A real piece of history (pic warning)

[magickmaker]

Preservationists, THIS one is for you. This baby has sat languishing in the sun for years and needs a ton of help.

http://www.hmdb.org/Photos/26/Photo26820o.jpg

This is CAGY 601. One of several Baldwin road switchers purchased by CAGY in 1945. Now, what makes 601 so special, so very much in need of preservation, is the fact that she's the first. Not the first Baldwin diesel by any stretch of the mind, but she is the FIRST six axle road switcher built in the U.S.

As the plaque says:

Baldwin Locomotive No: 601

Built in 1946 as the first "Road Switcher" of its type in the U.S. Columbus and Greenville Railway's first diesel powered locomotive. Retired in 1984 after thirty-eight years of service pulling freight and passenger trains.


According to local legend, the locomotive is still in operating condition. On its final day, it was simply driven out the back of the shops and stopped. The tracks were pulled up behind it and she was left there.

 

[Tokkyu40]

It looks pretty good. It's well worth preserving I think.
I'm not sure it's the first; probably the third. But it may be the oldest 6-4-15 surviving.
"According to "Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years" the first one was the demonstrator, which went to Union Pacific as #1250. The second was C&NW 1504, then Columbus and Greenville #601 - 605.
This would also make it the first of a series in a multiple order.
I'd like to see this one in a proper working museum where people could ride behind it. It would be good to see it on the rails again.

Claude

 

[magickmaker]

There are images of the demonstrator on the C&G railway, or were at least (the website is gone) taken from around the time that the engines were being considered. It probably went to UP after that, serving a nice jaunt on some shortlines before ending up there. I can't say that for certain though, just going by what I remember reading in the railroad's book.

C&G was known for having curious locomotives and interesting stories. In fact, one of the neatest is something preservationists have been trying to dig up for YEARS. Now that the section of track is abandoned, well they may just get to.

Sometime in the 1940's or 50's, C&G had a rather nice sized 2-8-2 steam engine. One of the largest on the line known best for its fleet of 4-6-0 steamers. After some heavy rains, the mike derailed and fell down an embankment. The mud was so thick that the locomotive sank halfway down on its side. The railroad tried everything to pull it back, but ended up giving up. (Yes, the mud is THAT thick in places in Mississippi.) So they scrapped her on the spot. Thing is they cut the locomotive exactly in half, cutting it off right to the line of the mud. So somewhere on the line, there is a PERFECT cutaway of a mikado lying on its side. If that's not something that needs preserved, I don't know what is!

 

[picture]

C&G was known for having curious locomotives and interesting stories. In fact, one of the neatest is something preservationists have been trying to dig up for YEARS. Now that the section of track is abandoned, well they may just get to.

Sometime in the 1940's or 50's, C&G had a rather nice sized 2-8-2 steam engine. One of the largest on the line known best for its fleet of 4-6-0 steamers. After some heavy rains, the mike derailed and fell down an embankment. The mud was so thick that the locomotive sank halfway down on its side. The railroad tried everything to pull it back, but ended up giving up. (Yes, the mud is THAT thick in places in Mississippi.) So they scrapped her on the spot. Thing is they cut the locomotive exactly in half, cutting it off right to the line of the mud. So somewhere on the line, there is a PERFECT cutaway of a mikado lying on its side. If that's not something that needs preserved, I don't know what is!

Well hang on a moment, I'll go to the back of the shop and I'll get that half of a mikado I had lying around. I knew it was good for something.:hehe: All joking aside, although I'm sure impossibe, it would be cool if they dug it out and had it on display somewhere.