Just a reminder that NKP Ten-Wheeler #44, on the Steamtown roster as Danville & Mt. Morris #304, is also the ONLY EXISTING Akron, Canton & Youngstown steam locomotive, it's #304. Since the demise of the AC&Y HS as a membership-driven organization, there is probably no impetus to restore it as an AC&Y locomotive, and in-fact it spent more of it's service life as a D&Mt.M loco than anywhere else. But a reminder none-the-less.

That would one of the hard choices when rebuilding a piece with multiple heritages. That decision can change many cosmetic and heritage representations of that particular piece. IE a 1884 built 2-6-0, but its modifications over the years puts tthe owner in a sticky spot. If their mission is pre 20th century, they would have to backdate the loco, but for cost reasons rebuilds it to say 1914 when several changes were made to it. Does that mean it should be painted into its first purchasers livery? I can see Steamtown not having a very solid process for making determinations like that, which results in that item constantly being pushed aside and eventually in a state warranting possible scrapping.

Interview with Steamtown Superintendent Debbie Conway:

http://theroundhousepodcast.com/2016/09 ... ie-conway/

She would like to have 4 working steam locomotives. It'll take 20+ years to do it.

She's never going to have 4 operating locomotives if it takes 20+ years to do it. 26 and and 3713 will be down for their 15 year rebuilds by the time the fourth locomotives rolls out.

In podcast did she not mention 4 locomotives in steam at the same time.What she described was a rotation of 4 locomotives where only two locomotives operational during the summer at a time. It should also be noted that the restorations of both 3713 and 26 are atypical in many regards, particularly compared to either of the recently operational Canadian locomotives.

I do recommend giving Nick's podcast a listen to anyone that has not.

FYI, since no one seems to have made a correction posting: That "transfer caboose" in one of the pics is actually a D&H flanger. I can think of a few still in existence. There is a stuffed and mounted one up on NY Rt. 30 way north of Amsterdam, NY. At last check there is still one rotting away in Kenwood Yard in Albany, and there is one still proudly in service on The Battenkill RR in Greenwich, NY (complete with the phone number to the Colonie Shops still written in pencil near one of the operators windows.)

Any word on whether that piece was smashed up at Steamtown, too?

greenwichlirr -

Thanks for answering my questions about the "transfer caboose" made way back on page 1 of this thread, and for pointing out that it is actually a D&H flanger. I too would like to know if it still survives.

Les

Mr. Beckman - Yes, I missed your inquiry in all the other posts. As Al P. posted a few posts prior to your original, the two cabooses that were demolished were what he believed to be a Boston and Maine wide cupola car and a Central Vermont Railway Caboose, identified elsewhere as 4021. The artifact you referenced is indeed Delaware and Hudson Flanger 36037 and is also at least 100 years old. There are a few other artifacts in similar condition parked on the scrap dock (the historical name and not current purpose of this area) side of the administration building, including Central Railroad Company of New Jersey 18049, a 40 ton, single sheathed, outside braced box car built by American Car and Foundry of Berwick, PA in 1922. Both still exist, my guess being that they were not demolished because they both have stronger ties to the local railroading history.

Some have mentioned the previous scrapping of equipment that had been stored down in Tobyhanna, PA. This previous culling was discussed in two threads on RYPN prior to the artifacts being destroyed in "Steamtown Train sell-off" (Feb. 2001) and "Steamtown equip available" (Jan. 2001). This was possible because NPS STEA Historian/Archivist Pat McKnight had sent a Rutland Preservation group a heads up email that was then posted on their site:

http://users.rcn.com/jimdu4/SaveTheRutland/savethe.htm

For ease, here is a cut and paste of that post:

"From: Pat McKnight
Sent: Wednesday, 17 January, 2001 12:45 PM
Subject: Surplus Tobyhanna equipment available?

