Michigan Southern Alcos

[rwas]

Maybe someone should find out who owns the ex AA RS that is south of the NS in Raisin Center. Its on the south end of the SMRS tracks that connect to the ADBF outside of Adrian and north of Lenawee Junction. From a distance and from prior online photos it appears as if work has been done and maybe the plan is to continue to restore it. If preservation is a priority for some it is possible that contributions could be made to the owner to return this loco to its glory days. Just a thought.

[SD80MAC]

SMRS owns both of the former Annie RS1's IIRC. One is on their line near Raisin Center and the other is on display at Shepherd. The one in Raisin Center gets run once or twice a year.

[TrainWatcher]

So can one ask since SMRS owns both, would they be interested in allowing them back to live rail and restoration if the money was available?

[sd70accsxt700]

Friction bearing trucks, could only opperate on SMRS rail with out a waver. Not sure if FRA would grant one to opperate on say GLC or not. Can not be interchanged with the trucks under them.

[Clay320]

Yes SMRS owns AA RS1 #20 & #21. 21 is at Raisin Center. We do start it up now and again to stretch its legs, there is a you tube video out there of it moving a short distance under its own power. We are hoping to get paint on it fairly soon. Bringing it up to Clinton or Tecumseh and restoring it is the long term goal. Right now we've been tied up with work on the 44 tonner among other things so we haven't been able to put much money towards restoring and moving the alco to our usable track.

20 is the one at Shepard and is leased by us to the depot museum there.They take good care of it and for the foreseeable future its going to stay there.


So in short they are not for sale, they're safe from the scraper and the intent is to restore them and possibly use them to pull trains someday.

[Robert MacDowell]

Simply gutting an engine and stuffing it somewhere costs money as well. Crane costs, moving costs on rail, and where to put it. It can always be done, but it does not happen by itself.

In this day and age, if something is deemed to have some historical significance, there often is some kind of effort to save it. That being the "first" of its kind, it appears to be a little more significant than others of the same model that disappeared years ago. However, it also appears there is no strong movement to save such pieces of railroad history as there is with steam locomotives. If there isn't an alco-based museum or rich railfan out there able to keep the piece of history alive, then there is nothing you and I or anyone else with no money can do about it. And that's what sad. So much history lost because there just weren't the funds (or care) to save them.

It ain't about money. It's about organization. Take 1000 foamers with $2000 cameras around their necks, guess what you have -- NOTHING. Because nobody is coordinating, nobody is working together, we're all just saying things like this. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19991&hilit=defeatist
Because nobody appreciates what we're capable of when working together.

Cross the lake and you have a somewhat different picture of things. http://www.irm.org/

Why? Is Illinois more "special" than Michigan? I really doubt that. They are just better organized, and they have one museum which has reached a "critical mass" of success, which has spurred on other museums to also succeed. So you have Fox River, Monticello, East Troy, Mid-Continent just a stones throw away.

So how do WE change the game, to make MICHIGAN as successful as Illinois in preserving equipment? Don't say "money", that puts the cart before the horse. The difference is attitude. What would it take for MICHIGAN railfans to start thinking different about preservation, start see these things as ACTUALLY POSSIBLE and then turn to the question of how?

Coz this isn't over. More units are coming up. Michigan railway "preservation" will continue to be a trail of tears until we do something positive to change that.

[12Bridge]

Amen brother!

[J T]

Amen brother!

Ditto to that.

[Notch 8]

The Carnage Continues.. Scrappers from Alabama puttin a hurtin on the Alco numbers in Michigan..Hey I just found some trucks for #469 ? Food for thought !

Pictures of the deed !

http://www.fwarailfan.net/community/vie ... f=7&t=2579

Mike

[Raildudes dad]

Friction bearing trucks, could only opperate on SMRS rail with out a waver. Not sure if FRA would grant one to opperate on say GLC or not. Can not be interchanged with the trucks under them.

I believe the regs say a RR is not required to accept friction bearing cars in interchange, it's a choice not a prohibition. No waiver to to be off line that I'm aware of. (I leased a friction bearing loco to a regional carrier - when their engine caught fire, they were very willing to accept our friction bearing loco at interchange)

[GP9R]

Of course EMD copied the idea, design, which led to the legendary Geep. You would certainly save the first Geep if you could.

Slightly off topic but important none the less, GP7 in question, EMDX 100/CNW 1518 is preserved all ready

[GP30M4216]

End of year revenue boost for the line, perhaps?

