what do you think about cb&q 4-8-4 5614 running out of the Kansas city area.
Love to see it happen. Rode behind 5632 on several occasons. If it were not for so many other important commitments I'd contribute cash.
#5632 was involved in a dispute several years ago over the costs of her storage, and as a result of that dispute, she ended up being scrapped. That was a crime, and it NEVER should have happened!
In addition to #5614, there are two other O5A class locomotives left in existence, #5631 which is sitting adjacent to the BNSF mainline in Sheridan, Wyoming, and #5633 which is in Douglas, Wyoming. There is also O5B class #5629, an oil burner, and she is sitting on the grounds of the Colorado Railroad Museum. I think the CRRM acquired the 5629 in about 1961 and I took a number of pictures of it in 1985. I have long dreamed of seeing this particular steamer returned to active service. Someone pointed out to me within the last couple years that it would be next to impossible to do this since the CRRM is so far away from the nearest railroad mainline. I don't see why the 5629's major components, such as her boiler, firebox, smokebox, cab and tender couldn't be dis-assembled, loaded onto a couple 18-wheel trailers and hauled off the museum's grounds to somewhere where she could be rebuilt. When the Grand Canyon Railway acquired the #4960, they basically did the same thing.
The BNSF would probably never show an interest in putting together a live steam program like the UP has done, but if they were to do so, they've got four excellent choices when it comes to restoring a 4-8-4 to active service. But I will also add that bringing any steam locomotive back to life can be a very expensive proposition, and a lot of us know that!
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 #5632 was involved in a dispute several years ago over the costs of her storage, and as a result of that dispute, she ended up being scrapped. That was a crime, and it NEVER should have happened!
The story of Richard Jensen's steam locomotives and their fate is both sad and complex. Here is one version of the facts and it seems like a pretty complete and fair version of the story.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/union/jensen.shtml
Dave Nelson
flare40x A year or so ago, a CN 4-8-4 and its tender were moved by truck from the Canadian National Exhibition site in Toronto to its new home at the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre (opening this weekend) at the former CPR John Street roundhouse right downtown. Some time ago, a UP Big Boy was moved around Omaha and Council Bluffs the same way. The British, French and other Europeans do this all the time, though their steam locomotives are much smaller than North American engines. So moving 5629 by road is feasible - she probably doesn't even have to be disassembled, or not by much.
A year or so ago, a CN 4-8-4 and its tender were moved by truck from the Canadian National Exhibition site in Toronto to its new home at the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre (opening this weekend) at the former CPR John Street roundhouse right downtown. Some time ago, a UP Big Boy was moved around Omaha and Council Bluffs the same way. The British, French and other Europeans do this all the time, though their steam locomotives are much smaller than North American engines. So moving 5629 by road is feasible - she probably doesn't even have to be disassembled, or not by much.
I agree with you on the above point, and both the CN AND THE CPR had some pretty good sized 4-8-4's. We have the technology to move all kinds of things, regardless of their size or weight, and there is no reason why we should not be able to move#5629 and restore her to operating condition.
R.N.C PEACE :->
The 5629 at the Colorado railroad musuem sat for years as a stationary boiler before she was moved there and has a cracked boiler.I don't think she will ever run again.There is tracks a stones throw from the Colorado railroad museum.The tracks are used every day by trains that swich cars for Coors.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.