643 for sale on eBay?

misterwandle · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:08 am **Posts:** 58

As most of you know, Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio, has acquired former Bessemer & Lake Erie 2-10-4 #643, and is involved with disassembling the locomotive and tender for their upcoming movements from the current location in McKees, Rocks, Pa., to our roundhouse.

We shall document these moves with still and video cameras to produce a visual documentary and written history of #643, and are asking people to share any information, recollections, personal stories and photos, etc., of this giant loco from those folks who have had any sort of contact with it. The stories about #643 are fascinating, confusing and not always accurate, so we want to sort through the rumors and fanciful speculation to present the facts as best as we can. Can you help us preserve and present the truth?

If you would care to share your knowledge, experiences and images of #643, please contact me via e-mail at: johncorns@frontier.com . Please do not post your replies to RYPN or any other forum or social media platform, but, instead, contact me directly with your e-mails.

Finally, we ask that you please do not contact AoSRM for information about the schedules of when #643’s component parts will be loaded and moved. Because of the complicated disassembly and loading process, most times we will not know ourselves until shortly before a move is to take place. Our #1 job is to load and move #643 to its new home, and our people do not have time to reply to individual inquiries. If possible, movements will be announced on our website: http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.org .

Thank you very much, and have a safe day.

John B. Corns
Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum

WVNorthern · **Posted:** Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:32 am

I just received an email from the AOS Roundhouse. The disassembly of 643 has begun and some parts have already arrived in Sugarcreek. The link to the latest Roundhouse Report is below:

http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.org/bes ... -update-2/

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

For those who don't click the link, here is a relevant message in the Report:

Quote:

"So that we may assemble a more complete and accurate record about “The King,” we ask that anyone who has worked with #643 during the past 30 years to share their remembrances, stories and photos of their experiences by contacting AoSRM through our website: http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.org"

nickbnwd · **Posted:** Sat Oct 12, 2019 10:41 am

Disassembly of the locomotive is progressing and a stop by McKees Rocks yesterday afternoon showed that both the canteen and tender loaded on highway trailers. I was told that a crane had been used to load those but it is no longer on site, so apparently a different, larger crane would be needed for the locomotive and none was on site.

Nick

Chris Webster · **Joined:** Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am **Posts:** 1027

An October 20, 2019 photograph by Timothy E. Pavlic II: Railpictures #714065

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 610

All things considered “The King” as JJJ called it looks to be in pretty good shape. I hope the eventual cosmetic restoration turns out well because it certainly doesn’t look like it needs too much to be spruced up.

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1073

643 is definitely in good hands now, and it's survival is assured. Damn shame it couldn't happen while JJ was alive to see it happen.

nickbnwd · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2019 9:49 am

The site still looks much like the 10/20 photo. That same crane was in the same spot on Thursday 10/24. A flatbed of misc. parts was being loaded that day.

nickbnwd · **Posted:** Fri Nov 22, 2019 3:59 pm

Just to update the status... after being away for almost two weeks, I returned to McKees Rocks yesterday. The switcher is gone (another observer said he saw the prime mover removed, but likewise had been gone and didn't see the disposition of the rest of the unit.
Two sets of jacks were in place Wednesday and late in the day the boiler was raised and frame pulled back out of the way. At EOD yesterday, the boiler had been shifted over off the track.

WVNorthern · **Posted:** Fri Nov 22, 2019 6:35 pm

The AOS Roundhouse posted a photo on their Facebook page showing the boiler and cab hoisted in the air to obtain an exact weight. Things are moving right along.
https://www.facebook.com/ageofsteamroundhouse/

gcrr · **Posted:** Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:40 pm

the Alco kid wrote:

BigBoy 4023 wrote:

Anyone in the know happen to be able to confirm the Big Emma tender is safe or in danger of being scrapped?

The Aux tender has been sold but I was asked not to release it..

Dredging up an old topic. Was it ever publicly announced where the Aux tender went? There's a photo of it earlier in this topic loaded on a truck.

What is the provenance of this tender? Some people in this thread say it is an ex-N&W canteen. Most resources say it is an ex-L&N Big Emma tender. Assuming it's a Big Emma tender, did Glenn Campbell do the conversion or did he obtain it from an old excursion operator?

Daylight25 · **Joined:** Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:00 pm **Posts:** 168

The aux water tender went to the FWRHS at an unknown date

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 2945

A recent reply brought this thread back to life. My comment was the first reply. Took a few years, but my predictions were pretty much spot on…

Bobharbison wrote:

Buy it now price of $575K or make offer.

Of course the loco could be free and you’re still going to need some serious cash to get it out of the current location. I suppose CSX could make a temp connection to load it on a flatcar, IF you throw massive money at it. Maybe ship it to a nearby steel mill museum for now? That’s assuming Sugar Creek doesn’t stick with their “collect ‘em all!” approach.

643 for sale on eBay?

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