I suspect most communities no longer want the maintenance expenses, temptations to vandalism, or legal liabilities, from locomotives in their parks. In recent years some steam locomotives formerly in public parks have been removed to museums, restored to operation, or occasionally just scrapped.
Diesels do not excite the public like a steam locomotive. It is rare to find one plinthed (or "stuffed", as I like to call it) on display in a public?park (railroad museums are an exception, of course). Barre & Chelsea 14, a GE 70-tonner is in Barre, Vermont (along with a really nifty flat car). PRR GP9 7048 is displayed inside Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, Pennsylvania. Tama & Toledo?Whitcomb 1 is in a county park outside Toledo, Iowa. B&M F7 4265 is displayed in Gorham, New Hampshire. I'm sure there are more, but they aren't common. No need to add to this list, I just cite these as rare examples.
On Fri, Jul 29, 2022 at 9:48 AM Justin Rowe via <justingrowe=[email protected]> wrote:
You can still see the orange worn underneath. I have seen retired fire engines turned into playground equipment with ramps to enter the truck, parts welded shut for safety, and interior cab?parts removed for safety. Too bad they couldn¡¯t have donated it and made it playground safe or fenced it off.?
On Thursday, July 28, 2022, 7:04 PM, Garth Groff and Sally Sanford <mallardlodge1000@...> wrote:
Friends,
Today's photos are two views of what was once SN 141. This locomotive was a trade-in to GE for 70-ton SN 202 in 1956.? After rebuilding by GE, the 44-tonner became Springfield Terminal 1. I found her in June 1996 stripped for part at Claremont, New Hampshire, on the near-by Claremont-Concord Railroad.? When I went back the next year, the locomotive was mercifully gone.
