My neighbor has a steam bell that he bought, and says to everyone “If you can carry it out, you can have it.” That fawker is HEAVY and it is still in his train room. I know it is heavy, as I helped bring it in.
Adrianspeeder
So, I’ve sort of been wanting to get opinions on this but have been reluctant to ask.
Back about 1970, I was a high school kid or very recent graduate living in suburban Kansas City. Another kid - no particular friend of mine, but friend of a friend - somehow got hired for the summer in the Burlington Northern switchyards in Kansas City.
While working, he took it upon himself to remove the builder’s plate from an EMD switcher. He didn’t particularly want it; it was just something to do.
I knew nothing about it until September, when we were all getting ready to go off to school. Knowing I was a rail fan, he came by my house and just gave it to me.
Perhaps an 18 year old kid should have alerted BN that I had one of their plates, but I didn’t. Frankly, at the time I didn’t care much one way or the other. Nothing about a BN switcher interested me.
Still got it. I don’t really worry about BNSF hunting me down. But do you think I could consider myself the legal owner at this point? Any ideas on what ought to be done with it? I’m not saying I will follow any advice, but I will listen.
Larry
Larry, I would get on the various railway museum websites, find out which museum has the type of switcher that your builders plate refers to, and give it to that museum as a donation. You would be doing a good deed. We can doubt that the switcher is still in service on that railroad after this time, but there may be one in a railroad museum that could use the builders plate, and in any case, they will be happy to have a spare.
You’re a real gentleman Dave. I would have said the same thing.
What type of switcher is it?
WHY doesn’t Larry’s Truck & Electric put items like number boards, bells, maybe horns, up for sale when they scrap a locomotive? or some entrepreneur in the area of LT&E get into the business of BUYING these items from Larry, and make a mint selling them?
Thats a good idea!
Beats me, since I never saw the engine. I’ll remember to bring in the serial number, and I’m sure somebody here can enlighten me. It was built in 1946.
Larry
In all honesty, BNSF does have the legal title at this point. Write them a letter, ask them if they want it back or would rather you donate it to a museum. I am certain they will opt for the latter, but in either case your conscience is squeaky clean.
Sincerely,
Daniel Parks
That would be the smart thing to do.
Here’s the data from the plate:
Class 0-4-4-0
Serial # 3628
Tons: (blank)
Built: 8-14-46
Anybody know what it was?
Larry
Might have been a SW1500 or an NW-something.
Like I said on the GE SD40-2 thread, most units on the BNSF don’t have builders plates. We had a rash of horns stolen a while ago. I saw crew packs on sale on EBay. Crew packs are the toilet paper, waterless hand cleaner, ect that is stocked in the cabs. Heard of one incident where the RR cops found some BNSF pack sets (radios) hard hats and reflective vests on sale on EBay, they caught the guy involved. Anything not nailed down and even some that are can end up “missing”. One thing to remember is that most railroads are interstate carriers and that theft from them can be a federal crime!
So are “we” crazy or what? If “crazy” means self-defeating, then yes; at least if we encourage blatant ripping-off of RR property.
Yes, we can chalk it up to “passion,” but we don’t want to be put in the position of the mother who was up on charges in Family Court for whipping her little daughter and tried to defend her action as coming from one “who cared too much.”