GM folks,

I was wondering if anyone had any recent news on these two locomotives. The West Virginia Railroad Museum's website does not appear to have any recent information:
https://wvrailmuseum.wordpress.com/locomotives/

Unfortunately, not much progress appears to have been made on these as of last October. #8 is still in Belington!
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showP ... 2135566749

Although I do wonder where the majority of #9 is currently located. I believe I found its tender in the very back of the Belington yard.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showP ... 2135635339

Also, the Middle Fork Heisler is still in pieces in Durbin.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showP ... 2135635392

It says the following right on the museum's home page (although it doesn't explain why they aren't at Cass yet, ten years later):

"Locomotives

West Virginia Northern 2-8-0s #9 and #8 *UPDATE*

At its meeting on May 26, 2016, the museum’s board approved the assignment of former West Virginia Northern Railroad steam locomotives numbers 8 and 9 to the West Virginia State Rail Authority. In consideration of such transfer of ownership the West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Highways released the museum from all obligations under a grant agreement dated August 30, 2011.

The museum in 2011 had received an estimate in the amount of approximately $165,000 from Sistersville Tank Company to complete the boiler work on locomotive No. 9 and had raised the 20% match for the grant. The department of highways announced the awarding of the grant to the museum in August of 2011 but the department of highways withheld its notice to proceed with the work for a period of over three years.
In those three years the cost of the repairs to complete No. 9 escalated over 300%. The museum did not have the resources to expend in excess of $350,000 for the restoration work on No. 9.

In the best interest of preserving the vintage locomotives, the museum approved the transfer of the equipment. The locomotives will be transported to Cass, where both locomotives will be restored to operating condition. The railroad shops at Cass are the only facilities in West Virginia where heavy repairs can be made to railroad steam locomotives."

I know some of you aren't big Facebook fans, so I hesitate a bit to share this link, but in a February 2026 post from the "Casshews" (fans of the Cass Scenic) Facebook page, is a post with photo attached of WVN #9 in service 66 years ago.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AmH2JdMXt/

The relevant part of that post to this topic: "In 1961, both No. 18 and No. 19 were acquired by a private collector who would move the locomotives to a quarry they owned in Hyndman, PA, where they were both stored under canopy for the next 40+ years. In 2005, they were acquired by the West Virginia Railroad Museum and moved to Belington, WV. Transferred to the West Virginia State Rail Authority in 2016, today, No. 9 is at Cass awaiting an eventual restoration to service, while No. 8 remains in kit form in Belington."

Interesting, I wonder if the fact that #8 is in pieces is because it was deemed the more restorable by the WVRM, and that the boiler is off the frame because they were planning to send it out for repairs (to a steel tank company apparently), so now Cass is planning to work on the less-restorable engine. Photo from 2005: