Steam Locomotives Found Off Jersey Shore

We recently gave a talk at Barnegat Light (I did the Morro Castle fire, and NJ Museum of Transportation and the NJ Historical Divers Asso did the sunken locomotives) and a lady we met showed us an old story about how a locomotive was pushed off a ship (one loco, not two), off LBI, and apparently different from the "Twins" mentioned above.

Found this video tonight on youtube about the steam engines off the Nj shore.

Sunkin steam engines

Great video, thanks for sharing.

I think that by using ping pong balls (yes, unorthodox) could raise these two. I cite the Mythtanic as an example (see Mythbusters). If not, use some sort of inflatable bag to float the engines to the surface.

While raising these units would be expensive, the problem is they would have to be immersed in fresh water for a LONG time to desalinate them.
This would require pumps and large tanks able to hold each unit. Plus the need for a protected area to do this.
Logistically an expensive project.

By comparsion, Titanic will likely be completely "eaten out" by rust-consuming microorganisms with 15 years, and it has been underwater for 100 years (next April).

hajelliott wrote:While raising these units would be expensive, the problem is they would have to be immersed in fresh water for a LONG time to desalinate them.
This would require pumps and large tanks able to hold each unit. Plus the need for a protected area to do this.
Logistically an expensive project.

In my mind, when is any preservation project not expensive?

with the numbers of steam locos sitting on "dry ground", slowly rusting away back to nothing, why someone would waste money to salvage some rotted remains from the floor of the ocean, seems absurd. wanna spend a ton of money rescuing a steam engine? contact any one of the dozens of museums or historical societies, that can barely afford a coat of paint to help slow the decay, and save one thats already been "saved". makes a hell of a lot more sense...

Probably the biggest point of interest is the sheer age of them, 1850s vintage.

GSC wrote:Probably the biggest point of interest is the sheer age of them, 1850s vintage.

That is also a good point. Last I checked, I can count the number of locomotives of that vintage on one hand. As for the other engines that are expected to rot away within a few years, then why didn't these two rot away by now? They've been on the bottom almost an extra 100 years over those mikados.

The cold temperature of the water helps to preserve them.

Later!
Mr. Ed

These engines are also still in their 1850s brand new condition. Others that old have been worn and rebuilt.
I think that only one to be found in older condition would be the Lackawanna RR's 2nd locomotive, the Essex. It was sold to the Western Ohio Rwy. and sank in Lake Erie with the steamer "Clarion" while being delivered in 1850. It should be in even better condition, being in cold FRESH water! Back then, no railroads had been completed from the East to Ohio.

That's definitely the major point of interest, that they are in 1850s "showroom" condition and all original. Like Washington's ax (three new handles and two new heads), locos that went to work have been updated, modified, and otherwise fixed with new parts.

GSC wrote:That's definitely the major point of interest, that they are in 1850s "showroom" condition and all original. Like Washington's ax (three new handles and two new heads), locos that went to work have been updated, modified, and otherwise fixed with new parts.

And I seem to recall that the US Constitution in Boston has only the original keel, the rest having been replaced over the 200+ years of her existence.

Ken W2KB wrote:

GSC wrote:That's definitely the major point of interest, that they are in 1850s "showroom" condition and all original. Like Washington's ax (three new handles and two new heads), locos that went to work have been updated, modified, and otherwise fixed with new parts.

And I seem to recall that the US Constitution in Boston has only the original keel, the rest having been replaced over the 200+ years of her existence.

Even Old Ironsides needs some replacement of boards and decking.