Not exactly modeling, but some good news
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I've been getting e-mails asking for donations for that project. However, the grossly inflated scrap value would be a deterrent to me contributing, as much as I like to see steam preserved. (Mixed steel is commanding about $200.00/ton locally, and that roughly (I'd guess)100 ton locomotive, as scrap, should be priced accordingly.) It also seems odd, to me, at least, that the contractor hired to scrap the loco was intending to do it with a wrecking ball...this looks to me more like a sideshow, or perhaps a big put-on.
Wayne
doctorwayne the contractor hired to scrap the loco was intending to do it with a wrecking ball..
Really? A wrecking ball for a locomotive? So was the operator just going to keep dropping the ballon it, hoping to flatten it out? I don't get it.
Or is there enough cast iron in it, that it actually would break up?
Shows what I know about steam locos.
Mike.
My You Tube
Yeah, the e-mails I received had photos showing the locomotive, along with a crane (boom not yet in-place) and a wrecking ball. That's why I think this is some kind of a publicity stunt. Evidently, the boiler insulation (asbestos or magnesia) has already been removed, but I can imagine the mess (and hazards) if it wasn't, and the wrecking ball actually came into play.
doctorwayne100 ton locomotive
Steam locomotive.com page
http://steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-6-0&railroad=la#photos
Fully loaded with fuel and water 337,200lbs. Subtracting water and fuel weight, the number comes out to around 267,000lbs (I did the math before, but I do not care to re-do it at this point). When taking the scrapper's stated price into account, I got $32,000ish. So only slightly inflated. The wrecking ball did look odd.
That having been said, the city was only able to work out the deal originally (according to the local newspaper) because the locomotive was valued at less than $25k. I was slightly supprised that there was not mention of that.