Steam & Excursion > Want to buy a Bessemer 2-10-4?

On EBay right now for a mere $575,000 is Bessemer #643. I'd link to it but I don't think my flip phone would allow it. So if anyone out there wants to buy a new toy...

Posted from Android

Years ago, while stored inside the roundhouse at Greenville, Pa, the engine had been in pristine condition.

Weather is not kind to engines stored unprotected, in the elements ... can do lots of damage to flexible staybolt caps, etc,...

But, overall condition is probably still excellent... but because it marooned, no track access, I’d bid no more than $50k... the rest is gonna cost immen$e to move to good rail... what’s realistic scrap value, if you have to cut it up, where it sits? ( can’t be much money in it, considering the labor involved in cutting it up, and hauling away..)

But it’s a strong puller, and a great digger...

Another gem in Greenville, was the Bessemer 0-10-2.... my gawd what a strong puller that’d be.. air-throttle, stoker,
power-everything... wonderful operational condition..

W.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/19 09:29 by wcamp1472.

Cosmetically restore it as a CB&Q "Colorado" and place it with I.C. #2500 at Centralia!  ;-)

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Could you please provide the link?

CPRR Wrote:
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> Could you please provide the link?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233219187439?ul_noapp=true

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1944-Baldwin-Locomotive-Works-Steam-Engine-Condition-is-Used-Local-pickup-only-/233219187439?fbclid=IwAR1aHnT3DNrJL-qZH71V4A42w6oN1nI874H5pcX-4HIT5-WC4BjP78xqP_s

over in 2 hours!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/19 10:24 by dan.

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
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> Cosmetically restore it as a CB&Q "Colorado" and
> place it with I.C. #2500 at Centralia!  ;-)

Such a cosmetic Restoration would be a major undertaking, as half of the CB&Q Colorados had the Elesco Feedwater system, while the others had the Worthington BL Feedwater system. That Bessemer locomotive is just a two injector job.

Hotwater, you and me buy it! would be a great item to restore.

Can you imagine how Ebay would love for it  to sell?

I heard that the owner of this was in negotiations with a museum or historical society but guess that didnt work out. I believe the car shop or roundhouse it was in collapsed around it years back at the old P&LE shops at McKees Rocks PA. It last ran in the 80s.

I remember when this engine was being restored to eventual service.  It was sometime in the 1980's.  Poster above said it ran in the 80's but I doubt that.  Perhaps it was near a steam-up, I am not sure.  I do remember it getting the usual rail magazine press, and many fans were thinking it was going to be the next great engine to be restored-but alas it never happened.  Some guy named Glen Campbell was the owner(Not the singer) back then.
Greg Scholl

gregscholl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember when this engine was being restored to
> eventual service.  It was sometime in the 1980's.
>  Poster above said it ran in the 80's but I doubt
> that.  Perhaps it was near a steam-up, I am not
> sure.  I do remember it getting the usual rail
> magazine press, and many fans were thinking it was
> going to be the next great engine to be
> restored-but alas it never happened.  Some guy
> named Glen Campbell was the owner(Not the singer)
> back then.
> Greg Scholl

I think Glen Campbell is still the owner. I recall Hotwater saying on many occasions that Campbell was approached numorous times to sell it but he wanted a really high price for it.

 

Looks live valve gear and drive rod on left side is missing.  Wonder what all else other than bell and whistle?

...And approached before the rail link was cut, but no way ro reconnect to the mainline now.

Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gregscholl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I remember when this engine was being restored
> to
> > eventual service.  It was sometime in the
> 1980's.
> >  Poster above said it ran in the 80's but I
> doubt
> > that.  Perhaps it was near a steam-up, I am
> not
> > sure.  I do remember it getting the usual rail
> > magazine press, and many fans were thinking it
> was
> > going to be the next great engine to be
> > restored-but alas it never happened.  Some guy
> > named Glen Campbell was the owner(Not the
> singer)
> > back then.
> > Greg Scholl
>
> I think Glen Campbell is still the owner. I recall
> Hotwater saying on many occasions that Campbell
> was approached numorous times to sell it but he
> wanted a really high price for it.
>
>  

Acting as a friend of the court I tried to get a deal done with the AOS some years back when Jerry Jacobson was still in relatively good health. VERY sadly GlennCampbell ( not the singer) had a TOTALLY unrealistic notion of its value and there it sits. Now the siding its on has been disconnected from the system so its landlocked.

   Sadly the odds stronly favor it eventually being scrapped where is. Hope I'm proven wrong.

   Sad but true. Ross Rowland 

co614 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Acting as a friend of the court I tried to get a
> deal done with the AOS some years back when Jerry
> Jacobson was still in relatively good health. VERY
> sadly GlennCampbell ( not the singer) had a
> TOTALLY unrealistic notion of its value and there
> it sits. Now the siding its on has been
> disconnected from the system so its landlocked.
>
>    Sadly the odds stronly favor it eventually
> being scrapped where is. Hope I'm proven wrong.
>
>    Sad but true. Ross Rowland 

AOS = nirvana for (some) of the steam orphans still extant.  But, they can't do it all.  Still, I think AOS to be the perfect blueprint for such things.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MaryMcPherson Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cosmetically restore it as a CB&Q "Colorado"
> and
> > place it with I.C. #2500 at Centralia!  ;-)
>
> Such a cosmetic Restoration would be a major
> undertaking, as half of the CB&Q Colorados had the
> Elesco Feedwater system, while the others had the
> Worthington BL Feedwater system. That Bessemer
> locomotive is just a two injector job.


From memory, with that style cab with the angled cab front, it should have a Worthington system. The square cabs had the Elesco FWHs. Not to mention the tender and valve gear. It would be sight though.

Posted from Android

About half of these, though not the 643, went to the DM&IR and worked right to the end of steam there in 1960 or so, long after they had been retired by the B&LE.

Gordon

here is a quick background story of 643

https://akronrrclub.wordpress.com/tag/ble-643/

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 
>
> Another gem in Greenville, was the Bessemer
> 0-10-2.... my gawd what a strong puller that’d
> be.. air-throttle, stoker,
> power-everything... wonderful operational
> condition..
>
> W.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Does this locomotive (0-10-2) still exist or did it get scraped at some time in the past?

Tom