by dano23
If I remember correctly, the unit is missing a traction motor and something with a few of the cylinders on the engine.
Railroad Forums
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dano23 wrote:A few of the RS's and S's were on hand as parts units up until the RS-1's were all officially retired which I believe was 87-88. I have seen pictures of the 205 in the late 70's and early 80's and that unit was heavily cannibalized missing a truck, grills, panels etc. The deadline maintained the last operable RS-1's, the 238 240 and 252 and eventually helped get the 206 back to service.That explains the #205 then. I wonder if all the s2's hung around for parts units. I do know the other s2's as you say did help revitilize the #206. I'm still searching for more info on #206, so thanks so much Dano23, every little bit helps!
chief wrote:Hi AIRMAN00
The plot thickens
airman00 wrote:I apologize for bringing this up again. However I've done alot of research and still question all that happened to the 206. As an example: The official account is that the 206 was retired in 1986. I know she was running in early 1987. The consensus is that she had her failure BEFORE 1987. So then that would mean she was running AFTER her "failure". Why is it nobody knows exactly when she failed? So I ask, when EXACTLY did she fail?While those who know all the details may be quiet, I can say that she was retired, stored serviceable, traded in, then brought back and ran around the system, altho the exact dates escape me. I was told it had a fire in one traction motor, which finally ended the back and forth and ended up in the Naporano scrap yard. They started scrapping it, and was pulled back by one of the groups for its historic value. When it came back the heads were off and the motors were now unusable. Also alot of the wiring was stripped. It ended up at PSE&G and sat there for over 10 years with the rest of the URHS projects. And since it has friction bearing trucks it is now not able to interchange to another railroad. The decision made by the NYSWTHS and MSHC was to try and obtain it and keep it preserved in Maywood, hoping that someday, someone would win the lottery or some kind benefactor would bestow us with the $100,000 or more it would take to get it running again. So if you have or know someone who has the spare cash, we would like to talk to you, and keep your dream alive for her rising from the static rail pile. Until then, the 206 will sit cosmetically preserved where people can appreciate it for what it was.
The 206 also had her stack capped in 1988. A stack is not capped if a loco has a "blown engine". That would mean that even if by then she didn't run she was at least serviceable. But a loco with a "massive prime mover failure", or a engine that "froze up" is not exactly what I would call "serviceable".
In addition the official account has her traded-in to GE in 1988. She was up in binghamton in 1989 still on NYSW property. So I believe many questions still go unanswered about #206 and I don't believe for one second that she's "dead".
airman00 wrote: On a related note, why was she painted back into the single stripe scheme? I much like the original red/white scheme much better?The original colors were maroon and gray, not red & white. They were chosen by the head of the NYSW, Henry Norton, in the early 40's. The reason he chose them was they were the colors of Stevens Tech in Hoboken, of which he was an alumni.