I wasn't going to get into this, just happy to see Jerry finally got his Berk, but this aspect of it triggers my sense of old coot stupidity. Rumor had it that one of the restrictions on aquiring the N&W Pacific from the Ohio Railway Museum was that it had to REMAIN IN OHIO, even though I don't think it spent much of it's operating life in Ohio, and would seem to be a natural fit for VMT, as the only existing N&W Pacific.

Just as the C&O Allegheny belongs back in Roanoke, instead of rusting in Baltimore, hopefully the PRR GG-1 in the VMT collection ends up somewhere more fitting as well (Baltimore may not be the best choice for the VMT G, since they already have the #4876 - the runaway G, rusting away in "B" yard).

Seems to me it's a smart move by the VMT to free up some capital and some much-needed yard space, since they're also in the process of moving the Virginia Scrap Iron & Metal equipment to the museum property.

The Allegheny has been under cover for over a year now in the North Car Shop.



#4876 is now located south of the new restoration shop, still outdoors and unfenced however; all the Museum's equipment is out of B Yard.

Just giving the most recent info on the state and location of the locomotives mentioned.

In addition to the City of Lima, our Society's Vice President owns Lackawanna "Phoebe Snow" coach 318. These cars also ran through on NKP passenger trains.

When ELDCPS participated at the AMC Convention in Cleveland last year, we brought up the idea that there is a decent amount of NKP and related equipment out there. Steamtown Observer's list pretty much matches what I am aware of. I too, hope the opportunity exists for a lot of this equipment to come together. I can think of several friendly locations, but time and money will tell.

[redacted]

Christian, in a word, yes. Since the Ohio Central no longer operates their Sugarcreek excursions, the demand for these smaller locomotives is no longer there. This isn't to mean they're neglected (as they are now all in one place, under wraps, and maintained), but that the "need" isn't there for them. Just as in the old railroad days, the roads would keep engines stored if the time came for them to run, but you wouldn't pull out a 4-8-4 for switching duties just as you wouldn't pull a 2-8-0 out for passenger service, if you had the choice. 1278 recently got some attention and evaluation by Steam Services of America, and the Ohio Central's 2004 booklet said that the desire is to have every one of them operation at the same time. Since there are plans for a roundhoue and engine facility (as mentioned in the Trains newswire about the 33's test runs), suffice to say the locomotives will be given their rightful, permanent home until time comes to restore and operate them--but all of this requires time, money, and talent to keep things rolling. If the OHCR can keep a good steam team and make a permanent home for its engines, it'll establish its own legacy which will make future controllers of the company less inclined to do away with what has been invested in.

just courious, just where does the oC store there restored steam? Unless there are more buildings we didn't see at Train Fest tour of Morgans Run, they must be sitting outside?

Thanks, Eric for the update, although I'm a member of the museum I don't get much of a chance to go there, what I get to see is pretty much whatever I can from the Mt. Clare branch taking freights into or out of A-yard. The G must have been moved fairly recently, no? I'm sure I'd seen it in B-yard in the past couple of months.

Indeed, the operable engines are for the time being still stored outside. They sit out the winter under (good) tarps and are thoroughly winterized before being shoved into their storage siding, the one behind the Morgan Run shop which was more than likely empty at the time you saw it. In fact, all OC steam engines (except the one in Minerva) are now stored on this track, which has been nicknamed "The Museum" by OC employees and volunteers. In previous years the locomotives which had yet to see any work were kept further down the ex-Wheeling and Lake Erie line which hasn't seen much use since OC began running the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad.

Plans for a roundhouse complex are underway, but no timetable has yet been established. A turntable has already been purchased, though not moved to Ohio yet. It is hopeful that an OC roundhouse will happen sooner rather than later, but the locomotives are well cared for in the meantime.

TB

I beg your pardon, Paul, you are so right--I got A and B confused. It IS in B. It's A yard south of the Carrolton Viaduct that got cleared out and B that it was moved to. Sorry I muddled things further.

I once got to work a museum switch run over the viaduct; we pulled through Mt. Clare junction and over the bridge to tie onto the tail of a cut of cars CSX delivered to the Museum in a hospital train. I still have a warm spot for the memory of working across the oldest common-carrier railroad bridge in North America making a quote-unquote "revenue move."

This might just be rumor mongering but I had heard somewhere that one of Jacobson's ambitions was to run the railroad (with recent expansion maybe only a part of the railroad) with steam power. He has enough locos of varying types to pull it off but I suspect it to be more an issue of time and money while the OC is very busy running ever increasing traffic.

4876 on 12/21/06, taken through a dirty MARC car window:

http://www.ladyandtramp.com/images/Image%20Library/20061221/CIMG1257.JPG

and another:

http://www.ladyandtramp.com/images/Image%20Library/20061221/CIMG1258.JPG

How does one replace a G pantagraph?

Bob

The Berkshire tool pool has been operating on its own for some time. I think I can recall this equipment being interchanged between Owosso and Fort Wayne over the years, at no charge or on nominal rental:
Molds for crosshead babbit
Forming dies for Nicholson thermic syphons
Throttle-seat tools
Zillion-p.s.i. hydraulic piston-rod parter
AMC Standard Maintenance-of-Equipment Instructions and blueprints
and probably more stuff that I am not aware of.

We welcome Jerry G. to the Berkshire Owners' Club.

From the distant view, I see some sill rot, smashed glass, and grafitti. How bad is she really when viewed up close. I hate to be glib, but she doesn't look beyond hope for a "stuff and mount". I look forward to the day Alex and I can stand next to her onthe platform at Washingto Union station and view her closely, in her location of fame!

Hey Les,
Hopefully, we've rebuilt all of the Baldwin out of 4960. There IS a difference between the builders when it comes to quality. Baldwin had solid engineering behind their engines, but their production emphasis was on quantity. Workers were paid on a piecework basis at Baldwin, and its evident as you start to tear into a BLW product. Sure, Baldwin engines performed well enough, but comparing one to a Lima product is like comparing a Dodge Neon to a custom built Duesenberg. You can just FEEL the quality oozing off of a Lima. It makes you feel like a better man.
-Zahrt