Unfortunate end for such beautiful locomotives

I found this three photos on railpictures.net and nearly had a coronary (heart attack). The locomotives should not go this way. I know some people will say you can not save everything, but would it not make you feel guilty knowning you are destroying history even though you are getting paid in the process.

before http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... x?id=96329
now http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=124750
before http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=112369
now http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=124729
now http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=124727

U-Haul,

Yes, it is sad that a few more classic "covered wagons" are going to the torch, but, as you noted, you can't save 'em all.

At least there are other E-units that have been preserved and a few that are still in operational condition. At least we have them.

Look at the PAs... there are only Five (six or seven?) left. The two Doyle MacCormak brought back from Mexico (one belonging to the Smithsonian), two in museums in Mexico and one in Brazil (although, I believe there is another A-unit hulk surviving and rumors of a B-unit survivig there as well).

They could be like the DL-109s... all scrapped and existing only in photographs, films and scale models.

However, just think about how much more special that makes the survivors, how much of a "treat" it is to be able to witness one, either on static display or, maybe, hauling a tourist excoursion or executive train.

No different than the old WWII warbirds. Think of how many fighters and bombers were built that are still around. Of the roughly 14,000 B-17s that were built, only a handful survive and of those, only 13 are flyable. The B-17 happens to be a particular favorite of mine and I almost died of euphoria when I went to Oshkosh, WI in 1999 and not only got to climb aboard one and see it up close, but also got to see one do a low-altitude flyby and simulated bombing run.

History in motion.

And it was beautiful.

Just another perspective to put the situation in.


BTW I have a BA in History (UW-Milwaukee '03).

My guess is that the first shot, at Richmond, was at Peck Iron and Metal, which has been the last stop for a lot of motive power, including most of RF&P's steam.

Hey speaking of covered wagons what happened to BN-1 and its F-9 counterparts I know they are retired but where are they now?

IRM.

Illinois RailwayMuseum? thats good news

If this ain't a sight for sore eyes then I don't know what is.

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=125149

Union Pacific E9s still in service!

Yes, it is sad, but fortunately there are still some E's that have been preserved and are even in operable condition. And there are a bunch of E8s and E9s in decent condition currently for sale (see this thread: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19124 )

What bothers me is that there are some locomotives that are in much more serious danger of becoming extinct, because they weren't as popular and/or aren't as "pretty" or "romantic" in the eyes of railfans. As an example, anything from the GE U-series, the GE BQ23-7 (I think those are already extinct?), and pretty much anything from MLW or Bombardier.

As was said, you can't save everything. It's nice to try, though. I tried to save an historic diesel and it didn't work out, but I'm glad I tried. It was a learning experience to say the least.

I wish we had a nice set of E's for our business train or for employee specials. I am so tired of Dash 9's. Last week an officer special came through Pasco while we were pulling in, with SD40-2's on the point. My prayers were answered!

GN 599 wrote:Hey speaking of covered wagons what happened to BN-1 and its F-9 counterparts I know they are retired but where are they now?

I saw a reference somewhere that BN1 and BN2 made a run to Chicago in the last coupla months with, methinks, the Nebraska Zephyr train set. The train was a prop in a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

-->fact checking welcome ... been at work 10 hours and my brain's about turned to tapioca.

* JB *

Good to see they're still somewhat active.

As an example, anything from the GE U-series, the GE BQ23-7 (I think those are already extinct?), and pretty much anything from MLW or Bombardier.

I know this is the EMD forum, but I would just like to mention that the Canadian Railway Museum has an incredible collection of MLW diesels, including an S2, FA1, FPA4, RS2, RS10, RS18, C424, M420W, M630, M640 and LRC (and more I've probably forgotten). Several are operational.

trainiac wrote:the Canadian Railway Museum has an incredible collection of MLW diesels

Good to know! More reason for me to visit Canada at some point.

If they had an HR616 and an RS23, their MLW/BBD collection would be pretty much complete. (The one-and-only MLW RSD17 is preserved at another museum, the Elgin County Rwy Museum at St. Thomas, ON.)

The Cdn. Rwy. Museum (now known as Exporail) has a lot of other stuff too, including EMD F-units, CP 8905 (the only H24-66 in existence), 'the' Royal Hudson (CP 2850) and a bunch of other steam engines, a CN 70-tonner and Newfoundland narrow-gauge equipment... it's one of the biggest railway museums in North America and certainly the biggest in Canada. It's at St. Constant, just South of Montreal, QC. I went at the end of October and it blew me away. They don't have any early Geeps, though--mainly because most are still running on CN and CP! Their website is http://www.exporail.org

It's too bad that these are being scrapped. Metra 516 and 521, which are former C&NW E8A's (like 520 here: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=124727) have been at National Railway Equipment in Silvis, Illinois for a long time and are in bad condition but they still have a chance. I hope someone will save them.

BN 1, 2, and 3 seem to be the more common engines to run at IRM.

I think one of the UP executive E's was sold to C&NW then RTA at one point, then made its way back to UP.