Yesterday was a sad day for me ... the 19 was towed to Monague where she'll be loaded onto a flatcar and sent to Ohio. She looked awful ... stripped of all identification, even her builder's plates; cab boarded up with plywood; headlight(s), whistle and bell had been removed. There was even graffiti on her tender! As they entered the interchange with CORP the 19's front corner of her foot-board came into contact with a stack of scrap rail and bent it back on one corner. Originally, she was supposed to be loaded on a flatcar by two cranes; but now they are going to load her by constructing a 'ramp.' Not sure how or what that is ... maybe something like when the YW took delivery of the now scrapped MRS-1 #244. I was going to video the arrival to Montague, but found the camera was not charged. I did manage to get about a ten second vid via my cellphone. I have to find the adapter to post it here. Good bye, Pancho. It was nice knowing you!
Bill, at least we have our memories. I took this shot in 1996 on the way up to Portland for the many 4449 outings that year. It was before we actually met each other in person, and that may be you up on top.
The 19 left Montague yesterday, 4 April 2017 via flatcar and spent the night in Black Butte at the UP interchange. It is unknown if she will go east via Klamath Falls, or Roseville. Good bye, Pancho!
That's a good question, Ken. The local shippers will not use rail service as long as Court Hammond is still involved with the YW. He's poisoned his own well in Siskiyou County. If he doesn't sell it, I think he'll simply scrap everything and abandon it. However, there are other factors that could affect it all ... namely lien holders. Still a big tangled bird-nest!
This is where a Dislike button would be handy. Not for your post, but the situation you've described.
I happened to catch the movie Emperor of the North Pole on cable and watched it yesterday. No. 19 gets a lot of excellent screen time. I didn't know anything about the 19, but was reading the May 2017 Railfan & Railroad magazine this morning and saw a photo of her on Page 16 and thought, "Hey, that looks like the locomotive in Emperor!" R&R didn't mention her stardom on the screen.
Both of the remaining Harriman's have been loaded on flatbed trailers and are on their way to Tillamook, OR. I saw one unit sitting at the north end of the scales in Ashland, and the other sitting at the Siskiyou Summit last evening on the way home (permit limitations for moving them). I spoke with Scott, who I believe owns or manages the OCSR and he told me the cars will be fully restored and kept at the museum in Tillamook. The YWRR is going to have a FRA inspection next week and Mr. Hammond will have his hands full for moving the 19 from Yreka to Montague without a track inspection; and also the SW8 was moved, (again) from the area of TP to Yreka where it now kept in the engine house.
What is the status of the railroad? Is it legally closed down? Operable? Am unsure where it is in the legal world?
Good question, Ken. I expect the YW is still tangled in legal liens. Also a correction for my post: The Harriman cars will be restored at the Tillamook museum, but will be part of the OCSR for use when restoration is complete.
