As you can by my forum name I am a fan of the Baldwin Shark units that BLW built in the 50’s. I know that two still exist but wonder what will ever be done to them. Will they be restored? They need to see the light of day again. Any thoughts out there?
Steve
If I recall correctly, one of them has a seized up prime mover, and the other one also has some sort of catastrophic issue.
It would sure be wonderful to see them run again. I think that the owner is sitting on them now. I honestly have no idea what his intentions are.
how hard would it be to make one working and one non workingh, using parts from both?
Well, following the theft of both units builders plates (reproductions made by D&H/Colonie) and other items, their owner locked them in an enginehouse and swore he would never let them out again until that which was stolen is returned! And, he has kept his word. The selfish spoil things for everyone, except themselves, because they have no sense of shame or conscience.
As I recall they have been stored now for about twenty years. I assume the owner doesn;t have the $$$ to do the overhauls that would be quite expensive at this point so I doubt they will ever run again. Some day they may be donated or sold to one of the museums. Iwas in the cab of one of them at a rebuilder in St. Paul Minn. years ago. You could have had a party in there. One could easily put three rows of theater seats and charge railfans a premium for the trip. Baldwin cabs were huge.
Man, what a travesty. I think that if it’s an issue of not being able to afford rebuilding them that they should at the least be donated or sold to a museum. They are a valuble piece of railroad history I would like to enjoy seeing some way or another.
Steve
That runs into a problem almost all museums and historical societies run into, lack of money. Few, if any, museum foundations are loaded with enough cash to purchase and restore anything like this just out of available funds. Then, there would have to be enough interest in these particular locomotives to raise the necessary funds.
Money is not the problem. The entire thing was caused by idiot railfans disrespecting the property and vandalizing the locos. Street thugs do not steal from railroads, it is socalled railfans.
Wrong!, real Railfans have respect for railway property and land, and motive power and rolling stock. These are always people who have been raised in a wrong manner by slack parents, when will people learn.
THANK YOU .CURT![#ditto][tup][bow]
It makes me feel like I’m being held hostage by the idiots who steal valueble artifacts. You are right saying that there are some railfans that don’t know better. I can understand taking something off an engine that is going to the scrapper’s torch, but from a rare engine? I do hope that the persons responsible see the errors of thier ways & return the missing pieces. Fat chance, though…
Steve [sigh]
Well there are some things about the situation I cannot tell you, as I do not knw if it would be wise, but lets say I know more about this situation than all of you. (not a flame, im just saying)
John Larkin, owner of the Escanaba and Lake Superior, HAS enough money to restore them, but he chooses not to. He also has over 30 passenger cars stored away in his roundhouse.
The sharks, both whom are still wearing their D&H paint, will end up at a museum eventually, but I cannot share the exact details.
Also, they did not just take the plates. They broke into the shop and took tools and anything else they could find. Just extreme railfans who ruined everything for everyone.
This is just me, but if I owned them & had the thefts happen to me I would not let that stop me from doing what is right and that’s doing at least an overhaul of one unit & restore the paint & appearance of both. I would put them back in thier original NYC paint scheme. However, it’s good to hear that they will make it to a museum sometime, hopefully before I die! thanks to all the comments & information regarding these fantastic locomotives.
Steve [:)]
In other words, Mr. John Larkin has both of the only surviving Sharks left and are sitting in his roundhouse waiting to be run again. But the man has enough money to do what ever he wants. I mean, he does own a railroad. The sharks, as I have heard, are in runnung condition, he just chooses not to run them due to railfans. Plus he hates them. So don’t go and try to find them.
Happy railroading[(-D]
James
No shock there. I’ve been to numerous museums and every outdoor museum has had the builder plates stolen.
If I ever come across one, I am torn because if I take it, I’d be willing to give it back when said machine is restored…if I don’t someone else will steal it and keep it.
Well this is the whole understanding of the Shark situation. It is my understanding that the Sharks aren’t owned by The RR or John Larkin but by the a Private owner (Mr. John Kunzie (?) and his Castolite Corp.). In a 1986 Trains magazine article about the Escanaba and Lake Superior it stated that the E+LS had the capability and knowledge to fix the Sharks. As for John Larkin he actually was a Railfan before owning the RR and that he appreciated the significance of his RR’s fleet but he was in the business of operating a RR not a Mueseum. It used to be that he didn’t mind Railfans until there was a burglery at his RR’s shops on New Years Day 198?. I don’t know if anyone was caught but a number of Builders Plates, Manuals, Repair books, Tools, and other items were stolen. From what the article said the items were (mostly) only of use or interest to Railfans. Shortly after this signs were erected on the RR saying something to the Effect of " No Trespassing" “RAILFANS NOT WANTED” .
Simply put a few over-zealous Railfans ruined what could have been a great relationship between a RR and Railfans.
-Willie in Massachusetts
Correct, except he does own them.
Ye, As Coborn had stated, it is all correct. But He does own them and he won’t let anyone near them except his employees. They sit in one of his 4 or 5 sheds out on the Escanaba and Lake Superior.
James
Ok, I am Glad I got an Update on the (true) Ownership of the Sharks. The 1984 article in TRAINS “The Elongated E+LS” at the time stated that the Sharks were not owned by the RR at that time but were owned by John Kunzie/Castolite.
When did the ownership change to the E+LS? I know when they first moved to E+LS they were stored there and were leased on occasion until the mechanical problems happened.
As for the Great Northern Colors on the E+LS they are a product of John Larkin liking that scheme and his childhood (as mentioned in the article).
The Sharks may not be out for all to see but we can be thankful they are safe.
We can thank Mr. Bruce Sterzing, Former President of the D+H who traded old Boxcars to (I have heard the Monogahela or the scrapper) for them, and to John Kunzie + Castolite for bringing them to Michigan (1st to the Michigan Northern then to the E+LS) and to John Larson for keeping them safe on the Escanaba + Lake Superior. [bow][bow]