"was there any kind of a plan (concrete or otherwise) for operating the locomotive when Mr. Campbell restored it years ago?"

The late '80s when the initial restoration of #643 took place represented sort of a "renaissance", or at least a surge, of larger steam locomotive restorations. I think the prevailing philosophy might have been "restore first and a plan to operate will present itself later." This resulted in a number of steam locomotives whose post-restoration operating careers were truncated, or whose restorations were never completed. Of course tighter FRA and host railroad regulations and escalating restoration costs soon followed, making such restorations much less common.

To answer a few of the questions, to the best of my knowledge:

1. There was never a concrete operating plan. There were talks of running out on one of the branches on the Clearfield Cluster before or around the time RJC purchased it from NS. There was talk with an economic development authority with heavy haul-type track structure and that is when some engineers researched the axle loadings/dynamic augment issue and the authority lost interest.

2. In terms of any potential operation, the running gear should need little if any work. Yes, the boiler will require a full 1,472 day inspection and engineering analysis. I can't quote everything that was done to the running gear in the late 80's restoration, but after Glenn bought her, she was moved from Greenville to Pittsburgh under the cover of darkness at upwards of 45 mph so apparently the Bessemer trusted in her mechanical condition at that time. I do believe that the Stern estate funded work to both the boiler and the running gear and she was essentially serviceable and ready to run when they had to vacate the CSXT Glenwood backshops.

3. IMO, the most reasonable future for 643 outside of AoS or another large established tourist RR or railroad museum stepping in with big money in hand is that the owner agrees to donate the 643 to the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County or the Carnegie Science Center or other similar entity and a combination of relevant Pittsburgh-based businesses like HJ Heinz (provide location and site preparation), LB Foster (provides rail and OTM), Koppers (provides new 10' long ties), CSXT (assists with the move) and US Steel (underwrites the move and provides a suitable protective steel structure) all pitch in to get the engine moved and plinthed under a nice steel shelter for all of Pittsburgh and its visitors get to enjoy in a high visibility park near the Golden Triangle in downtown Pittsburgh.

Rob Gardner

It's baaaack. Price is now a mere $350,000. And they've included a video of it running in the early 1990's. I was under the impression that it was on the verge of being steamed but never made it that far.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1944-Baldwin-L ... Swnodc0Iku

I was just at an engineering conference yesterday and saw a presentation by a well know very large house and building mover who's company name is like a critter in the woods that howls.... enough clues....everyone should figure that out.
They did not know of this possible move and would be interested in providing an estimate is someone who is a customer would be willing to contact them.
This sort of answers the question that there are no serious contenders else they would have already been calling those with the capabilities.

This company could do the lift onto flats. They showed a demo of moving a 400 ton structure and have already moved many railroad structures....so they are not strangers to the rail and railfan markets. It amazed me at their creativity and problem solving skills.

Along these same lines, whatever happened to the 5361 in Depew, New York? That was such a hot topic, and then nothing.......

Sold to Canadian interest. Hopefully she will be loaded up and heading north sometime this year.

Robert

You can see in the video the 643 has Baldwin disk main drivers and modern design, light weight main rods. That engine is likely good for significantly better than 35 MPH.

643 would likely make a decent excursion locomotive for someone with track that can support her. So far though it's looking like the August/September issue of Trains will have headline, BL&E #643 scrapped in McGee's Rocks Pa.

Robert

Well, at long last, the mystery footage has just surfaced. The first clips and the clips of it running on air sure look more like the P&LE car shops in McKees Rocks than the Glenwood Shops where I had been told she had run. Too bad you can't really hear her working inside the building for the noise of the compressor in the background. Lots of blowby.

Surprisingly, I didn't see any bids yet, lol.

The truth of the matter is that even after all these years since the rebuild was finished, Glenn has really done an excellent job keeping 643 under cover save for the last 6 years and among just about all steam engines out there would likely take the least amount of work to make operational. Too bad it would be so difficult to find a place willing to let her run. Pulling the occasional coal drag on the RJC Clearfield lines at 30mph or less is about all that comes to mind.

Rob Gardner

Rob Gardner I would hope that you or someone else who has a speaking relationship with Mr. Campbell would be able to arrange with him that as much of the appliances on the engine as possible be saved if she does indeed end up being scrapped in place this summer.

Many of the appliances ( air pumps, stoker engine & screw, injectors(s), feedwater system, dynamos etc., etc. ) certainly have value and potential use on other in service engines, and are well worth saving.

July will be here very quickly and I would hope these discussions start sooner than later. Remember the Dick Jensen disaster. Once stupid, twice a fool.

Ross Rowland

I wish everyone would stop with the scrapping issue. When was a steam engine last scrapped in this country? 30 something years ago? You are talking about a asset that is worth a small house in that city. It's worth by far many high end restored classic cars. Even if it was sold to a scrap yard, the scrap yard would almost certainly disassemble it, move it using their own trucks and cranes to their yard, and then list it for sale. I also don't know where the $50,000 scrap figure came from. At 519,740 pounds empty weight the scrap figure at $100.00 a ton (todays average scrap price) is $25,900. That quoted price is scrap you brought in your truck and is ready for the shredder.

Sending a crew to a location and all the time and effort they are going to do to disassemble the locomotive will drop that price dramatically. I would say at least half that price and more likely 70%. Furthermore a large portion of that locomotive is made from cast iron. Cast iron can not be cut with a cutting torch and must be broken up using a crane with a large weight dropped on it. Cast iron is also one of the lowest paid metals as it is made from poor quality steel.

The asking price for that locomotive isn't a bad price. Most steam engines that come up on Ozark rail car are over a million. I believe they have a narrow gauge Shay locomotive for a million. I am certain you could purchase the locomotive and get it moved for under a million. You could fund raise the rest to get it operational. From the various websites I have seen with steam locomotives being restored, the fund raising is healthy and successful.

Coos Bay Lumber No. 10 was scrapped in 2011. It was a result of almost identical circumstances of the 643. Property owner needed/wanted it gone and a buyer couldn't be found in time.
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31942&hilit=Coos+Bay+Lumber+10
https://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=509

And, don't forget that we almost lost L&A 503 just last year.

I don’t understand the certainty that the locomotive will be scrapped if not sold. Has this been stated in the ad at some point? The ad says best offer will be accepted. Obviously the seller has put significant investment into the engine, and it has value far greater than scrap value. So, why would he let it be lost to litigation just because the storage space may be sold? It makes no sense. Why wouldn’t he just find another storage location and move the locomotive to that new location?

I certainly understand the rise of panic and the fear of losing this huge, gorgeous, locomotive. Ross's points about significant parts is also well taken. But I agree with Tom F. I may be shown to be wrong at some point, but I have seen no indication the 643 is doomed to be cut up. Step back and draw a breath people. Whoever recovers the locomotive intact will be getting one heck of a show piece. Operating, she'd be on the level of the Big Boy.

Thomas Jefferson said, "In times of uncertainty, reason is the first casualty".

On the other hand, Tom said nothing about large steam locomotives.

Every person who invests in a steam locomotive or other large rail artifact, no matter how well off they may be, eventually learns the meaning of throwing good money after bad. Unfortunately, they often leave it to the eleventh hour before the lesson sinks in.