Steam & Excursion > Steam Scrap Authority Form WWII

Has anyone ever had access to and obtained data from National Archives from this form required by the War Administration?  This should be interesting to see what was requested to be scrapped such as EBT  #11.  or D&RGW engines. And logging companies locomotives.  I would sure like to see some of the lists of "Locomotive available", as is noted in instructions.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/24 08:51 by PlyWoody.

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Death certificate.   I need to hunt up the invoice from Baldwin for 1522.   Around $67000.

Putting aside inflation...

25 year old steam locomotive:

Issue:
"Boiler overhaul:  $5,000  Labor & Materials"

State reason to dispose /scrap locomotive:
"Cost of repairs in excess of locomotive value after repairs made."

Wild find - thanks for sharing.

/Mitch



 

With inflation, that $5K repair would be right about $91K this year.

And their $1K current value would be around $18K this year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/24 16:24 by amtrak8.

Scrap metal was in high demand during World War II. If a steam locomotive was at the point where repairs were no longer warranted, its future might be in an aircraft carrier or gun turret.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Scrap metal was in high demand during World War
> II. If a steam locomotive was at the point where
> repairs were no longer warranted, its future might
> be in an aircraft carrier or gun turret.
>
> Posted from Android

Or an artillery shell or a bomb!

PlyWoody Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone ever had access to and obtained data
> from National Archives from this form required by
> the War Administration?  This should be
> interesting to see what was requested to be
> scrapped such as EBT #10 and #11.  or D&RGW
> engines. And logging companies locomotives.  I
> would sure like to see some of the lists of
> "Locomotive available", as is noted in
> instructions.

As the D&RGW engines were scrapped in 1946, after WWII, would the War Production Board have still been in existance?

One of the local shortlines here - the Sheffield & Tionesta - had it's abandonment filed in 1941, partially due to the pending construction of the Tionesta Creek reservoir that would flood it's terminal and 12 miles of track.

My father the lumberman actually tried to buy it, as the chemical wood plant (outbound acetone, inbound coal) that was the remaining shipper was his biggest customer for small hardwood chemical wood delivered by truck.

War production board filed for the abandonment, saying the scrap value of the rail and equipment negated continuing rail operations, literally worth more dead than alive.  The chemical plant closed shortly after the railroad was removed in 1943, 

If you're a Bob Richardson fan and know of his photo collection in the Denver Public Library, he covered the last days of the S&T in wonderful photographs.  It literally was the Petticoat Jct. railroad with a 4-4-0 and a combine.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/24 12:45 by randgust.

Earlk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> As the D&RGW engines were scrapped in 1946, after
> WWII, would the War Production Board have still
> been in existance?

Wikipedia says the War Production Board was dissolved on November 3, 1945. It was replaced by the Civilian Production Administration  which focused on converting war production facilities to civilian use.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/24 13:26 by Lackawanna484.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> Wikipedia says the War Production Board was
> dissolved on November 3, 1945. It was replaced by
> the Civilian Production Administration  which
> focused on converting war production facilities to
> civilian use.

I wonder if any planes, tanks or ships were scrapped
and used for steam locomotives?  It's possible, lol.

/Mtich

I can't remember the reference, but back in the days when I was on the mining biz, I read a convincing argument that WWII was won essentially on scrap steel. The increases in primary production (mines and associated production) came so late that they didn't actually affect the results of the war. 

So scrapping shortline rails and underutilized steam engines should be viewed as a good thing. 

Somebody, can't recall who at the moment, dug up several miles of OR&W track near Key, OH and won a scrap drive prize for the find. The track was apparently not scrapped right then because Webb Mine had coal reserves out that way. Leaving the rail in place held the right of way instead of its being returned to the farmers around it. North American Coal was trying to figure whether to take the coal down Wegee (the OR&W, serving Webb, to be regauged out to a new portal) or whether to use the ten-mile underground mainline in NACCO #3, whoch had a better prep plant and river loadout. #3 won out, so Webb closed and the rails came out circa 1954.

Rebecca Morgan
Jacobsburg, OH