Guy over on Trainorders .com says he saw flatbeds loaded with a disassembled steam loco going thru East St Louis today, #300 with the name RT Hughes on the cab and Tender. The only #300 I could think of was the B&HSRR Mike at Hattiesburg. Has Bonhomie and Hattiesburg Southern 300 left the country, and if so, where to? The trucking co. was out of Michigan. Any of our Chattanooga brethren know about it? I'd figure TVRM kept close tabs on the old girl.

I believe she had been for sale for some time. Maybe she finally found a buyer. I had seen her for sale on D.F. Barnhardt's site for about a year now.

Hayes S.


Spencer Shops
cookiemonster@rrmail.com

> I believe she had been for sale for some
> time. Maybe she finally found a buyer. I had
> seen her for sale on D.F. Barnhardt's site
> for about a year now.

> Hayes S.

I thought that was the 2-6-2 #250 up in New Hampshire they had been trying to peddle? I hadn't noticed the 300 up for grabs. I hate to see southern engines keep leaving the South.

Unless I'm mistaken, the B&HS No. 300 is owned by Fred Kepner, of "Great Western Railway Museum" fame. Perhaps he's moving the No 300 to Klamath Falls, Oregon to join the rest of his collection? He currently owns Sierra 2-6-6-2 No. 38 (disassembled); several engines formerly stored at the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern; and Sierra 2-8-2 No. 36 and Santa Maria Valley 2-8-2, which he "acquired" from the estate of the late Reed Hatch. Some of his engines can be seen on "Ryans Steam Locomotive Page."

Jeff Terry


Ryan's Steam Locomotive Page
jterry618@msn.com

> I thought that was the 2-6-2 #250 up in New
> Hampshire they had been trying to peddle? I
> hadn't noticed the 300 up for grabs. I hate
> to see southern engines keep leaving the
> South.
On a related note #250 was just moved by truck from Concord, NH to Edaville railroad in MA.

All,
Reinhard Wohlgemuth's Edaville News site has the story and pictures of #250 at her new home.

SJH

Reinhard's Edaville News page
sjhussar@aol.com

What, exactly, are Mr. Kepner's goals with this euipment? From the pictures on the web page and what little we hear, it seems like we might have a Paulson Spence Collection part two, in more ways than one.

I really wish people would quit referring the above mentioned page about the Kepner collection. Everything that used to be in the field, as well as a few other of his locomotives have been moved to Merril, OR. Which if I remember right is where he is planning to build his museum. I have photos of the equipment in Merril if I can find them. I have been in contact with a couple people who have spoken to Mr. Kepner and they have said he was really a nice guy who was working to get all of these engines moved for his museum, it had just taken a while.

-Andrew


abrandon@foothill.net

The trainorders.com report stated that the loco had the name "R.T.Hughes" on the cab. This is the ex-Arkansas 2-6-0 #300 which had been at the St.Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern in Jackson, Missouri. Keep in mind that this is an unconfirmed and isolated sighting. But, interesting....

http://www.geocities.com/mrcooltrains/StLIMS
sfreer@tvrail.com

I suspect that this is the 1924 Alco 2-6-0 that was reported by the Grand Rapids Press to be headed for Grand Rapids, Michigan. The engine and tender will be an ornament at an industrial park redevelopment called "Union Station" south of downtown Grand Rapids near US-131 (not at the site of the demolished Union Station). Contractor for the movement and cosmetic work is West Shore Services, of Allendale, Michigan, whose proprietor is associated with the Coopersville and Marne tourist-hauling railroad west of Grand Rapids. According to the newspaper account, the purchaser wants the engine to be "restored" to be "just like the ones at Disney World." The engine will be worked on at Allendale, and is probably there now.

Aarne H. Frobom
The Steam Railroading Institute
M.S.T.R.P., Inc.
P. O. Box 665
Owosso, MI 48867-0665

froboma@mdot.state.mi.us