Most guys just love to walk around two places in particular, those being hardware stores and junk yards (i.e. auto graveyards)[:)]. Here’s a thought I would like to offer up for consideration to the editors of TRAINS magazine, how about an article on Larry’s Truck and Electric and perhaps expanded to include other locomotive scrappers and “graveyards”[:p].
I remember when EMD’s LaGrange plant was still producing complete units[V] and there used to be such a scrapper next to their plant (Pielet Bros.?) and I would love to watch their operations from the nearbye bridge and see all the old units[:(] (and some of them were exotic I thought). I especially remember there being an F unit that EMD once used as a test bed for new prime movers sitting in the weeds in dark blue paint and lettered ELECTRO MOTIVE on the flanks (saw a picture of this unit while testing on the ATSF out west in the dessert some time back).
What do you other folks think of this idea (now be nice and no slaps about getting a life, those sort of things are reserved for REALLY wild thoughts or weird forum threads).[?]
I think it’s a great idea [:p]
Thats not weird, its a great idea, for more info about LT&E find the thread, it is a little more than 3 weeks old I believe.
I too think it would be a great idea. Its always great to see locomotives being built but it would be even better to see how they are dismantled and/or revived! I think if TRAINS were to do a section on this, they should include LTE and NRE for sure.
NOTE TO TRAINS MAGAZINE STAFF: ARE YOU LISTENING, HOPE SO.
How about a dedicated issue from Trains on the birth, life, death[xx(] and sometimes rebirth [angel] of a locomotive. They could start with the manufacturers, go to the service providers and shops, then to the scrappers, and then maybe a little on the rebuilders/remanufacturers. I know that would certainly inerest me!!!
I remember one of the smaller magazines (Railpace?) doing an article on LTE a couple of years ago. Their management seems pretty amenable to such things. NRE also used to be pretty forthcoming when asked for information.
You never would have gotten cooperation like that from Pielet Brothers! I got taken into their security office once for looking for locomotive numbers with binoculars from Joliet Road. The guard put me on the phone with Mr. Pielet himself, who sounded about as Scrooge-y as anyone I can remember.