EL SDP45 #3639 to be restored

[markfj]

Hello Group,


The Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation has just announced that they have reached an agreement with the Virginia Museum of Transportation to purchase former Erie Lackawanna SDP45 diesel locomotive No. 3639. This is pretty exciting news for EL fans and it is also great to see another large diesel saved from the scrap pile.


The Conrail SDP45 in Roanoke...

Conrail SDP45 6670 Initial Inspection

I’m not associated with this foundation, but I’ve been following Rick Rowland’s work and really admire his dedication to preserving industrial and railroad equipment.

As an added bonus to modelers, the attached video gives you a clear look at how the control stands are arranged in a duel control cab. This may be useful information to those that model roads like the Reading, PRSL, PC and other roads that ran diesels with extended cabs for dual controls.


Again, really glad to see this happening and I’m sure Rick and his group will do a great job on the restoration.


Thanks, Mark

[theengineshed]

This is great news, but the YSHF sure has there work cut out for them. This SDP has been suffering at VMT for ages...

[bnsf971]

If they are planning a cosmetic restoration, it looks like a relatively easy process. Repair the rust, install new windows and number boards, and repaint. If they want to return the engine to operation, it also looks relatively straightforward. All it would take would be a truckload of cash, and a lot of time.

[markfj]

Now CSX has donated an SD45-2 to Southeastern Railway Museum which will probably restore the unit to its Seaboard Coast Line colors.


CSX Transportation Donates Rare Locomotive to Southeastern Railway Museum

I’m biased towards the EL because I think they had a more attractive paint scheme, but it is still great news (again) to see these diesels being preserved. Sounds like the CSX unit is operational.

Thanks, Mark

[Great-Northern-Willmar Div]

Sept 16, 2018 2:37:36 GMT -8 bnsf971 said:

If they are planning a cosmetic restoration, it looks like a relatively easy process. Repair the rust, install new windows and number boards, and repaint. If they want to return the engine to operation, it also looks relatively straightforward. All it would take would be a truckload of cash, and a lot of time.

It is also missing the cab doors.....The first step is not to start to daydream about even repainting the unit for static display. First order of business is to stabilize what is there. You'd be surprised at how what doesn't look like rot is actually extensive. Every paint job, I've seen the Illinois Railway Museum's diesel department do, how fast the cancer is detected and the cutting, welding and grinding begin to repair unseen damage. 

IRM spent a bucket full of money to have National Railway equipment in Silvis, Illinois replace the freeze damage prime mover, grounded main generator and trucks on former Santa Fe EMD FP45 #92. BNSF before donating the unit to IRM, switched the functional prime mover and main generator with a freeze damaged prime mover and grounded generator. They also switched out the original high mount brake cylinder truck frames for old style low mount. 

IRM can do some phenomenal work on their own, but felt prime mover, generator and truck swap needed to be done by a large rebuilding contractor like NRE in Silvis. NRE has the facilities, manpower and expertise to do the job right the first time.

The body on AT&SF #92 is in real poor shape and will require some more buckets of money for even the volunteers to properly restore the body. Orange Empire museum in California did an extensive restoration to their Santa Fe #98's body. 98 was the only FP45 donated by BNSF which was operational. So OEM did the extensive body work and now it is AT&SF #108 again in passenger dress. 98's body when donated was in better shape than 92's and 92 has been soaking up the Chicago area weather sitting still outside for many years.

I think the group with the EL SDP45 may well find out that a quick stabilizing of the CR paint is a whole lot more work than they could have imagined.  
 

[roadkill]

If there's anybody in the railroad preservation movement I'd want involved with the restoration of this loco it's Mr. Rowlands. From what I've read of him on Railway Preservation New's forum he's a class act.

[12bridge]

Rick has done more single handed for Railroad Preservation then most groups have in Decades. A real hero to the hobby. He will pull this off, and then some. No doubt.

[markfj]

Athearn has now announced a preorder of their SDP45 model decorated for either EL 3639 or CR 6670. A portion of the sales price of the model includes a donation to the restoration effort.


Extra 3639 North

Scroll down a bit to see preorder announcement.

Thanks, Mark

[markfj]

Rick Rowlands posted a video update yesterday on this SDP45 project and it’s not good news.

Let's Talk about the SDP45 Project

For those that don’t have the time to watch the full video, I’ll try my best to summarize.

A key problem was the length of time it took the railroad to get the locomotive moved. Apparently Norfolk Southern had furloughed many switching crews in the area and this along with the implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroad (and subsequent management/supervision changes) meant the locomotive sat for a very long time. This time lag caused priorities to shift at YSHF and other projects that were more feasible drew away Rick’s time and resources.

Another issue was of course the money required to complete the purchase of the locomotive and get its air brake system restored/replaced for the move. Rick describes the locomotive as basically a “hulk” that requires a lot of mechanical work and parts. Apparently he was funding a lot of this project from his own money, but he felt it was better to put the money towards YSHF projects as time wore on and it seemed that the SDP45 would never get moved.

Finally, the realities of undertaking a big restoration project became clear. It takes volunteers to get work done and even with a working steam locomotive at the YSHF, they still get few volunteers to commit time to help with the locomotive and other projects. Rick also believes that it will now be even more difficult to attract volunteers as inflation and high gas prices will make it less likely for people to come out and help.

So, there you have it. I hope the locomotive does get restored, but its future seems very uncertain now.

Thanks, Mark

[el3625]

What happens then to the money that was donated for this project then? I do not think they should keep it if they are not going to pursue this locomotive (SDP45) any longer. I myself donated $100.00 to acquire and for the restoration fund of this locomotive. I want my money back then; I am not donating for anything else than what I donated for.

Bruce

[markfj]

Mar 17, 2022 11:24:47 GMT -8 el3625 said:

What happens then to the money that was donated for this project then? I do not think they should keep it if they are not going to pursue this locomotive (SDP45) any longer. I myself donated $100.00 to acquire and for the restoration fund of this locomotive. I want my money back then; I am not donating for anything else than what I donated for.

Bruce

Bruce, Rick said in the video that he will refund donations. Just send him an email asking for a refund.

Thanks, Mark

[lvrr325]

Some 20 years ago I kind of brokered a deal wherein the CNY NRHS traded Rowlands their ex-Steamtown, ex-MMID, nee-MILW FP7 that was stuck in Tobyhanna PA with the railroad refusing to move it, for a bulldozer and $3000. They had bought a plot of land and the dozer was to be used to level out space to put in a yard and a building to house their equipment.

The bulldozer came, and did run, but has never left the spot it was placed in when it was delivered; it turned out to date from the 1940s and was pretty well worn out. The remaining funds never turned up. But the locomotive did magically get moved down to Scranton, even though per one of the mechanical guys it had been in the middle of an overhaul when Steamtown gave up and hauled it up there, putting the trucks back under it on the wrong ends in the process. So far as I know it's still there, he sold it to someone else.

Take from that what you may, but I didn't donate any money on the SDP45.

There was a pair of those FP7s, Steamtown painted the other in a DL&W scheme. That one was able to be moved and came to a Chapter facility, but eventually was sold to Ed Bowers. The one that couldn't be moved, Steamtown had it put on a siding outside of the army depot down there so people could work on it without going into the base, and of course then it was vandalized, to the point of an oil leak that required an expensive remediation to clean up. So it was a disaster all the way around.