S2 206 in its final resting place

The S2 206 was moved to Maywood, NJ and placed on static display adjacent to the station sometime today. The move went without incident, and apparently without any advance publicity. Surprised to see that no one posted anything about this, although the move was made at the railroad's timing and ability to swing the main over towards the display track. In any event, the ol girl is now a "mounted memory" never to run again, and to sit and age next to the station(as opposed to the weed infested siding she sat in for the past several years in Ridgefield Park). Here's hoping she sees better care in her final resting place, even though she will never run again(I wonder who decided that static preservation is better than restoration). Cosmetic display or not, its still better than going to the scrapper.

I would say that considering the high price of scrap right now, we can consider it good luck that this historic engine will at
least escape that fate.
Noel Weaver

Didn't the prime mover have a massive failure?
If so that would be a big reason not to restore, but display.

Scrap's dropped way down since July/August.

Here she is in her second to last resting place at CP5

Scrap's dropped way down since July/August.

When I priced scrap last spring it was $250-$300 per ton, now it's $25-$50 per ton if they take it at all. For a 100 ton switcher you could estimate that scrap value doesn't exceed $5,000 today.

ricebrianrice wrote:Didn't the prime mover have a massive failure?
If so that would be a big reason not to restore, but display.

Is this the one that had prime mover failure near Sparta Jct in 1985? We were chasing it that day when it blew up...

Rich - I would say that the 1985 era was about the last time the 206 ran. Wasn't this engine on the weekly Sparta Jct to Warwick move with the caboose 0121 on the other end?

I have a photo of myself as a teenager in the cab of 206 in Lackawaxen PA, July of 1989. I believe the failure happened shortly before that time.

Prior to the Sparta Mtn. reopening project the 206 or the 252 would power the Sparta turn. I think the 2002 also work the line a few times. The Sparta Mtn. project happened in 1986.

Chris

I was wondering why it couldn't be restored. How much would it cost to restore 206? What really happened? I just heard it had an engine failure. If it had more than one engine, than couldn't the other engine still power it? I see that the maywood people are going to cosmetically restore it. I don't see where they can at least not give a chance to a full running condition. On a related note, I see at that maywood station, there is plenty of room to build a nice long siding there that can connect the "static" siding to the main line. Why not do this? This way any future purchases of rail equipment will not require a move of the main line over, to get equipment onto "static" siding. Also if 206 is ever considered for a full restoration, you then can have access to main line and can run weekend excursions around line with 206 as the power.

Got shots of when CSX Y120 Pulled it and other URHS equipment out of storage in Ridgefield Park

http://nysw3022.rrpicturearchives.net/a ... x?id=43784

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx69vxUIVmE

does anyone know what happened to that conrail transfer caboose?

Steve,

The transfer hack was sitting in Butler. My father photographed it shortly after it had shown up, he met someone in the Butler yard at that time that claimed to be the new owner. I believe he also works for the NYS&W. I live in Butler but I can't remember if it is still there or if it was moved with the double deckers down to the fenced in, former bulk transfer yard in Riverdale.

Chris

what does it mean for an engine have the prime mover suffer a massive failure? What is the prime mover? I guess it's an expensive repair job?

The prime mover is the actual 'engine' in the locomotive. Think of it as the motor in your car seizing - yes a big expensive repair.