<P>I saw on a thread below about B&LE 643 missing its pistons. I've heard that B&LE 154 at the Henry Ford Museum is missing its pistons too. Is a there a reason why these two locomotives that spent time together are missing their pistons or is it just coincidence? It would be nice to have a consolidation running around Greenfield Village but it looks like they have more things to restore. At least 154 is kept in a controlled environment so it will be around for decades and kept away from those devious souvenir hunters!<br>





x98salmonson@wmich.edu

<P>It was common for retired steam locomotives to have their piston rods cut so that running gear wouldn't seize up while the locomotive was being towed to the scrapper, museum, park, etc. Removing the pistons would have the same effect, but most railroads didn't care enough about locomotives that would "never run again" to carefully remove them. <br>




dave833@ix.netcom.com

<P>I cannot speak for the B&LE however when locomotives were stricken from the company records it was common to disable them in some manner. SP used to cut the piston rod, Santa Fe would remove rings from the piston, some UP engines had their pistons pulled but tossed into the tender. The reason these engines are without pistons could be for that very reason.<br>

<P>might be in there somewhere?<br>




djdewey@cncnet.com

<P>Has anyone thought to ask any one of the many talented staff of the museum? Seems to me the current owners, given their track record of thorough and methodical work, would probably know as much as anyone!<br>




train@nls.net