Several threads have recently touched on locomotives that were dismantled and are finally coming up on the "Honey Do" list, getting reassembled or boiler work, even simply being moved from one place to another. There seem to be plenty of people who are interested in steam locomotive preservation, if not operation. Might we start a "clearing house" or list of locomotives which were started, in the best of intents, but dropped, partially or completely disassembled, when the people involved either A) died, or b) found out the reality of expenses?

Okay, moderators, I recognize this could become a hot button issue, but perhaps when people bring together what they believe, it can be done with civility?

Partially dismantled locomotive only-

Snoqualamie has a few, right? They have a 2-4-4-2 for example.

I think the problem lies with determining what is "abandoned", and whether the current owners are willing to part with their engine; regardless of the condition they are keeping it in.

Doug related to me the story of a locomotive that had been stored in a barn. The owner died, and the locomotive fell through the barn floor into a pit.

The family is now storing manure on top of the engine. (Doug, correct me if I have the story wrong.) But if approached; I doubt they are interested in parting with it.

There are about eleven locomotives I can come up with are dismantled; and may have been so for some time. There are probably even more. But, that doesn't mean the owners still do not intend on restoring them, or that they will give them up without a fight.

At a glance by a casual observer; PRR 1361 and DL&W 565 may appear to be "dissected and abandoned" at Steamtown after spending years in their current condition. We know that there are in fact forces at work to put both of these engines back together. (I am not trying to start a flame war by mentioning them either; just trying to come up with obvious examples.)

So, I will not list any; there are several locomotives of various sizes listed for sale through the various sites, and I would try acquiring one of those; and look for either the owners of the basket cases to pass away, or see the light and put them for sale. (It took the pending destruction of the Virginia Metals scrapyard for the impossible to happen, and the "Lost Engines of Roanoke" to rescued at last.)

Or, approach them in private, rather than "outing" them here before contacting them, and verifying that they are willing to sell them if approached.

JMHO.

(The 2-4-4-2 went to the Mt. Rainier Scenic RR; where it is undergoing a slow process of going back together. One of the eleven I had found by searching for "dismantled", and another perfect example of an engine that is "dissected", but not abandoned.)

It is not a one-size fits all issue.

I agree building relationships with owners works. Think about the "sandy river in a barn" equipment or the Everett locos. The general railfan community was negative nabobbing while others with a plan made the owners confident. Hopefully the same is happening with the NJ humus steamer recentky "found."

I know of over two dozen pieces if historic equipment in the NJ/PA area that seem abandoned but are very much the private property of people looking for everything from a truck load of cash to assurances old such and such will be well cared for.

Relationship building is the way to go IMHO.

Rob

Snoqualmie (the Northwest Railway Museum) no longer has the 2-4-4-2 (The Skookum) Here's the latest I could find on that locomotive: [url]http://www.ocsr.net/skookum/update1.html/url]

Snoqualmie currently has no operating steam locomotives. U.S. Plywood #11 has been cosmetically restored, and the other steam locomotives are awaiting restoration in the compound (a favorite subject of photographers on flickr.com) Some of them have operated at Snoqualmie in the past. Weyerhaeuser #6 might be missing its smokebox door because of a cancelled restoration effort, but that is only a guess. There are others on this forum who could cofirm/disaffirm that. The Northwest Railway Museum has a lot of restoration work ahead, but it's already worked several wonders, and it seems that many more are to come.

Not exactly what I had in mind, but the error is no doubt my own. I was thinking about park locomotives, or similar undertakings, which simply petered out without resolution, and parts scattered across the ground.
Thank you for the responses.

I see what you mean now.

The Santa Fe engine on display in a park in Cleburne, TX was to be the subject of a restoration. It lost it's air pump, tank and piping during the attempted restoration; but fortunately the rest of the engine is intact.

The SP 2-10-2 in Houston was the subject of an aborted restoration; but it was put back together, painted and moved in front of of the former Houston Union Station, which makes up one corner of the baseball (Minute Maid) park.

