My visit to Roanoke, VA , 2/23/08

[C430]

Spent most of the day in Roanoke taking train photos. Saw some very interesting things. Big on the list is 4 derelict steam locomotives sitting on an unused, vine covered track. I searched this forum and found no mention of it. My photos are on print film, so it may be a few days before I can get them scanned and posted here.

[Conrail Tweety]

I'm assuming these are the steamers you are referring to:

http://lostengines.railfan.net/
It's my understanding that these steamers have not moved in over 50 years. They have since sunk into the ground too far to be easily moved.

These are sitting behind Virginia Scrap Iron & Metal. Sam Golden (who owned VSI&M) died in 2003 and his estate donated the steamers to the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

There are plans to move them across town to the museum, but I don't know the details.

[Conrail Tweety]

Some recent stories from the Roanoke Times:

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/147327

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/147064

[C430]

That's it! Thanks for posting the link to the website. Great photos. Now I don't have to go back and jump the fence. My photos were taken from the overpass and from the greenway across the river.
I'm not acquainted with heavy equipment but, it doesn't seem like too big of a deal to move them.

[C430]

I'm going to open my mouth and perhaps show my ignorance. But those locomotives got there in one piece, one way or another. I am not able to measure distances from the photos but, couldn't a railroad crane be brought in on that nice looking track and pick-up the locos and place them on a railroad flat car? I'd like to be there when they attempt to move them.

[Conrail Tweety]

I'm going to open my mouth and perhaps show my ignorance. But those locomotives got there in one piece, one way or another. I am not able to measure distances from the photos but, couldn't a railroad crane be brought in on that nice looking track and pick-up the locos and place them on a railroad flat car? I'd like to be there when they attempt to move them.

Yes, but it's not that simple. This is a single-track mainline running south out of Roanoke, and NS would not want it to be unavailable to regular freight for an extended amount of time.

I suspect the lift would require the use of two cranes, unless one was a monster.

There may be vertical clearance issues with placing them on flatcars, unless a depressed-center version with enough length in the center section could be found.

For the short distances involved in the moves, I would think that a heavy lowboy truck-trailer may be a more cost effective method. Just my guess.

I suspect there may also be some environmental concerns. Those locos may need asbestos abatement before they could be moved.

There is also the issue of cost. I don't think the VMoT has enough funds right now to cover the moves. NS wants to see them moved and preserved, but they don't want to fund the project, or have it interfere with their daily operations.

I sure hope they can somehow be preserved.