BR&P wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:17 am
I'm not familiar with the layout there. Would it be possible to drag the equipment along the rails to a spot accessible to a smaller crane and flatbeds? Disassemble the equipment into smaller components which would not require megabucks and sidewinders to move it out of there? Truck the pieces to the museum and reassemble there at a later time? Or is there just no way to get at them with anything?
That's the problem. The electric motors are pretty much at the end of the track but they're surrounded by soft/swampy land that's contaminated, steep terrain between their location and the nearest road, two rivers and an electric generation plant with transmission towers/lines and high-pressure natural gas lines along the best possible path out of there. It's 100% risk and 0% reward for the power company to get involved. Power plants don't like risk.
FWIW, do not underestimate the ability of two of those big wrecker trucks which they use to pick up wrecked semi's. Two of those would probably still be less expensive than a mammoth crane or a couple D9 sidebooms. The two which load the pieces at Albany would NOT have to drive all the way to the museum, save $ by hiring two more closer to home for the UNloading job. I have seen two of those pick up a GE 45 tonner, hold it in the air while a lowboy backed under, and then set it down on the truck. Does something along those lines allow a smaller, cheaper road to be built for the project, or still no possible way?
Yup - and in those situations, you gotta do what you gotta do. But they're not derailed trains leaking fuel or hazmat materials and blocking active rail lines. In that case, the wreckers are coming in to remove stuff quickly without regard to not scratching paint. If you've ever seen a derailment cleanup, they're not being gentle with the wrecked engines or rolling stock!
They're on an abandoned track that's landlocked in every worst possible way. We're talking about stuff that weighs 117 to 143 tons each. This is a worst case scenario for removing locomotives destined for preservation - which is what makes this all the more interesting.
My guess is the 4 passenger cars will be scrapped - they're too far gone. The RS-3 and U25B are confirmed as being scrapped. So that leaves the two electrics that they need to find a way to get out of there safely.