Those are the ones that come mind immediately; I am sure there are others. I know that some have had appliances and other parts removed to restoring working engines to operation or repair them when they broke.

I take it you are looking for frame-off or skeleton locomotives that are in limbo. Here is what I understand are out there...
PRR 4-6-2 K4 Altoona: reassembly planned but not started yet
Indiana Northern 0-4-0 in Iowa: Owner passed away
American Creosote 0-4-0T at IRM: other engines more pressing
SP 4-6-2 San Jose: generally waiting for new restoration/museum site to finish work
Willamette/Shay in Medford OR: I have not heard of any revival on this project
White Pass 2-8-2 #72 Dollywood: Parts lying around, not much hope for restoration?
"Glenbrook" 2-6-0 Carson City: Scheduled to be reconstructed according to announcements.
Oahu Railway 4-6-0 Ewa: To be moved from LK&P parts piles and restored
0-4-0T Georgetown CA: Available for sale and reconstruction by B-L-H/Brook Rother last I had heard
Louisiana Cypress 2-6-0 North Freedom WI: other engines more pressing
0-4-0T Doe River Gorge: Boiler needed AFAIK
2 Alcos, 2 Porters and a Baldwin (600mm gauge) in Gato Preto Brazil. Long out of service engines at the end of the EFPP (1982) in situ ala EBT.

I'm going to nominate D&RGW narrow gauge 2-8-0 #223 at the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, UT., which sits outside partially disassembled and has since the early '90s. Apparently the cab, tender trucks, and some other components have been restored by the museum, but she's never been reassembled.

What about NKP 2-8-2 #587? Cotton Belt 4-8-4 #819? I can't find any information on the "re-restoration" of these locos that's newer than 5-10 years old. (Understandably, #819 has very few, if any, places to run right now.)

What about engines at the bottom of flooded quarries, do they count?
*runs away*

[throws ballast stones at limejuice]

Possible nominees include Wilmington & Western 92, which has been apart ever since, oh, 1982 or so.......... and I've recently seen photos alleging CN 1553 at New Hope is third in line after 40 and NdeM 3028..... it hasn't even been on its wheels that I can tell since the 1970s. The NH&I *did* sell, as I remember, another "pile of parts," VBR ex-Army 0-6-0 #9.

Weekend railroader wrote:

"Snoqualmie (the Northwest Railway Museum) no longer has the 2-4-4-2 (The Skookum) Here's the latest I could find on that locomotive: [url]http://www.ocsr.net/skookum/update1.html/url]

Snoqualmie currently has no operating steam locomotives. U.S. Plywood #11 has been cosmetically restored, and the other steam locomotives are awaiting restoration in the compound (a favorite subject of photographers on flickr.com) Some of them have operated at Snoqualmie in the past. Weyerhaeuser #6 might be missing its smokebox door because of a cancelled restoration effort, but that is only a guess. There are others on this forum who could cofirm/disaffirm that. The Northwest Railway Museum has a lot of restoration work ahead, but it's already worked several wonders, and it seems that many more are to come."

The Skookum was never owned by the museum, it was always privately owned. In regards to lost parts on Weyerhaeuser 2-6-6-2 #6, these parts are stored and are not missing.

Richard Wilkens

TVRM - Chattanooga:
Kentucky & Tennessee 2-8-2 #10

Always on the "to do" list, but has been pushed back for 40 years.......

One engine I have wondered about for some time is from the Dardanelle & Russellville. The D&R dieselized fairly early but their old steamers fared pretty well. Mogul #9 ended up at Mid-Continent and even earlier, 4-4-0 #8 went out west. Their number 10 was one of those "Panama" Mogul's that ended up in a park in the city of Shreveport, Louisiana. Some years ago, there was a move to restore the engine to service, and supposedly parts were removed at that time. But then....nothing. Anyone know the status of that particular dissection?

Les

Last time I visited it was sometime during the 1990s. At that time, the boiler cladding had been removed, along with the piping, bell, whistle, and other appliances. The tender had holes rusted clean through the sides. It was out in the open behind a low fence; next to an equally sad looking antique fire truck.