Vintage Electrics rotting away in the States

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nathanmallard

Active member
Hi,
I recently was shocked to find that not only have a few ex-NYC electrics survived, but that they are also rotting away on an overgrown siding next to a power station. Is nobody seriously interested in preserving these antiques which by now must be approaching 100 years old? If they are left there much longer, it is highly likely they will be vandalised beyond repair.
Also, there are quite a few rusting GG1s dotted all over the place, aren't they? I thought GG1s were iconic, why does nobody want to preserve them? Or is it a case of that most major railway museums in the US have got one already, hence no demand to save the ones rusting away in ridings?
A few years back I made up an April Fool in which I suggested that the NRM in York, UK was getting one of these GG1s. Given that nobody in the States seems to be looking after them, it's starting to look like quite a good idea...is it actually possible?
 
I think the main reason is that there would be very little return on one's investment with saving an electric locomotive. Most, if not all, tourist railways would not have overhead catenary for a loco like a GG1, and even if they did it may not be the right height or voltage! This would mean that it could not be run, and I personally do not think a museum's patronage will increase dramatically enough just by them saving a GG1 or similar electric locomotive.

Just my two cents.

Kieran.
 
There's 2 problems with getting them out. 1 is that they are literally in the middle of the woods and the siding they are on is basically overgrown completely. 2nd is that it used to connect to CSX, which is allows no movement of friction-bearing equipment. There's an Alco switcher out in Western PA that's getting scraped in place because CSX wouldn't allow it to move 2.5 miles, so that gives you an idea of how bad CSX is for preserving stuff.
 
For those that are not familiar about the electrics;
http://prr4ever.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/12-02-04-photos-s-is-for-s-motor.html
NYC_100-front-quarter.jpg
 
Looking at their current condition probably not, in fact I would say they would be scrapped, they did it to a bunch of old rail cars and 3 EMD E8 units here in Ohio. They collected a huge amount of old railcars from all over abandoned places in Ohio, they were at Steel Yard Cleveland awaiting to be scraped, and most of these railcars looked better then the two in the picture above.
 
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How practical would it be, say, for the trees to be cut back and the locos removed by road? Is there some sort of equivalent to the National Collection in the US, or even listed status? Going back to my point about the NRM, if a loco is donated to the UK National Collection it is under government protection and a consultation would be required before any disposal (and I'm sure they wouldn't let a 100 year old electric go for scrap)
 
I don't think there's a national collection, although some states may have state-funded museums. (The Railroad Museum of PA is state-funded IIRC, but that means it can only collect pieces of equipment that have some part in PA's rail history, so no UP stuff.)
 
In some cases too a local railroad museum will purchase this equipment at scrap value and plan on fixing it up someday. Unfortunately for the equipment, that someday never comes and the equipment becomes a rusty hulk.

Up in Cooperstown, NY, however, the situation is different. The GG1 was rescued and sent off to be restored.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IDI4gwCxiM

This is a really cool video considering the little Alco used to move the big engine is worth the time watching the video.
 
They are several on display in museums, including the prototype #4900. Several more are rusting out in the open, for example #4917. Whilst I would love to have one preserved over here on the other side of the pond (preferably in PRR maroon with gold striping, next to Duchess of Hamilton!), I somehow doubt the owners will be willing to part ways with them, unless perhaps they are threatened with scrap. Nor do I suspect theres enough interest over here to justify the sky-high shipping and restoration costs. But I can always dream. Locos like #4917 are not too far gone yet- cosmetically anyway.
 
We could always put them onboard the USS United States, which is rotting away in Philadelphia, (which lost it funding, aside from a small amount donated by the buyer who pulled out) You can have both for ... Ummmm ... a MillionBillionTrillion dollars
 
We could always put them onboard the USS United States, which is rotting away in Philadelphia, (which lost it funding, aside from a small amount donated by the buyer who pulled out) You can have both for ... Ummmm ... a MillionBillionTrillion dollars
Click to expand...

Ah yes, remind me how much you payed for RMS Queen Mary, A4 No.60008 'Dwight D. Eisenhower', the fleet of ex-Blackpool streamlined trams, the M7, 'Repton', AND the numerous ex-BR Pullman coaches including part of Winston Churchill's funeral train? Or is your heritage worth more than ours?
 
That's more like it...and who knows, like Dwight D Eisenhower we might send it back at a later date in a much better condition than it came in :hehe:
(And for the record, a lot of the stuff (including WC's funeral train) has been returned)
 
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