I have no affiliation to this sale, but though someone from the group may have interest. Would be neat to know more about these.

http://discoverlivesteam.com/discoverfo ... x.htm#rods

My bet is they are off a GTW 0-8-0 from Sterling, IL.

Uh Oh! When I saw your comment Howard, I thought of GTW 8305 that is still sitting there at Galt, Illinois. I checked Jeff Terry's thread "Status of GTW 8305 (NS&W 05)" to see if that engines rods were missing. But they are still there....at least on the one side that Jeff photographed! Or did someone go in and remove them? Perhaps the owner of the locomotive is parting it out instead of removing it. Or they could have been from a entirely different GTW 0-8-0 that didn't make it out of Northwestern Steel & Wire there in Sterling, Illinois. Or perhaps they aren't from a GTW 0-8-0 at all! Can anyone tell from the photos?

Les

Greetings:
A couple of comments:
First, the top photo shows MAIN rods, fairly modern (no split bearings with wedges).
Second, the lower photos show side rods off a 6 coupled, locomotive with fairly large diameter driving wheels (look at the distance between crank pins holes.
Third (work with me on this one), the late William Latham, who purchased the box car full of Richard Jensen's second collection of locomotive tools and parts, auctioned off from the Chicago, West Pullman & Southern yard near 100th St. (CWP&S wanted the stuff gone, Jensen didn't move it) was from Rockford, Illinois (a hour northwest of Chicago). As I recall, Gary Bensman helped Latham clean out the box car and move things to Rockford (including as I recall, the two I.C. 2600 tenders with the coal bunkers full of stoker troughs and engines).
Fourth, Richard had rods off GTW 5634 (scrapped c.1963 at East Chicago, IN) laying alongside the garage that he lived in on Madison Ave. in Maywood (?), IL. I believe that Gary cleaned the last of the locomotive parts out of there too.
My GUESS is that these rods are off GTW 5634.
Perhaps Gary might shed some light (or not!) on all of this.
Be well,
J.David

J. David -

If you say they're off of GTW #5634, I'll buy that! I never met William, but did meet his son Warren on a number of occasions. Warren was a decent gentleman and actually donated BRC derrick #190 to HVRM. When I had some trouble finding a way to get it moved, he sold it the folks at the Monon Connection Museum (I had no problem with his decision). Warren once showed my friend Dennis Slone and I, a building with all kind of parts in it and my guess is that they were the parts from that boxcar. Warren was under pressure to get the railroad items moved from his leased property there in Rockford. Some of the stuff was saved, a lot (including the two IC 2600 class tenders) were not.

Les

I know the person with the rods. He is cleaning out an estate and is looking for a good home for them. He’s a good guy with an eye on history so is taking the steps to ensure the rods are not scrapped.

The question now is, who wants them/can take them or can make use of them in some way. Perhaps we can make something happen here. Any thoughts or contacts? If you like, pass them on to me and I can pass them on to the seller.

J.R. May
jrmay@monmouth.com

J.R. -

There was some talk about restoring GTW 4-6-2 #5632 to operation some time back, which apparently never went anywhere. But if these rods ARE from sister #5634, perhaps their going there might make some sense.

Les

I would imagine that there would be various information stamped on to the rods such as repair or inspections dates and possibly an engine number.

Also, if they are in fact off of any GTW engine the repair dates may also have shop symbols which can be checked against the known symbols for each GTW facility.

Looks like 5632 is still in the Durand park and not going anywhere.

Does anyone have any contact information for those who may have an interest? Anyone want to help move the rods? Any idea on weight for each rod?