Hot Water posted:I just don't understand why those folks will NOT admit all the problems that 1309 had, and still has as a result of the C&O seriously wearing her out and keeping her running with "quick fixes" until new diesels arrived.
Funny you'd mention that. I once went to the B&O museum in the late 90s, and encountered a former C&O hogger walking around with his kids and grandkids, talking about running several of the types at the museum. I followed the family at a respectful distance but hung on his every word. He said several times while pointing to various locomotives, that he would bet most were totally worn out due to the 'bailing wire and bubble gum' (his words) nature of late steam operations. He talked about taking locomotives out with all kinds of problems, nursing them along his run so he could pass the problem on to someone else. I remember him saying that the list of items that'd deadline a locomotive back then was quite short.
I'll never forget the last thing I heard him tell one of the kids who asked if any of the steam engines could run again. He said, "You can restore anything if you put enough money and time into it. I wouldn't take any of these out if they shopped them and fired them up again, that's for sure."
Ironically, I was parked with a view of the end of spurs in the parking lot, with a view of 2101 and 1309. I thought to myself that I'd never see Freedom Train # 1 running, and I think I remember snickering at the thought anyone would try to get 1309 going. I didn't know, though, how little time she'd had on her when they dropped the fires.
Anyway, I'd thought of that day several times during the saga of 1309's comings and goings recently...