Too bad none of the Alco parts can be procured to help with a restoration of D&M #469! EVENTS LIKE THIS need to galvanize ACTION amongst the railfan and historian community. The RS-2 was a landmark locomotive design which arguably leads directly to the most modern AC and high-adhesion wide-cabs of today. Seeing #466 be scrapped is heartbreaking for its historical value (and also considering is was given new MSO paint by Morris in the summer of 1997....and then Pioneer acquired the line in the fall and didn't drain the unit for the winter - so it was really messed up after that), but we are lucky to - for the moment - still have D&M #469 remaining. Someone needs to get themselves organized to try to acquire #469 and begin the work to secure and plan for the future of this locomotive, before a turn of events turns it also into razor blades. I would volunteer to try to take on some responsibility - but me being in Connecticut realistically precludes me from doing so.

As for the actual scrapping of these four Alcos, each one unique, it's sad to see history so easily wiped away with a few cuts of a torch. RS3 #977, for example, had some work done to it in the past few years to maintain it in operable condition as a back-up unit, although I believe the block cracked a year or two ago. Last Winter, RS3M #7804 also showed a few small signs of investment and recent care. S1 #66, which I've never seen run, was the oldest of the bunch. And RS2 #466, the first RS2 ever - well, its story does not need to be re-told. Few vestiges now remain on the line from the Morris era.

I have several memories of the Alcos on the MSO from my younger years on my way to and from Grandma's in Elkhart, which I will share at another not-so-late hour. Until then, please see my story and some hi-resolution photos of the Alcos of the Michigan Southern in better times at this link:

http://indianarailroads.org/board/index ... 5#msg60525

[Robertrains]

Was the T-6 #101 scrapped too? It's such a shame to see these go! Gosh, I have never seen any these in operation! I think I've only seen an S-1 near Elkhart, 11-1997. It was at night sitting in the rain and not good pix! I've just seen the yard at White Pigeon in passing ̶ I don't have pix of that!

Would LSRC #469 be only 3 months newer than 466? Anything else significant about 469 other than it being among the first to replace steam (if anyone knows)? I sure like the D&M (and CMGN) numbering system!

[GP30M4216]

Robert:

The S2 in Elkhart was #78. Here's a photo from 1996:


#78 was sold early in the Pioneer era and now works on French Lick Scenic Railway in Indiana. It was repainted last year.

I think the D&M #469 was delivered as part of a set beginning with #466 and continuing through #4610. All were delivered at the same time, but the numbering system reflects one arriving per month. I THINK. Either way, #469 is from the first RS-2 order and thus is just as good a candidate for preservation as #466 is.

NO, the rare T6 was not scrapped. It was moved somewhere east (Pennsylvania?) in 2008. I can't remember if it was sold by Pioneer or just shuffled somewhere else, but as far as I know, it has not been cut up.

[AARR]

I think the D&M #469 was delivered as part of a set beginning with #466 and continuing through #4610. All were delivered at the same time, but the numbering system reflects one arriving per month. I THINK. Either way, #469 is from the first RS-2 order and thus is just as good a candidate for preservation as #466 is.

You are correct, GP30M. Ironically, S1 was also acquired at the same time and numbered 646 (month and year), hence the RS2's went year then month. Also, actual delivery dates are not reflected by the numbers as you said. In the case of the RS2's they arrived eaither before or after June yet one would think they arrived during June based on the number. This is a consistent trend amoung all D&M engines acquired during their history.

[Typhoon]

Of course EMD copied the idea, design, which led to the legendary Geep. You would certainly save the first Geep if you could.

Slightly off topic but important none the less, GP7 in question, EMDX 100/CNW 1518 is preserved all ready

At IRM, none the less.

[SD80MAC]

The first SD40, SD40A IC 6071 (ex GM&O), is also preserved at Monticello in IL.

[MP73point4]

A couple photos of the progress as of Friday afternoon. 466 hadn't been touched yet. Still very sad.

[Sppengelly]

Well, I have some good news! I am a member of the Howell Area Historical Society and Depot Museum in Howell along the GLC (former Ann Arbor). I was in contact with the owner of the 469 (Waymore Power) a few months ago. A real nice guy he is! He tried to save all three (469, 974, 975) but the storage costs that LSRC charged were huge! So, in order to break even he had to scrap the 974 and 975 . We tried to get the 469 to Howell on one of the two spur sidings for storage but GLC refused. Waymore Power is willing to sell for scrap value (15 to 30 grand) OR will move the locomotive to a temporary home with storage costs less than what LSRC was charging. The owner willing to work with any "host family" of the engine. If someone (or some group) would like the contact information I can post it.

-Sean

[TrainWatcher]

Excellent... Too bad the 977 had to meet her fate. How does one contact them? I might be interested in a horn if available.