Any NC Railfans on here, please?

[Carroll]

Good Evening Members

I am trying to find some information on a Rail-fan in Dunn NC. I say Rail-fan but, not in the sense of photographing trains but owning one. So that's why I am asking if there are any NC Rail-fans or knowledgeable railroad followers in NC on here that may be able to help me.

Carroll

[matthewsaggie]

Not sure what you are looking from your post, but I have some contacts in Dunn. What do you need?

[Carroll]

Not sure what you are looking from your post, but I have some contacts in Dunn. What do you need?

I first have to apologize to you for not getting back to you. I guess I didn't check the notify if there's a reply box

This is part of a letter(s) I have written to many people and businesses in Dunn but only 2 replied which couldn't help me.
---
I have been researching a class of locomotives, FPA-4s, once used by VIA Rail Canada. The reason I am searching for information is I am doing a history on these engines which, were produced by the Montreal Locomotive Works ( an American Locomotive Co. sub.) in 1958.

From what I have found so far, VIA Rail Canada engine #6767 ((see photo below -dated 1994)), sat on a cold storage company's lawn (present day name Nordic) just outside Benson in Dunn NC at 2400 Hodges-Chapel road, for quite a few years. The owner died in 2000 and the engine went to D. F. Barnhardt & Associates to be sold off as part of the owner's estate sale.

The reason I'm requesting your help is, now I'm assuming this, that an engine like that appearing in front of a business, not to mention transporting it through town and it sitting there for at least 6 years, then moving it out of town to be sold, must have generated some photos and articles in the media. Also the man's obituary would be published in the paper also.

So I am wondering if you have or someone has an archival website where a person can search old newspapers for stories and obituaries,

I realize I am asking a lot and if you have the time I certainly will appreciate the help. Any referrals that you believe might help me would also be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Carroll

Carroll Cameron (Mr.)
36, Route 105,
Keswick Ridge NB, E6L 1A1
CAN

[Carroll]

I am looking for information on VIA Rail Canada FPA-4 #6767- nee CNR 6767 (see photo below -dated 1994) which sat on the lawn at 2400 Hodges-Chapel Rd in Dunn NC from 1994(?)-2000. At the time of the photo there wasn't any name on the cold storage business. The reason I am searching for the information requested below is I am doing a pictorial history on these engines with, notable events over their lifetime. They were built at Montreal Locomotive Works ( an American Locomotive Co. sub.) in 1958 in Montreal.

The man that owned the unit was a Railfan ( I'm not sure if Railfan is the proper term for someone with a train engine on the lawn). He ended up with the unit as the passenger car he had purchased from VIA Rail was destroyed in transit. Having no more cars they offered him the unit as a replacement. It sat on the property in plain view from the road for at least 6 years. The gentleman who owned the business and the engine died in 2000 and the engine was sent off to D. F. Barnhardt & Associates, Mt. Pleasant NC, to be sold off as part of the owner's estate sale as they specialize in selling railway related equipment.

After his death present day owner Nordic Cold Storage (a distribution centre I believe) purchased the business.
This is what I have been searching for since June 2009. Who the owner of the business was, possibly why they bought it, were there tours of it and possibly when it was moved or whatever might have happened to it plus, if there happened to be media coverage in the local newspaper (I emailed Dunn Daily News, twice but, the didn't acknowledge my emails)? I can't see an engine like that appearing in front of a business, not to mention transporting it through town and it sitting there for at least 6 years, then moving it out of town after it's sold, not generating any photos and articles in the media or on railfan, historical and forums like this one but, there is nothing. I also asked if there was a way I could check the DDNews obituraies online but, with no reply, who knows? In 2010, using Google street view, the rails and ties were still on the lawn where the engine sat.

Anyway, I have used so many different search terms that I have exhausted every combination I could think of. I haven't searched for almost 2 yrs now as I've been searching for other stuff like p.s. below.

Any help is appreciated no matter what it is even if it's a referral.

Carroll

[Noel Weaver]

The number 6767 rings a bell with me. This particular engine was a regular on the Central Vermont back in the mid 60's on the day trains between Montreal and White River Junction making a round trip every day between these two points. I also rode behind this unit on the trip I took from Portland, Maine to Montreal back in the 60's as well. I am glad to see it is still around.
Noel Weaver

[Carroll]

The number 6767 rings a bell with me. This particular engine was a regular on the Central Vermont back in the mid 60's on the day trains between Montreal and White River Junction making a round trip every day between these two points. I also rode behind this unit on the trip I took from Portland, Maine to Montreal back in the 60's as well. I am glad to see it is still around.
Noel Weaver

Thanks for the info Noel. Would there happen to be any photos of it there that you would be willing to share with me?

Carroll

[Carroll]

Not sure what you are looking from your post, but I have some contacts in Dunn. What do you need?

