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 Post subject: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2002 10:27 am 

NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA

Hi,

Took a spin around Morrisville, PA yesterday and was shocked to see that A.E. Staley's plant still uses a rare EMD NW-3. Apparently, she is ex Great Northern #179. The GN was the only buyer of the 7 NW-3's built. She is 60+ years old, but still looking good. Not sure how often they use her, but the other locomotive present (a GE centercab) was off it's trucks, so the NW-3 may be in use.

I wonder if anyone in Great Northern country has been watching #179 for retirement and eventual prerservation?

Rob Davis

trains@robertjohndavis.com


  
 
 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2002 1:47 am 

There is one stuffed and mounted in GN paint (early style)(but well looked after) next to the Amtrak (ex GN) depot at Whitefish. The unit served as the plant switcher for the Anaconda Company Aluminum smelter at Columbia Falls before it became CFAC and was replaced (by 1989) by a EMD SW unit.

NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA

> Hi,

> Took a spin around Morrisville, PA yesterday
> and was shocked to see that A.E. Staley's
> plant still uses a rare EMD NW-3.
> Apparently, she is ex Great Northern #179.
> The GN was the only buyer of the 7 NW-3's
> built. She is 60+ years old, but still
> looking good. Not sure how often they use
> her, but the other locomotive present (a GE
> centercab) was off it's trucks, so the NW-3
> may be in use.

> I wonder if anyone in Great Northern country
> has been watching #179 for retirement and
> eventual prerservation?

> Rob Davis


mikefrommontana@juno.com


  
 
 Post subject: NW-3's and 5's *PIC*
PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2002 2:22 am 

Sounds like a great discovery! Not quite the same as finding a steamer tucked away in industrial service somewhere, but a very rare and very early first-generation road switcher is really the next best thing. Does anyone know how many NW-3's and similarly-rare NW-5's still survive? I knew about the NW-3 in Whitefish, I always thought she was the only one. I know of three NW-5's: GN 192 in Duluth, ex-Southern 2100 on the Massachusetts Central, and I recall hearing that one of the former Detroit Terminal NW-5's is still around too. Are there any more? I found the photo below on the BN Photo Archive site, showing BN 994 dated May 1995 - if she survived that long, is it possible that she or any of the other ex-GN engines (apart from aforementioned 192) is still in storage somewhere?

As for preservation prospects for 179, I seem to recall reading something about a Great Northern roundhouse being restored in the upper midwest...

BN 994
Image
rjenkins@railfan.net


  
 
 Post subject: Re: NW-3's and 5's
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2002 1:16 am 

We have a NW-5 up here in Portland,OR. It's still in BN paint, but I don't recal the number. I talked to the owner today, and he said it was operable. He owns two rail lines, and is a big fan, so I would guess it's on the "to do list" as for being restored.

Smokebox


  
 
 Post subject: F.S.U.D. NW-5
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2002 4:47 pm 

> recall hearing that one of the former
> Detroit Terminal NW-5's is still around too.
> Are there any more?

It is not a Detroit Terminal, but Fort Street Union Depot #2 that is at Florida Gold Coast Museum in Parris, Florida.

There is a link below which describes it:

http://www.pmhistsoc.org/presloco.shtml

TJG

Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org


  
 
 Post subject: Re: F.S.U.D. NW-5
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2002 1:53 am 

Sort of correct but not exactly, TJG.....
It's owned by the Florida GULF Coast RR Museum at Parrish, Florida. Note the the "h" on the end of Parrish. Parrish is near Bradenton, just off I-75 exit 45.

The Gold Coast area of Florida is from roughly Ft. Lauderdale to Miami(east coast) while the Gulf Coast is anywhere from Naples to Pensacola (west coast).

This unit was donated to the museum by Gardinier Phosphate company who managed to break its crank shaft and remove its traction motors prior to donation. So, it's basically a hulk that is currently in line for a sort of down and dirty paint job before going on static display.

The idea of operation is nice but beyond the museum's budget capabilities. Trades, anyone?

-Jim Herron
FGCRM, Inc (NOT the Gold Coast)

> It is not a Detroit Terminal, but Fort
> Street Union Depot #2 that is at Florida
> Gold Coast Museum in Parris, Florida.

> There is a link below which describes it:

> http://www.pmhistsoc.org/presloco.shtml

> TJG


hrvideo@mindspring.com


  
 
 Post subject: Re: F.S.U.D. NW-5
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2002 2:15 am 

Sort of correct but not exactly, TJG.....
It's owned by the Florida GULF Coast RR Museum at Parrish, Florida. Note the the "h" on the end of Parrish. Parrish is near Bradenton, just off I-75 exit 45.

The Gold Coast area of Florida is from roughly Ft. Lauderdale to Miami(east coast) while the Gulf Coast is anywhere from Naples to Pensacola (west coast).

This unit was donated to the museum by Gardinier Phosphate company who managed to break its crank shaft and remove its traction motors prior to donation. So, it's basically a hulk that is currently in line for a sort of down and dirty paint job before going on static display.

