Copper Range Locomotive No. 29

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:03 pm

Latest news from Mid-Continent:
Discussions are in motion to bring Copper Range Locomotive No. 29, a 2-8-0, to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The Twenty-Nine once pulled the Copper Range combine No. 25 and coach No. 60, both at Mid-Continent.
The 440, a Union Pacific engine, would find a happier home in exchange for the 29.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

T.J. Gaffney · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:20 pm

Boyd-

This has been stored at some time at the E&LS has it not? Has it steamed since its Keewenaw Central days?

TJ

> Latest news from Mid-Continent:
> Discussions are in motion to bring Copper
> Range Locomotive No. 29, a 2-8-0, to the
> Mid-Continent Railway Museum from the Upper
> Peninsula of Michigan.
> The Twenty-Nine once pulled the Copper Range
> combine No. 25 and coach No. 60, both at
> Mid-Continent.
> The 440, a Union Pacific engine, would find
> a happier home in exchange for the 29.

> Boyd

Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

Jeff Frost · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:28 pm

She is stored behind the old smelter in Ripley. I am a student at Michigan Tech (in Stuttgart, Germany this year) and she is rotting in Ripley, not having steamed since working on the Keewenaw Central. The front bumper was wood, and is basicly totally rotted, the smokebox door is caved in on the bottom (I think from an accident when she was plowing snow), the front top part of the stack is rusted out, and the boiler jacket and lagging are still on. Somebody painted a heart and two peoples intinals and it is dated from 1981.
I believe that Clint Jones owns her right now, and I was told that any parts that you do not see on the engine (also for the old #175 there) are stored in a building.
It would be nice for her to be restored, instead of just rotting there.
> Boyd-

> This has been stored at some time at the
> E&LS has it not? Has it steamed since
> its Keewenaw Central days?

> TJ

jsfrost@mtu.edu

T.J. Gaffney · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:41 pm

Tag und Wie Gehts Jeff!?

Danke fur deine "update." Here in Port Huron, Michigan, things are pretty snowy at the moment: more so in the land of the Yoopers I'm sure.

TJ "Ich spreche ein bischen Deutsch" Gaffney

> She is stored behind the old smelter in
> Ripley. I am a student at Michigan Tech (in
> Stuttgart, Germany this year) and she is
> rotting in Ripley, not having steamed since
> working on the Keewenaw Central. The front
> bumper was wood, and is basicly totally
> rotted, the smokebox door is caved in on the
> bottom (I think from an accident when she
> was plowing snow), the front top part of the
> stack is rusted out, and the boiler jacket
> and lagging are still on. Somebody painted a
> heart and two peoples intinals and it is
> dated from 1981.
> I believe that Clint Jones owns her right
> now, and I was told that any parts that you
> do not see on the engine (also for the old
> #175 there) are stored in a building.
> It would be nice for her to be restored,
> instead of just rotting there.

Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:07 pm

Okay, so what "happier home" would UP 440 find? I doubt that replacing a different steamer on a dead track rusting away would be "happier"--at best maintaining the status quo (no slight to MCRM). So what's the proposal?

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:50 pm

Unfortunately, I learned a long time ago that any of Clint Jones' plans for any of his equipment is a well guarded secret. So, we may not find out what the "happier home" for the 440 is for a long time...
BTW, my original post was Mid-Continent's official statement on the subject (as forwarded to me by another MC member), so I don't believe MC is at liberty to discuss Clint's plans either.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

dave · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:58 pm

It has been many years since I was up that way - is Mid Continent where there is a Lima 2-6-0 kit? If so, what about that little thing?

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:15 pm

I believe you are referring to Louisiana Cypress #2. Her current condition is pictured below:

Boyd

Louisiana Cypress #2

bowens@rypn.org

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:50 pm

Attached is a link to info about the 29. It hasn't steamed since it's Keweenaw Central days.

Boyd

Copper Range 29
bowens@rypn.org

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 7:54 pm

#29 in better times:

bowens@rypn.org

dave · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:20 pm

> I believe you are referring to Louisiana
> Cypress #2. Her current condition is
> pictured below:

> Boyd

Yes,just as I recall from those many years back. How long has she been in that condition, and what are the plans for her?

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Mike Nix · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:53 pm

> Yes,just as I recall from those many years
> back. How long has she been in that
> condition, and what are the plans for her?

And do they have all the parts? A few years ago someone there told me some of the parts were taken
"home" to be repaired then there was some discord between the partys working on it and it got left in its present state. I have no idea who I talked to but he was concerned some of the people could die, move, or just loose the parts.
Any comment?
M.Nix

2rivers@upstel.net

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:38 pm

She has been in pieces since some time in the 70's.
There are no current plans for her. Just long term storage.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:39 pm

Supposedly all the pieces have been returned to the museum.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:50 pm

Folks,

In my view it is best for an engine to steam on its home rails,lacking that which is most of the time, it should be able to be operated or displayed with vintage equipment from the same railroad.

This would seem to be the case here.I hope they get to make the trade!

Ted Miles

ted_miles@nps.gov