Effort To Save WM S2 144, Currently in Canada

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Jun 03, 2023 11:43 pm

https://www.facebook.com/wmk3014/posts/ ... Ba3ptp4zUl

Quote:

The WMRHF, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, is seeking donations to help fund the relocation efforts of the last remaining Western Maryland ALCO S2. Built in 1946, the WM Ry. 144 is presently in Capreol, ON, Canada on a siding that is to be torn up in the coming weeks.
The WMRHF is partnering with a local railroad museum in Capreol to temporarily locate the locomotive on their premises to allow time for the 144 to prepare for movement by rail over the Canadian National and finally over CSX to its future permanent home in the United States. Our long term plan is to repatriate this locomotive and return it to serviceable condition along with our Western Maryland ACF Kitchen Car K-3014.
We have already engaged a heavy hauler (JTS) in the vicinity of the locomotive and are working diligently with them and their crane service provider to save this historic locomotive.
Won't you consider making a donation today? Our goal is to raise $20,000 to move this effort along. We have already fully funded and satisfied the storage lien owed by the previous owner of the 144. Any help is appreciated! Please like, share and follow us for progress with our projects.

I'm not affiliated with this new and unknown group, but thought to at least pass the word. The Facebook profile notes of the group: "Dedicated to the ACF-built Western Maryland Ry. Kitchen Car #K-3014 and WM ALCO S2 #144."

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2611

Owned by Georges Creek Ry. at one time apparently. Looks like they are getting it in exchange for back storage fees and the cost of moving it, hopefully CN and CSX will accept the plain bearings.

tdmidget · **Joined:** Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:38 pm **Posts:** 52

Fat chance. How many employees today know what plain bearings are?

EDM · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2023 7:59 am

The employes know that plain bearings are 'different', and that is reason enough to say no to movement.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2611

tdmidget wrote:

Fat chance. How many employees today know what plain bearings are?

EDM wrote:

The employes know that plain bearings are 'different', and that is reason enough to say no to movement.

That is what I thought too, not even considering if it has self-centering couplers. Perhaps the "preparing" that they mention will rectify those things, but the cost might be less if they either load it on a flat car or just use a semi-truck the entire way.

QJdriver · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2023 4:41 pm

Better than 30 years ago, BN wouldn't touch anything without roller bearings. Rather than wasting the money and effort on getting an S-2 ready for a track speed move on a Class I, I agree that it's a lot smarter to make arrangements for the entire move, using the heavy hauler that has been hired to extract the locomotive from it's present location.

DON'T LOAD IT ON A FLATCAR !!! I wanted to ship a small steam engine that way 30 years ago, and my bosses at BN all told me that was a very, very bad idea. I ended up hiring an oil field winch truck with lowboy, and following the trip in my truck. It all went fine.

jayrod · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2023 8:47 pm

Yep. The Class 1s won’t touch it with bronze bearings. Alignment control will also be an issue, too. S2s were limited to 60 mph and I’d be leery going anywhere close to that fast and bird caging the motors. I don’t think I’d consider a flat car - you’d need to watch it like a hawk the whole way. Truck it with someone that knows what they’re doing whether on or off it’s trucks. It’ll arrive in one piece with less damage.

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2023 8:56 pm

jayrod wrote:

Yep. The Class 1s won’t touch it with bronze bearings. Alignment control will also be an issue, too. S2s were limited to 60 mph and I’d be leery going anywhere close to that fast and bird caging the motors. I don’t think I’d consider a flat car - you’d need to watch it like a hawk the whole way. Truck it with someone that knows what they’re doing whether on or off it’s trucks. It’ll arrive in one piece with less damage.

There's a Monon switcher that might want to say a word.

jayrod · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2023 9:18 pm

Ed Kapuscinski wrote:

There's a Monon switcher that might want to say a word.

Yeah, I was thinking of that while writing my comment knowing that escapade was probably gonna come up. Thankfully, mistakes like that, especially as serious as it’s “decapitation”, are rare. It does matter who you hire, though.

QJdriver · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2023 9:45 pm

There's at least two problems with shipping on a flatcar: 1) The crackheads will strip it for copper if it gets parked in the shadows. 2) The potential for damage is endless if Larry, Moe, and Curly Joe get to handle it.

If you don't have a thoroughly vetted trucker, shoot me a PM and I can suggest a couple.

And, ACCOMPANY YOUR SHIPMENT PERSONALLY. When I've moved steam locomotives, I've had to chase parts that fell off, and re-rig chains and boomers, etc that the driver couldn't see while en route. It's also a good idea to guard it while the driver sleeps. Some truck stops are the kind of places where they'll steal your spare tire in the middle of the night, then try to sell it back to you in the morning. An ounce of prevention....

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Wed Jun 07, 2023 6:13 pm

Another problem with a flatcar move. Saw this one a number of years (decades) ago when the UP donated the Baldwin-Westinghouse freight motor from Yakima to the then Orange Empire (now Southern California) Ry Museum.

Some of the tie-downs were made to the truck safety chains and not to a body member. It arrived with some of the safety chains broken and at other locations the hooks for the safety chains were broken.

Undoubtedly caused by not have someone to inspect/supervise the loading operation, etc. Don't expect the railroad employees to care, etc.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2611

Here's the same information as the OP but with a photo included: https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... ion-of-s2/ Curious where the photo was taken, and what the car behind it is, looks like one of those St. Louis Car Co. hospital cars made into a generator car.

Howard P. · **Posted:** Wed Jun 07, 2023 6:53 pm

That's a CPR "curved side" lightweight baggage car behind the loco.

Howard P.

dieselloco · **Joined:** Thu Oct 03, 2019 2:31 pm **Posts:** 71

After seeing the picture all I can say is good luck! Even if you could swap the trucks for roller bearing trucks the effort is really not worth it. Alignment control couplers, functioning air brakes, good wheels, plus usually locos in industrial applications are beat to hell! Get a flat car and maybe a gondola for the trucks. Plain bearings have been outlawed from interchange for 30 years. You can run just about anything on your own railroad. The Wheeling and Lake Erie used plain bearing cars for many years after being outlawed. You just can't interchange them. Just have everything ready and you only need cranes for several hours on each end of the trip.

Luther Brefo · **Joined:** Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:40 pm **Posts:** 51

PMC wrote:

Owned by Georges Creek Ry. at one time apparently. Looks like they are getting it in exchange for back storage fees and the cost of moving it, hopefully CN and CSX will accept the plain bearings.

It was owned by one of the principals of GCK. We have already satisfied the storage lien after raising those funds privately. The locomotive now belongs wholly to the Western Maryland Rail Heritage Foundation, a WV not for profit registered with the state and federal governments. I'm a volunteer and Board member

Effort To Save WM S2 144, Currently in Canada

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