Movements of scrap loco's

[Anonymous]

Hi from England [:)] This is a question from a freind of mine, he models mainly PRR in the 1950's but likes to through in a few other roads on interchange. He has bought several non working steam engines and would like use them as a consist of loco's heading for the scrapyard.
Question is; did such movements to scrapyards happen given the rate of dieselisation or were most steam engines broken up at their home works. The information here is practicaly nil so any help would be of great use.

[AltonFan]

I've seen photographs and read accounts of "funeral trains" consisting of dead steam locomotives being moved. The engines were often spread in twos and threes thoughout the consist to avoid weight problems on bridges. From what I've read, the locomotives were gathered from outlying area to shop areas, and were either scrapped at the shops, or sold and moved to nearby scrap yards.

Jim Boyd, in an afterword in the late Don Ball, Jr.'s America's Colorful Railroads , describes watching dead IC engines being hauled southward as that road dieselized.

There was also an account in an old issue of Trains about a group of old steamers that had been stored on a remote siding on the MP. Apparently, some railroad mechanics quietly went to this siding and removed the brass bearings from the engines. When it was time to ship these engines to be scrapped, the theft was discovered, and in order to move the locomotives away, the brass bearings were replaced with wood, and the funeral train proceeded at about 10mph.

Given the PRR's proximity to a number of steel mills, I have to wonder if condemned locomotives were simply hauled to nearby steel mills, and scrapped there.

[Isambard]

I recall seeing Canadian Pacific and Canadian National steam locomotives stacked up in an enormous heap next to a newly opened electric-reduction steel mill in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1960. Iron grist for the mill!

[Anonymous]

Would anyone have any photo's of this sight, my curiousty is no been awakened

[dehusman]

I have seen pictures of Reading Co. T-1 4-8-4's in the scrap line being cut up at Luria Bros. in Modena, PA, and in the track next to them are a string of New Haven DL109's waiting their turn.

The last steam powered train on the MP was a 2-8-0 hauling a string of dead engines to the scrapper.

Dave H.

[dknelson]

Some railroads scrapped their own engines, others used commercial scrapping outfits but in both cases the operations tended to be in one place and the locomotives were brought there, often in large trains of dead steam due to common operating restrictions of the sort noted above (why slow down a whole freight train for one load).
If the engine was in better condition it might be just added to a consist. That is how diesels headed for scrap tend to be shipped.

The most wonderful example of a scrapping facility was Sterling Steel & Wire in Sterling Illinois, because they actually used steam locomotives to switch the plant into the 1980s. When the CB&Q sent a batch of 2-6-2s to Sterling for scrap, Sterling Steel just helped themselves, patched them up and used them for a few years. Then the Grand Trunk sent in a batch of USRA 0-8-0s and again Sterling just kept them for themselves and used them right into the early 1980s -- when the elderly owner who insisted on steam finally died. When the plant was in operation there might be four large 0-8-0s operating at the same time, whislting, puffing, and in general freezing time -- at the interchange you'd see a rusty 0-8-0 exchanging cars with a C&NW modern geep or SD. You'd get a permit at the plant office and so long as you stayed off the restricted part of the property, you had great access to steam.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

And don't forget, at least 3 of those 0-8-0's still exist! If you google "GTW 0-8-0" you will quickly find out where they currently are.

Here's some shots of them working at the scrap yard;

http://www.jerryapp.com/photos_s.html

John

[jrbarney]

Cuddlyjools,
You might want to suggest to your friend that he consider the locos being moved not to the "nackers," but to a museum. [:)] The current, October 2004, issue of Scale Rails/NMRA Bulletin has an article "Museum Pieces on the Move," by Tom Persoon, showing an 0-8-0 and a tender as flatcar loads. It's on pages 27-29, 32-33.
Bob
NMRA LIfe 0543

[Anonymous]

I suggested it to him and he would consider the idea. Of course that idea could be used for any time period and any piece of equipment; eg caboose's being sold to new homes

[Anonymous]

Can't remember the date but I clearly recall seeing a line of PRR "coast-to-coast" tenders on a siding at Island Avenue yard (just west of downtown Pittsburgh). I believe these had been sold to a scrap dealer rather than directly to a steel mill.

The "coast-to-coast" tenders were the 16-wheel monsters that ran behind T1s (4-4-4-4) and, I think, some M1s (4-8-2). I can't say I remember seeing any engines in the same scrap line. They may have been sold or moved separately...or I may be subconsciously suppressing that sad memory.

[Anonymous]

And don't forget that the main rods (the rods from the pistons to the eccentric crank) were removed for these shipments. Without steam to "cool" the cylinders, friction would have overheated the cylinders and pistons and caused them to lock up. However, withi=out the main rods, the locomotive wheelsets were very off-balance so that there was usually a very slow train order to move these engines.

I have pictures of old Central Vermont engines sitting behind the Brattleboro VT roundhouse waiting for a trip to St. Albans VT for the scrap line.

[JKRONENGOLD]

In Pennsy Power 2 there is a picture of a dead steam engine (an L1, I believe) being towed out of Enola.

[Anonymous]

would anyone have photos of these movements or loco's at scrapyards