PRR RS-3 No. 8479 in Swedeland, PA

[M1a6776]

Does anyone know why PRR RS-3 No. 8479 sits abandoned on a siding along the NS mainline near the Philadelphia Inquirer building in Swedeland, PA? It looks like it’s been there for some time.

[chuchubob]

Illustration: PRR 8479 in Swedeland

[PARailWiz]

Never noticed that before - is it visible from the road?

[chuchubob]

Never noticed that before - is it visible from the road?

I don't think so. You turn off Schuylkill River Road onto an industrial access road and the RS3 is on the left before the access road makes a ninety degree right turn into the industry's property.

[M1a6776]

I found another photo of PRR RS-3 8479 at Swedeland, PA, dated October 1990 on the Philadelphia Chapter, NRHS web site. The photo shows 8479 parked with some other equipment from the Anthracite Railroad Historical Society.

http://www.trainweb.org/phillynrhs/RPOTW030309.html

Everything other than the RS-3 has since been moved.

Mike

[kemacprr]

The 8479 is owned by the AHRS. It was purchased as a parts unit for their other RS-3's. It was purchased from Amtrak back in 1987-88 by an individual and was shipped to Reading where it was stored along with the other AHRS units. When the individual found out that the prime mover was missing many vital parts he decided to sell it to the AHRS. When the Reading shop building was sold it was moved along with the AHRS ex LIRR FA-2 , the F-3 units and two other FA-2 to The UMP in Swedeland. When the UMP sold the ground where the coke plant used to exist the unit was moved to where it now sits. It' has all traction motors removed and was basically a V-7 ( a V-12 with 5 power assemblies removed ) Two of us tried about 12 years ago to get it to the museum in Strasburg since it's a PRR loco and only 1 of 3 pure RS-3 left from the PRR. They were not interested !!! So it still sits there today. --- Ken McCorry

[Red Arrow Fan]

...When the UMP sold the ground where the coke plant used to exist ...

Is the Inquirer site where the Allen Wood Steel plant used to be? (I was wondering where that went . )

[kemacprr]

Yes the current Inquier building sits on part of the old Alan Wood Steel plant. ----------- Ken McCorry

[N. Todd]

I was told Anthracite abandoned the unit following the death of it's former owner (ie. who's responsible for initially restoring it). Its been that way for 20 years now.

[MelroseMatt]

I spotted this engine in High School, circa 1998, when we made a run to Shorty's junk yard nearby, and asked the same question "what's it doing here?" At one point, I walked back to see the engine close up, and realized it was basically stripped. The cab was missing everything, engine had huge bits exposed, wiring destroyed by vandals. The cooling system on the RS3 was neat though, at the end of the long hood, that round bulge at the roof shrouded a single fan, drawing air through radiators on the sides of the engine. There was a door in the nose, so you could access this large room, designed, I suppose, to give the hot air a place to ride.

[Nacho66]

Look at is a monument to our, once great, industrial might.

A true headstone of sorts.

[steverogers86]

Well I am bringing this topic back from the dead. I visited this site about a month ago and I can say that this machine is in pretty bad shape. There is nothing left of it. I snapped a few pictures of it and threw together this video of some pictures i found on the internet as well as mine. Check it out and tell me what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0-YLov78eI

[charlie6017]

Welcome to the forums, Steve.

I never realized the unit was still sitting there until now. Sadly, it looks like this one is
just too far gone--at least from the naked eye. When a locomotive sits for this long a
time, the elements just eat away at so much of everything. It doesn't look like the exhaust
stack is capped--so water will likely be in the crank-case. I'm not an expert but I'm thinking
this one's a goner.

Unfortunately, not everything can be saved--there just aren't enough dollars.

Charlie

[steverogers86]

Thanks You. Yes it been sitting there for over 15 years from what I heard. There really nothing left of it but it still neat to see something that was once in service for the PRR.

Also I re uploaded the youtube video. I made some errors on the original one. Here is the correct link to the video..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOy1yrf1_m4