Reports are afloat that a former Lehigh Valley U23B, LV 503/CR 2779, long in use at a Wimpey Minerals quarry operation at Annapolis Junction (between Baltimore and Washington on the ex-B&O main) is being retired in favor of a Trackmobile:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=365965

Wimpey at one point owned at least three of these beasts at other locations in Pennsylvania; this appears to be the last one intact and is likely to be thoroughly "clapped out," as the British would say......

Anyone need a preservation target, or parts? There are a couple other four-axle GE U-Boats about elsewhere, but......

U-23B's are classics of the second generation era. Saving another Lehigh Valley unit wouldn't be too bad, either.

Perhaps this might be the perfect first locomotive for the CRHS guys. She is already wearing the right coat of paint to boot. These locomotives were pretty iconic for both their original owners and for Conrail itself. It is hard to find photos of early CR without one of these somewhere in consist. Or how about the Anthracite guys. This fits right in with the roads they preserve. The northeast is lagging behind the rest of the country when it comes to preserving 2nd generation road power. It would be a shame to see an operable example slip through preservation's grasp.

Just my $.02

Kevin

We'd love to, but the timing is simply not right.

That said, this is a real bummer. Trackmobiles suck!

https://picasaweb.google.com/ed.kapusci ... 2988513490

The unit is being retired in favor of something with legal wheels... Not uncommon for locomotives from a quarry operation. I once saw one with flanges thin enough that they had started to bend over -- roughly 3/8" thick +/-.

Perhaps Scott K can upgrade to bigger LV power....

Has anyone even attempted to contact the quarry to find leads on this locomotive?
Sayre PA has a project to bring one of these home from RDMI Pittston. I'd say instead of just saying what a shame it is to see another one be retired, we step into action and

A. Forget about this locomotive, and donate to the Sayre historical society so that one can be saved, or

B. Start an entirely new project to save this one, which can go belly up real fast like Sayre's, where the public looses intrest and moves on to a steam engine.

In all being said, I'd go the route of A and donate to the Sayre historical society.
Seeing two being saved would be great, but one being restored to LV colors and being saved Vs. the very high possibility of another "Save the U23b" project not getting enough donations and being forgotten for the most part is tragic.
Sayre needs around $2,500 in donations($5,000 goal) until they can bring theirs home vs. another $5,000-10,000 for this locomotive.

Just my 2 cents.

(If anyone's interested in donating to the Sayre project ill be willing to guide them through what you have to do to get it placed into the U23B fund because they request you specify how you want your donation used.)

How long have you guys been running your donation campaign?

Since 2005. They had a choice of two then, but they both got scrapped. Luckily, Another Ex-LV U23B showed up at RDMI and the best news of all is it is operable as far as I know. Although the remaining $2,500 looks like it won't get to them though because I emailed them asking about the project in march, and they said the donations dried up after 2006. I honestly think preservationists like us need to donate to them and spread the word about it.

Perhaps a seperate fundraiser could be organised under the auspices of an organisation like-say- the Anthracite R.H.S., like the Illinois R.M. does. That is, those concerned raise the money and donations are taken until they have enough cash to purchase both the artifact and the track panel/ space to keep it on at the museum. Of course, that is after first securing some sort of understanding on the loco's availability to a potential longish term fund raiser. That said- how can I help? I am in AUSTRALIA so I am not about to go and knock on the quarry manager's door, but if someone else closer does, I will help with what I can.

Wes

Are you talking about the Maryland or Sayre U23B? If your talking about the sayre project, I can tell you how to help, if your talking about saving the one in Maryland, I can't help you there with how to help.

I am talking about the one at the quarry, I guess that must be in Maryland. I figure- rightly or wrongly- that $2,500 is not a vast amount of money to find and that should be possible without too much hassle. As the Sayre loco will be "stuffed and mounted" I would like to see one preserved by a Railroad orientated group as well. I was also assuming that the USA is large enough to deal with 2 preserved ex LV U23Bs without too much hardship.

Wes

I don't think it makes much sense to save 2 from one railroad. We have a running U23B in preservation anyways. It's at the Conway scenic railroad up in new england.
GE's are shunned upon by the preservation community and very few preserved ones run still. not trying to offend you,but.

Don't worry you wont offend me- everyone is entitled to there opinion. As for the Conway, as far as I know, they are a for profit and for all the reasons you mention (not popular etc), that operable U23B is probably not really secured for preservation and could/ would be replaced when and if something else came along. I hope I'm wrong.

Wes

I forgot to mention 2 down at the SARM in CSX MOW orange that run.

Or the LAST U-Boat at the RMNE in Thomaston, which is also a U-23B