BATTLEFORD, Saskatchewan – Gary Southgate, a farmer from the Battleford area, is a man on a mission. He has been collecting vintage railroad equipment of Canadian Pacific and Canadian National heritage in the hopes of someday establishing a railroad museum in Saskatchewan. He now has 14 pieces of rail equipment purchased from owners across the Canada and the United States, including an operational CN FP9 and several passenger cars. But his biggest prize is Canadian Pacific 4-8-4 No. 3101. The 4-8-4, on display at the former IPSCO steel plant in Regina since the 1960s, would head up a train of CP equipment that Southgate hopes to acquire.

I hope he has deep pockets. This is both good and possibly bad. 3101 was the 4-8-4 being reviewed by CPR for addition to their steam operations a few years ago. And as we all know, just because it's in private hands, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's safer.
I hope my speculation is folly.

1. I doubt CPR using it will happen in the near future, given the company's management.

2. The locomotive was in those dangerous "private hands" all these years, owned by the scrap company.

3. Just because something is owned by a museum doesn't mean it's safe either. It isn't who owns it, but what kind of care and long-term planning the owners (public, private or non-profit) do.

Wonder if this article refers to the same guy. It mentions a fire burning down a shop of collectible cars and equipment on his farm:

http://www.newsoptimist.ca/article/2013 ... tible-cars

Our company has been dealing with Mr. Southgate on a regular basis. All I can say is that he is an interesting character. We over saw the loading and the shipment of the Cape Tormentine that he purcahsed from Kentucky Railway Museum. The car had been sitting for who knows how long at the Floridia Railroad Museum in Willow, FL. If you saw the bill for our services and the freight charge to ship the car, you would not question his ability to pay for things. We wish him the best of luck and currently working with him to get several other cars moved for him.

Chris Edwards
Batavia & Ohio Railway Services, LLC
Ozark Rail Logistics, LLC.

Does any one have knowledge/photos/ a roster of his collection? Is it stored in Saskatchewan?

All I can say there is a handful of cars scattered between Michigan and upstate New York that he has purcahsed. At least 6 cars come to mind right now. The majority of the cars are all ex CN cars.

Chris Edwards
Batavia & Ohio Railway Services, LLC
Ozark Rail Logistics, LLC

This is what I've seen listed:

CPR Northern #3100
CPR caboose #437034
CPR business car No. 36, Francis E. Shaw, built in 1929

The above come from the Ipsco steel plant

VIA FP9 No. 6304 (ex CN509) formerly owned by a Phillip Sheridan.
CNR Sleeper No. 1177, Green Bank
CNR Sleeper-buffet-lounge No. 1089,Cape Tormentine
CNR "Canadian Flyer" coaches #5302, 5307, 5226, and 5228
CNR Baggage car No. 9646
CNR Baggage-dormitory No. 9486, ex- New York Central sleeper Haverstraw Bay.
Wisconsin Central business car Superior.

An unidentified CNR sleeper from a museum in Medina, NY
Apparently he's looking for another CN sleeper, a bunch of CPR equipment, and smaller artifacts.

This is all I know, as I had never heard of Mr. Southgate before the story broke. I wish him all the best in his effort- this is already an incredible collection.

Steve Hunter

Chris -

Hmmmm! Some equipment in Michigan? I wonder if he might be interested in this Canadian National 4-6-0 that has long been located on the Coopersville & Marne Railway trackage in unrestored (to say the least!) condition:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=3253093

CN #1395 is privately owned although I believe that the owner is a non-active member of the C&M. Apparently, the organization has no interest in operating steam, so perhaps the owner of the Ten-Wheeler might listen to an offer. Sure is a nice size engine for a tourist line (wish we had her at HVRM) and from the fact that it appears that the engines main rod is sitting there on the running board, she appears to be intact at least.

Les

[quote=
Hmmmm! Some equipment in Michigan? I wonder if he might be interested in this Canadian National 4-6-0 that has long been located on the Coopersville & Marne Railway trackage in unrestored (to say the least!) condition:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=3253093

CN #1395 is privately owned although I believe that the owner is a non-active member of the C&M. Apparently, the organization has no interest in operating steam, so perhaps the owner of the Ten-Wheeler might listen to an offer. Sure is a nice size engine for a tourist line (wish we had her at HVRM) and from the fact that it appears that the engines main rod is sitting there on the running board, she appears to be intact at least.

Les[/quote]

"No interest in operating steam"??! Sometimes I cannot understand the thinking of a particular group. I can think of several homes here in the Northeast for such an engine.

And that does include my own front yard as well. =)

-C.

Nice size for a tourist line, and you could doublehead her with 1551 (sigh...)

CPR 3100 is at Ottawa's national Museum This man has collected 3101,the sister. I wish he'd go after the CPR Mike, land locked near Depew, New York.

Regarding it being in a dangerous situation, owned by a scrap company, well they haven't scrapped her yet!

No, I don't see CPR investing in her at present.

Canadian Pacific No.3101 was fairly well kept, on display in front of the IPSCO steel plant for a number of years. However, we saw her about 5 years ago and she was looking quite seedy. Have never heard of the gentleman from North Battleford but best wishes to him.
Given that they have better attornies, one would be advised not to express one's true feelings about the present management of CPR.

This guy called us at the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas, Ontario maybe two years ago now. He wanted to purchase ex-CNR Hudson #5700 (nee 5703) from us. Needless to say he was turned down flat.

k5ahudson -

Saw the 4-6-4 last year. A beautiful engine! Any chance she will ever be given her real number back? I don't think she ever ran in CN service as number 5700 did she?


Les