The idea of operation is nice but beyond the museum's budget capabilities. Trades, anyone?

-Jim Herron
FGCRM, Inc (NOT the Gold Coast)

> It is not a Detroit Terminal, but Fort
> Street Union Depot #2 that is at Florida
> Gold Coast Museum in Parris, Florida.

> There is a link below which describes it:

> http://www.pmhistsoc.org/presloco.shtml

> TJG


hrvideo@mindspring.com


  
 
 Post subject: Re: F.S.U.D. NW-5
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2002 11:04 am 

Sorry about that Jim, my bad. My knowledge of your facility is cursory at best, but I should have at least stated "gulf" instead of "gold". At least I got the units history right, though! Also, I'd love to trade, but I'm all of out of trading fodder of that kind right now; maybe someone else in Michigan can figure out a way to bring her back up here.

I do have a question for you. Do you happen to have former Port Huron & Detroit Railroad Business car #1 "The Castleblaney" in your collection by chance? She originally was a C&O obs., and was purcahsed by the Duffy family, who at one time owned the PH&D. Rumor had it Mrs. Duffy donated the car down there at some point during the late '80's early 90's after the road was sold in 1984. I can remember that car sitting behind the roundhouse here in Port Huron when I was a kid. I do hope that it was saved.

> Sort of correct but not exactly, TJG.....
> It's owned by the Florida GULF Coast RR
> Museum at Parrish, Florida. Note the the
> "h" on the end of Parrish. Parrish
> is near Bradenton, just off I-75 exit 45.

> The Gold Coast area of Florida is from
> roughly Ft. Lauderdale to Miami(east coast)
> while the Gulf Coast is anywhere from Naples
> to Pensacola (west coast).

> This unit was donated to the museum by
> Gardinier Phosphate company who managed to
> break its crank shaft and remove its
> traction motors prior to donation. So, it's
> basically a hulk that is currently in line
> for a sort of down and dirty paint job
> before going on static display.

> The idea of operation is nice but beyond the
> museum's budget capabilities. Trades,
> anyone?

> -Jim Herron
> FGCRM, Inc (NOT the Gold Coast)


Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org


  
 
 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA - SCRAPPED
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 1:56 pm 

Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 10:30 pm
Posts: 981
Location: Bucks County, PA
Sad news coming out of Morrisville today, as it is confirmed that the NW3 is being scrapped on site. Last I knew it was still running around and working the plant, today it is being cut up. There is photographic proof with the Facebook post shown here, but I'm awaiting permission to share it from the photographer before I share it here.


Attachments:
NW3 Scrapped.jpg
NW3 Scrapped.jpg [ 82.9 KiB | Viewed 8741 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA - SCRAPPED
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:36 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am
Posts: 2499
bigjim4life wrote:
Sad news coming out of Morrisville today, as it is confirmed that the NW3 is being scrapped on site. Last I knew it was still running around and working the plant, today it is being cut up. There is photographic proof with the Facebook post shown here, but I'm awaiting permission to share it from the photographer before I share it here.



I used to go see it a lot, but never saw it run. I figured it was toast, but it is still sad... especially given that it lived in an area rich with vintage diesel preservation.

Can't save them all, I guess.

Rob

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 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:52 pm 

Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 10:30 pm
Posts: 981
Location: Bucks County, PA
Photo thanks to Andrew Brandley (permission granted to post this photo here).


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scrap staley.jpg [ 88.79 KiB | Viewed 8668 times ]

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http://www.youtube.com/user/bigjim4life
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 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 4:34 pm 

Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:54 pm
Posts: 84
Sad news, but not entirely unexpected. I figured its number was up when I saw at least a week or two back via Facebook that it had suffered some variety of mechanical malfunction, was OOS, and another locomotive had showed up at the plant. And then there was one.


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 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 4:53 pm 

Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:22 pm
Posts: 275
ColebrookdaleRailfan wrote:
Sad news, but not entirely unexpected. I figured its number was up when I saw at least a week or two back via Facebook that it had suffered some variety of mechanical malfunction, was OOS, and another locomotive had showed up at the plant. And then there was one.


Did anybody speak up?

CD


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 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:55 pm 

Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:54 pm
Posts: 84
I suppose not. Nobody seemed to know anything more than the above, maybe we should have been more alarmed by it being sidelined, but everyone collectively assumed it might just be repaired. That assumption was clearly erroneous, and perhaps a fatal one.


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 Post subject: Re: NW-3 (ex GN #179) in Morrisville, PA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 6:46 pm 

Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:18 am
Posts: 197
Per a poster on the "Ahead of the Torch" Facebook Group, there was a serious attempt four years ago to have the unit set aside for preservation. The owner would not donate it, and wanted a price for the locomotive. It was said that it was due to it's continual use as a functional locomotive for the company. A lack of alignment couplers and friction bearings did it in. It was functionally only capable of moving in plant, both Norfolk Southern and CSX denied it's ability to move on their rails. The only feasible way to move it would have been by truck or scrapping on site.

As we can see, the later option was what the options came down to. Just goes to show that sometimes the world is unfair, even when you are proactive on preservation.


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