News Wire: Contractor for 1309 says locomotive brasses part of metal stolen

[BaltACD]

Most recent update on the restoration progress of WM 1309

https://westernmarylandscenicrailroad.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-countdown-continues-on-awe.html

[Firelock76]

Non-ferrous metals like brass, bronze, and copper bring a lot of money in the scrap market.  An NPS Park Ranger at the Petersburg battlefield here in Virginia once told me every once in a while when they do the morning inspection of the park property they'll find a length of chain with a car bumper hooked to one of the bronze 12 pounder Napoleon cannons on outdoor display!  Seems the would-be thieves don't realize those guns have welded steel carriages and just can't be towed away!

There's 1250 pounds of bronze in those gun barrels, by the way.

[bagal]

Happens in other parts of the world as well

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/sadder-wiser-society-gets-back-work

Bill

[zugmann]

CSSHEGEWISCH

I assume that you posted this with tongue firmly in cheek but a pair of SD40's in WM "circus" colors would look just dandy.

I was actually serious.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

zugmann

Maybe they should have just bought a pair of SD40s and called it a day?

 

I assume that you posted this with tongue firmly in cheek but a pair of SD40's in WM "circus" colors would look just dandy.

[zugmann]

Maybe they should have just bought a pair of SD40s and called it a day?

[Dr D]

Overmod,

This is a real shame -

The transporting of the locomotive - the careful disassembly of the many components - the evaluation of the boiler, flues, superheaters - retrieval and examination of the multiple front end throttle.  The evaluation of the condition of the rods, pistons, packing, rings, head gaskets.  The disassembly of the lubrication system, lines and many fittings.  The removal of front end stack, netting and exhaust.  The searching for headlights, marker lights, whistle, safety valves, boiler check valves, injector and feed water heater.  The repair and disassembly and repair of the cross compound compressor and its parts piping valves.  The repair and replacement of long out of production electrical fittings, turbo generator lighting, cab instruments, gauges - cab fittings from reverse to throttle - the stoker system and auger screw.  The removal of the drawbars and pins -

The list is endless as are the searching for the service providers.   

Isn't it difficult enough to undertake the restoration of a famous locomotive without having to deal with sabotoge by the very people who should know and care about it? 

What kind of man lends himself to the work - day by day - the fellowship and comradery - and is knowledgable about the importance the art and the technique - and the difficulty - and then pulls a stunt like this?

One can excuse a cash strapped railroad from gaining one more dollar by scrapping steam - one can excuse an ignorant community from looking at a rusting locomotive as a pile of junk.  One can excuse the rogue scrappers of todays cities from trying to get away with another buck by swiping parts or collectables.

But for a restoration worker involved in the immense process or putting back together such a locomotive - to steal and sell the bronzes - for the cash metal value - this is outrageous!  As is the managment for allowing such things to happen.  Is it any wonder that Class 1 railroads look at the restoration community like they do? 

It's a crime of the heart.

Thanks to modern America for generating such sons!

- Dr. D

[Overmod]

This raises a further question: were the brasses ruined 'during' the theft, or were they screwed up (and hence rendered little better than scrap) due to a blunder (perhaps by Scottie) during the course of teardown.  If in fact both the brasses and hub liners were rendered completely useless in the latter case, the implied harm to the restoration is nowhere near as onerous, or the evil of this particular crime as great, as if intact or expensive-to-make 'salvageable' parts were the things stolen.

[Brian Schmidt]

CUMBERLAND, Md. — Brass components weighing 300 pounds each were pulled off former Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 and sold to a local scrap dealer, according to Gary Bensman, a principal in Diversified Rail Services that is restoring th...

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/02/23-contractor-for-1309-says-locomotive-brasses-part-of-metal-stolen