I owe you a huge apology for not responding to your post matthewsaggie. I had the notify box checked but it apparently didn't work and I forgot about it over time. It was just last week, 17 months since your post, when I started posting on the Lac-Mégantic train disaster that I checked my previous posts and saw the one on Southeastern Railfan forum.

I have posted an answer to your post. Hopefully it explains in more detail what I was looking for. Again, I apologize for the length of time it has taken me to respond to your post.

Carroll

[Noel Weaver]

The number 6767 rings a bell with me. This particular engine was a regular on the Central Vermont back in the mid 60's on the day trains between Montreal and White River Junction making a round trip every day between these two points. I also rode behind this unit on the trip I took from Portland, Maine to Montreal back in the 60's as well. I am glad to see it is still around.
Noel Weaver

Thanks for the info Noel. Would there happen to be any photos of it there that you would be willing to share with me?

Carroll

Over the years I have had ups and downs when it comes to photography. I usually don't take many photos but I do have a couple of movies of the Portland trip but they are not very good and probably lots of others have better stuff than I do.
I don't know if I have any photos of the 6767 while it was running on the CV.
Noel Weaver

[Carroll]

The number 6767 rings a bell with me. This particular engine was a regular on the Central Vermont back in the mid 60's on the day trains between Montreal and White River Junction making a round trip every day between these two points. I also rode behind this unit on the trip I took from Portland, Maine to Montreal back in the 60's as well. I am glad to see it is still around.
Noel Weaver

Thanks for the info Noel. Would there happen to be any photos of it there that you would be willing to share with me?

Carroll

Over the years I have had ups and downs when it comes to photography. I usually don't take many photos but I do have a couple of movies of the Portland trip but they are not very good and probably lots of others have better stuff than I do.
I don't know if I have any photos of the 6767 while it was running on the CV.
Noel Weaver

Well if you happen to come across something sometime I would appreciate it if you would share it with me. Photos that people have shared with me full credit is given to the owner/photographer and ownership stays with the person I got them from. I only use them with permission.

Carroll

[matthewsaggie]

Finally saw your post today. Sorry, but i don't look often. I'll see what I can find, but sad to say, my main contact for Dunn recently passed away. I do know of a few others, but it will take some time. I guess after a year, that will be OK.

[matthewsaggie]

Finally saw your post today. Sorry, but i don't look often. I'll see what I can find, but sad to say, my main contact for Dunn recently passed away. I do know of a few others, but it will take some time. I guess after a year, that will be OK.

[Carroll]

Finally saw your post today. Sorry, but i don't look often. I'll see what I can find, but sad to say, my main contact for Dunn recently passed away. I do know of a few others, but it will take some time. I guess after a year, that will be OK.

You caught on to the urgency of it all real quick.

Anyway mathewsaggie what ever you can do is appreciated, whenever you can do it.
Carroll

[lvrr325]

Lots of things happen when no one is around to see them, it's easily possible no one photographed it going out. Coming in, possibly only the guy who bought it, so the photos would have been dispersed with the estate. FPA4's got dispersed to a number of places around that time. I saw 6777 on Ontario Midland back then.


If the place changed hands at the time of death, it was sold likely to meet estate tax requirements. Someone bought it because they thought they could make a buck.

It's entirely likely a library will have copies of newspapers with obituaries in them which can be searched to try to determine who the owner was. But it may require a visit to the library to do so.

[Carroll]

Lots of things happen when no one is around to see them, it's easily possible no one photographed it going out. Coming in, possibly only the guy who bought it, so the photos would have been dispersed with the estate. FPA4's got dispersed to a number of places around that time. I saw 6777 on Ontario Midland back then.

If the place changed hands at the time of death, it was sold likely to meet estate tax requirements. Someone bought it because they thought they could make a buck.

It's entirely likely a library will have copies of newspapers with obituaries in them which can be searched to try to determine who the owner was. But it may require a visit to the library to do so.

I find it hard to understand that the movements of that engine would not have been noticed and documented by the media but, anything is possible I guess.

In my July 15 post I only included the photo of it sitting on the lawn in Dunn, briefly explaining what I was after which wasn't really enough. Then on July 20th I posted a much more detailed post explaining what had happened to it. With this one I also posted a photo of it in Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR colours as they are the ones who bought it at the estate sale

I think a trip to the library is out since it would be about 1850 km/1140 miles from me to Dunn NC. If it was about a third that I would go. Anyway, I do thank you for the info. I was thinking I could send a letter to the Dunn newspaper if, they have a letters to the editor section or even an ad in the classifieds but, that is a last resort thing. I thought Railfans would be my best bet so, I had emailed a NC Railfan site owner and a couple others but, they don't seem to want to answer their emails.

Just keep trying I guess.
Carroll

[lvrr325]

By media if you mean the local news outlets, I sincerely doubt anyone worried about an old locomotive leaving storage from one place for another.