From the "Google eye in the sky", it seems that there is a siding in the opposite direction that stubs out short of a property line. Why can't this simply be extended and then you have to do some "panel track" shuffling to get the equipment moved on its own wheels.

The trackage seems to lead to many possibilities for an agreement.

Of course....you may have an unfriendly neighbor.

Google eye in the sky does not do well with the vertical world so I have no clue if this is possible. But I have designed a number of rail facilities when I worked at Conrail based on photos... so it looks good from that first blush.

M Secco, way to assume everyone posting here is an uninformed rank amateur with no knowledge of how railroads work.

I tried explaining this quite a few pages back, but the switch that got removed that used to service this siding was in the now truncated siding, not the main track. The siding that stubs out just ahead of the cantilevered signal used to go on much further south and is the track that used to tie into this siding. The reason the switch got yanked was because this siding hadn't shipped any freight in many, many years and is why Glenn was able to secure it as a home for 643, canteen and Alco switcher.

To install a No.10 or larger turnout in a signaled mainline is going to start at roughly $250K if not more, and for a one time move? Now, if the new mystery land buyer is footing the bill to get rail service, then that's an entirely different twist to consider. However, don't bet against Glenn quite yet. While he could have done a lot of things differently in the last 20 years from our perfect perspective with the benefit of hindsight, he has always managed to get the 643 moved when he needed to.

Bob Harbison, I see that method being viable. Anything possible with the right equipment, men and materials. Sidebooms, too, could do the job. In the end, the party writing the check will have the final say so.

Can't wait to see what transpires in the next 40-60 days. Should be very interesting.

Rob Gardner

I would never assume that everyone posting here is a rank amateur. I might say that many folks who post will offer opinions without knowing the facts. There were very few parts of the RR that I did not get involved in, but this is not about my credentials... This is about how to get out of a sticky mess without losing a piece of history.

Thanks to the last post.... Now it makes sense why the "industrial track" was lifted. It was done to get heavy equipment access to lower adjacent the "in-service" tracks. So that means that property belongs to the RR. It is hard to tell without a Val-map. Any MOW work on the RR property will have to be done by agreement people.

So I wonder why everyone keeps talking about installing a switch on the in-service track and one does not know if it is signaled or not. Yes, signal work adds up very quickly.
I would assume that there is only 1 active main and the other tracks are for support and it may be that they are signaled like a controlled siding.

The obvious solution is to extend the truncated non-signal track. And it does NOT have to be re-laid on the same geometry. All that is needed is to get sufficient head-room for a track swing with the existing siding. And you saw it out and push it to some other spot. (Of course that means that you have permission.) There you can jack it up and put it onto a heavy duty flat. As I mentioned, the well known heavy lifting company has not been even contacted. I was lucky to hear their presentation while taking classes to renew my PE license.

To tie into a track that is in-service, even for a track swing requires a lot of permission. And since that track is depressed, it is probably a non-starter. That is why the extension of the stubbed-out the only remaining option. If the process has not started, then getting it done shortly is highly suspect.

The RR will be happy to

1) Bill for some flagmen.

2) Bill for some M-O-W … but that assumes that they have the available people.

3) Bill for a heavy duty flat car move.

The RR will not be happy to interrupt operations or to overrun budgets.

FWIW, I recently "Won" a pile of old Trains magazines at a raffle and randomly browsing found the March 1988 issue had a picture of the "First steam up in 36 years on December 20, 1987".

started following this page mainly due to my interest in the 643.. I moved to PGH about 15 years ago from north Jersey, and heard about her, and after a few years and forgetting the stories fo the engine in a building "Dahn in the Rawks" I spotted her. I had hunted about trying to find people involved with her, and possibly looked to volunteer, what I ended up finding was a cluster-F with only one person giving me any info, I am online friends with him to this day.. The amazing amount of bunk info and insane multiple FB pages really made me question what the hell was actually happening. So The other day (after closely follwing whatever info I could find) I drove down to see her sitting in her gated off yard, looking sad, and with the bushes grown up outside the fence... just wondering if there was any new information in regards to her move to new temporary housing... Or her sale.. (also the Little Alco S-1 and the canteen tender) Hope I am not adding anything to the misinformation that is out there.. (I also need to go check out the J&L locomotive ASAP, as I have a love for the odd and small engines out there...)
Thanks all for me asking.

Baron, Read the last 40/50 posts on this thread and you'll know all you need to know. If that doesn't fulfill your need to know nothing will.

IMHO-Ross Rowland

I did Ross, this was the first place I had found information about what was going on with the 643 currently. and that was when it popped up on ebay. I guess i just keep hoping to see some sort of new positive news, However I am expecting the worst.

I believe it was mentioned that the owner of this engine completely rebuilt the running gear, which I assume may be wheels, axles, bearings, frame details, brake rigging, trucks, rods, valve gear, pistons, valves, cylinders, etc. Is this true? If so, what would be the estimated cost for such work?

I believe Campbell was assisting the previous owner with these repairs, not paying the freight. That owner passed away and Glen either purchased or inherited the locomotive through his estate, maybe a combination of the two. The original purchase price has been mentioned, either here or elsewhere. The number $17,000 sticks in my mind but it may have been as high as 30k, whatever scrap value was at the time.

If 643 is restored to running order, I'd like to see an 80's style music video with Don Felder's "Heavy Metal" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02nAH_oAjeg and BL&E #643. I actually can't get the idea out of my mind and it's kinda driving me crazy! BTW, Heavy Metal was a good anime movie.

Robert

Well was all that work actually done? It seems to me that much work would have been an enormous investment. What is the actual condition of the locomotive? Approximately how much money has been invested in it since it was acquired from B&LE?

There was significant work done to the 643, but iirc, she was stored indoors in operable condition at her retirement. Same was true for the others. Which bring to mind the question, why would a railroad like B&LE, UP, AT&SF, store representative locomotives indoors as a protected heritage collection, then disown them, remove their shelters, and shove them aside thirty years after steam? Obviously, that isn't what was intended.

All,

643 has had only two owners; the B&LE and Glen Campbell.

Further, 643 was only I service all of 5 or 6 years before being retired. That was something new to me that I just learned this week.

Rob Gardner

I don’t believe that to be true, but I wasn’t there so I can’t say for certain. I know that I read that Glen was working with another individual (may have been Ernie Stein) and at that point Glen was not an owner or was not the primary owner. It sounded more like Glen was managing the repairs and his partner was footing the bill. The other gentleman passed away and Glen became the owner.

Correction; from what I can gather Glen originally bought the 643 for $17,000. The engine was then sold to Ernie Stein, who paid for the repair work that occurred at the Glenwood shops. Just as work was almost finished, Stein died and Glen was able to regain ownership. I believe this was at the same time that a deal was in the works to purchase her and move 643 to Steamtown but Glen won instead. If I am mistaken about any of this please correct me.