I have been asked to send you information on the equipment at Tobyhanna. There are thirty-three pieces of equipment out there, three of which belong to another party. Of the remaining thirty pieces, Steamtown has decided to retain ten of them, and scrap another one for its parts to aid in reconstructing a similar one we have at Steamtown. Of the remaining nineteen pieces, there has been expressed interest in seven of them from outside groups. These seven pieces are:

--Boston & Maine Combination Car #2069 (wood, on flat car)
--Canadian National #5288 locomotive
--Canadian Pacific #2929 locomotive, Jubilee, 4-4-4
--CNJ Coach #1009
--East Branch & Lincoln Logging Derrick
--Kansas City Southern diesel locomotive
--Rutland Railroad Boxcar #9194

The remaining pieces that remain will probably be scrapped unless a suitable home is found for them:

--Boston & Maine Combination Car #1216 (wood)
--British Great Western Coach #6705
--DL&W Coach #3215
--Erie Stillwell #2 (2633)
--Erie Stillwell #3 (2607)
--Erie Stillwell #4 (2633?)
--Long Island RR coach #7016
--Long Island RR coach #7092
--Rutland Railroad Combination Car #253 (remove certain items before scrapping)
[NOTE: THE RUTLAND DISPATCHERS TELEPHONE BOARD IS INSIDE THE 253!!! - JRD]
--SJ&LC caboose #51
--SJ&LC caboose #53

If any of these pieces catch your eye, let me know. They are not in very good shape. If you need additional images or information on specific cars, let me know and I can send you additional information. I did do a report a while back with an image and short description of each car. If you give me a regular mailing address, I could send it your way. I hope this message does not appear to be too cryptic, but this is a complicated process we are going through.

-Patrick McKnight
Historian, Steamtown NHS"

So, in a way, this latest round of demolition appears different to the earlier scrapping in terms of notice. Also, note that a couple of the items listed as the seven "spoken for" are still in the Yard in Scranton and so they could possibly be viewed as not core to the NPS' mission at the site. One item listed as "will be probably scrapped", the Rutland Railroad Combination Car 253, survived the first round and was just disposed of in this recent scrapping. FB posts by NPS employees and people whose organizations work closely with the Park Service in Scranton appear to indicate that there is either an unofficial list of available items and/or that an official list is in the works. So, again, look over the collection of items in the yard carefully. Pieces that have not had any stabilization/preservation time or $ invested in them by the NPS and those that do not have a local connection to the site are the most likely to be considered excess.

The Brits who repatriated this car would most likely beg to differ--the exterior damage was mostly cosmetic (peeling paint and rust), but the interior was complete and in stunningly unaltered condition.

It all depends who is passing judgement.

I still find it maddening we are restoring a CV caboose and could have used some of the parts! But if anyone knows where I can get a desk for a CV caboose please tell me.

Side question. Do the former LIRR P54 coaches still remain in Tobyhanna? I know some trucks from similar cars are used as Steamtown shop trucks.

I don't know if those specific cars still exist however all equipment was removed from Tobyhanna five or more years ago.

First let me say that I am late to this conversation but have gone through to see the images and the many comments that have already been posted.

That said, I can say with honesty that they were not the worse cars in preservation and can easily point just down the road at the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in Newton, N.C. as having undertaken a restoration that was considerably worse (and that to an extreme!!!).

West Virginia Midland #1 was hauled to Newton, thankfully, enough wood patterns on the car to be able to create proper replicas to replace the parts. Worse still were a couple of the narrow-gauge boxcars that they have undertake the rebuilding of, with beautiful results.

The workers have been working hard to not loose things that otherwise may not be replaced and efforts still continue to save even more. Some of the car' before and after shots can be seen on their website, at the url below:

http://www.newtondepot.com/

So now, when folks look at piles of wood splinters maybe they should be encouraged to look beyond the image at the end of their nose... with proper experience and money, even molded piles of trash can still be given new life... all it takes is someone having the vision to see what could be and the connections to make it happen.

You can add former B&SR 2ft. gauge boxcar #67, being rebuilt by volunteers at the WW&F Ry. Museum in Maine:

http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php?PHPSES ... pic=2566.0

Virtually all of the exterior wood is being replaced. Like the SE NG cars, remaining 2ft gauge cars are very rare.