one I posted earlier:

https://www.facebook.com/BLE643/

This one claims that Mr. Campbell has been contacted and that the auction is a joke. Yet the listing remains on Ebay. I'm curious as to why the diesel and water tender weren't listed as well.

Please note that this page is run by a Mr Shaner who has a reputation of not being the most trustworthy of folks.

Going along with Mr. Shaner not being trustworthy there is this:
(Is the Steel City Chapter of the R&LHS legitimate?)

Attachment:

ble45.JPG [ 27.21 KiB | Viewed 108752 times ]

Further looking at his page, it also appears he wanted to purchase KCS #503 (Port Arthur) for his "museum."
Clearly this is not a credible source.

Randy Gustafson · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 11:53 am

This is just confusing to be kind.

There's two or three facebook pages on the 643, and the Steel City NRHS which has a facebook page and is saying the ad is a joke but nobody seems to be laughing. The "Northern PA Railroad Museum" doesn't exist, but there was an attempt to start the "Western PA Railroad and Transportation Museum" in McKeesport about a year ago. The site is still listed as a potential museum site by a nonprofit, but not by that name.
http://mckroundhouse.org/ The Steel City NRHS chapter also seems like they think they have a controlling interest here.

Keep the information and facts coming.

I'd love to be there if somebody actually 'buys it' (note the deposit requirements) and attempts to prove they now own it - bought it on Ebay....here's my winner email.

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 12:27 pm

To clarify:

This is the actual Steel City Chapter Facebook page - which looks to be legitimate. No comment yet on the 643 EBay auction: https://www.facebook.com/steelcityrlhs/

This is the Len Shaner-run 643 Facebook page - full of personal vendettas, typical grammatical errors, not to be taken seriously in any manner: https://www.facebook.com/BLE643/

There's an additional 643 Facebook page, entitled "Page for the B&LE #643", which appears to be a "fan page" of sorts, and aside from one post in 2015, hasn't been updated since 2010: https://www.facebook.com/Page-for-the-B ... 968928292/

Trainkid456 · **Joined:** Thu May 05, 2016 6:30 pm **Posts:** 240

Does anyone know if the smaller things like the headlight and bell, etc. are present? If the worst case scenario occurs and the 643 is scrapped, maybe some pieces of it could be saved for a museum or reuse on another locomotive.

Thomas

cood101 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:18 am **Posts:** 198

It has been confirmed through the AOS-Unofficial Facebook Page, the Ahead of the Torch Facebook Page, and through other parties who have been in direct contact with Mr. Campbell or trusted associates.

The B&LE 643 is for sale, the land it is on is sold, and it needs to be off the property by or about July 1st. Any other information put out is outdated or intentionally put to mislead.

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1083

Then Mr Campbell needs to contact AOS and tell them a realistic price so the locomotive can be saved. I can't think of another group that could pull this off, and distance is in their favor.

WVNorthern · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 3:53 pm

If this gizmo used in Nashville for moving a locomotive could be obtained, it would eliminate trying to reconnect the tracks for movement to a "friendly" siding.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/684031/

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 4:02 pm

WVNorthern wrote:

If this gizmo used in Nashville for moving a locomotive could be obtained, it would eliminate trying to reconnect the tracks for movement to a "friendly" siding.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/684031/

But that was only used for a slow, short move across town - probably not practical for a long haul to AOS.

WVNorthern · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 4:14 pm

bigjim4life wrote:

WVNorthern wrote:

If this gizmo used in Nashville for moving a locomotive could be obtained, it would eliminate trying to reconnect the tracks for movement to a "friendly" siding.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/684031/

But that was only used for a slow, short move across town - probably not practical for a long haul to AOS.

I wasn't thinking of a cross-country move with it. Just a quick way to get it off the property to a friendly temporary haven until lowboy or railcar transportation could be arranged.

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 4:38 pm

Randy Gustafson wrote:

This is just confusing to be kind.

There's two or three facebook pages on the 643, and the Steel City NRHS which has a facebook page and is saying the ad is a joke but nobody seems to be laughing. The "Northern PA Railroad Museum" doesn't exist, but there was an attempt to start the "Western PA Railroad and Transportation Museum" in McKeesport about a year ago. The site is still listed as a potential museum site by a nonprofit, but not by that name.
http://mckroundhouse.org/ The Steel City NRHS chapter also seems like they think they have a controlling interest here.

I agree, this is all very confusing.

Important to note that the Steel City group is NOT a member of the NRHS!
But rather a chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society (RHLS). An organzation that claims to be "The Oldest Railroad History Organization in North America." Never heard of it.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2876

Randy Gustafson wrote:

There was an outstanding article in the R&LHS magazine several years ago about the counterbalancing problems and dynamic augment of low-drivered 2-10-4's like the CB&Q class, and the very similar B&LE series that was done without lightweight rods due to WWII alloy restrictions. "Counterbalancing 10-coupled power" or something, that relates driver size to rpm's and singled out certain designs.

Anyone seriously interested in this locomotive for anything else than museum display needs to do their homework on this class. There's good reason why B&LE had to really, really upgrade their line to handle these.

Is there a practical way to remedy the balancing problems you mention, such as new main rods (how much would that cost?). It is hard enough to get the freight railroads to agree to run steam and I can't imagine any of them allowing 643 on their line if it will hammer the track.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 6:29 pm

First, here's a link to the R&LHS and the Steel City Chapter. Incidentally, the R&LHS Southern California Chapter traded Big Boy 4014 to the UP.

R&LHS Steel City Chapter: http://rlhs.org/Chapters/SteelCity.shtml

As to 2-10-4's with 63 inch drivers, I read T&P's engines were equally limited in speed until they got Boxpok center drivers with cross-counterbalancing and what looks like tapered main rods. I'm not sure B&LE was interested in speed given their operation moving mostly minerals (ore and coal).

Phil Mulligan

Charlie · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 8:22 pm

deleted with apologies.

Mark Locke · **Joined:** Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:41 pm **Posts:** 53

Charlie wrote:

This just in from the Bessemer & Lake Erie 643 Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/BessemerLakeEr ... =1&theater

Whatever was posted was almost immediately pulled.down

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2019 9:59 pm

In addition, that post did not communicate any information. I do not subscribe to that format, nor wish to. It was established that there are three or four sites on that media forum, and the poster did not identify which of them they were referencing.

If anyone wishes to provide a link here, to any site, please provide at least a basic synopsis of the content so one is not obliged to try to figure out what is the meaning. This is a real pet peeve of mine, and I think others as well.
Thank you.