The Texas GG1 always seems to be a favorite whipping boy on this board, but consider why it's there. Texas & Pacific donated T&P 638 to the city of Dallas, which was heavily vandalized and then scrapped after T&P asked the powers that be to clean it up or scrap it. The city leaders asked T&P for a second chance and T&P purchased NYC 3001, which was taken to the T&P shops at Marshall, TX, modified to look something like a T&P mountain and renumbered as "second 909" before being given to Dallas. <p>The New York Central Museum in Elkhart, IN repatriated 3001 to NYC territory, and gave Age of Steam a GG-1. While you're passing judgement on a GG-1 in Texas, realize that while perhaps an unfair trade it did send a locomotive back to its appropriate region. Would there be an uproar if NYC 3001 were still in Dallas as T&P 909 even though it was a gift of the T&P? <br>



bkroger@earthlink.net

Well Howdy Interchangers!<p>I happened to be close to a PC and thought I'd drop y'all a line.<p>Speaking along the lines of the GG1 and "T&P 909"...<p>Any thoughts on "FW&D 401"<p>Back in the late 1960's, the Fort Worth & Denver decided to donate a steam locomotive to Texas Tech University (then Texas Tech College).<p>The only problem was the the FW&D had scrapped all of its steamers.<p>Solution...<br>Buy a 2-8-2 from parent company CB&Q and repaint and reletter it as FW&D 401. After all, the original 401 was also a 2-8-2. If you can get over the fact that the "new" 401 is a coal burner instead of an oil burner and is equipped with an Elesco FWH. It sorta looks like it's namesake.<p>The reason behind the question, the "401" is on display at The National Ranching Heritage Center on the Tech campus. It is an intergal component of a display which includes a couple of stock cars, a caboose, cattle pens and a depot. All of which is slated to be restored in the near future.<p>Now... Do we restore the engine as FW&D 401 due to its status as a purchased but not rostered FW&D engine out of respect for its unique history as a gift,<p>or do we return it to its original identity of CB&Q 4994?<p>Lets see that would be a CB&Q 2-8-2, two ATSF stock cars, an FW&D caboose, all lined up in front of a Santa Fe depot and stock pens... hmmm I guess you settle for what you can get your hands on.<p>Any ideas?<br> -Jeff Ford<br>



highball@arn.net

Age of Steam Museum now has something that no other museum has, an example of the largest diesel, steam, and electric locomotives built. The Centennial, Big Boy and GG-1 are considered the epitome of their respective types of locomotives, and can be examined and compared sitting next to each other. Interpreting the three locomotives in this way as an exhibit of the "biggest and best" is wholly acceptable and justifies the presence of a G in Dallas.<p>The GG1's appeal reaches much farther than the PRR's cantenary ever did. With a dozen GG-1s preserved. are we being selfish to want to see it back in the northeast, or should we perhaps take a more enlightened attitude that perhaps people on the west coast might like to see one of these locomotives, but wouldn't neccesarily have the time and money to travel 2000 miles to do so.<p><br>



milw97a@aol.com

Rick:<p>I pretty much agree with what you said. But, to pick nits, St. Louis also has a Big Boy a Centennial, and a GG-1. Although I don't recall the GG-1 being out for public display. Haven't bee there for a while. (Too bad they're not on line.)



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