atx railfan - again, wonderful photo..and one word comes to mind.. "Sad!"
However - for those interested, another photo http://www.railpictures.net/photo/229719/ had comments about one of these units being bought by the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. Well - here's the information about that courtesy of the Daily Star News newspaper in Oneonta, New York - Story from July 08, 2009:
The Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society which has two historic GG-1 locomotives that the society sold, await travel and other arrangements to reach their new homes, Bruce Hodges, president of the railway society, said Tuesday. The locomotives are being stored at Cooperstown Junction, but are visible from state Route 7.
Sometimes, the society must decide to sell its property to support and focus on its mission, Hodges said. The society has sold one of its GG-1 locomotives to The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Mich., and another to the GG-1 Historical Locomotive Preservation Society in Miami, Fla., which made a $5,000 deposit toward the $25,000 price tag.
Renovations, including asbestos removal from the locomotive destined to The Henry Ford Museum, sparked concerns from neighbors last year about possible health risks. At the time, Hodges said not notifying neighbors was an oversight. This week, he said that the new owner of the second locomotive won't be permitted to do refurbishment at the Cooperstown Junction site.
Several years ago, the Henry Ford museum paid $15,000 for the electric locomotive, and is responsible for moving it to Dearborn, Hodges said. The train would travel along Canadian Pacific rails until Harrisburg, Pa., then on Norfolk Southern rails to Michigan, he said.
The relocation has been delayed by clearance issues raised by Norfolk Southern about whether the locomotive can pass over their tracks, Hodges said, and also by funding constraints at the museum.
A GG-1 locomotive is nearly 80-feet long and weighs almost 240 tons, according to Christian Overland, of The Henry Ford Museum, one of the nation's premier history and culture museums. The locomotives debuted in the mid-1930s, and helped usher in a new era in railroad engines, he said previously. The GG-1s were decommissioned in the mid-1980s.
"Norfolk Southern informed The Henry Ford Museum that the GG-1 locomotive could not be moved due to clearance issues.' Those issues, as we understand them, have to do with the width of the locomotive, and the simple fact the train does not fit properly on the tracks and therefore cannot be moved,'' Overland, vice president of museums and collections, said in a statement sent by e-mail Tuesday. ``The current economic state of the nation has forced our institution to rethink our intentions for this artifact."
Overland, who has been traveling, couldn't be reached by telephone Tuesday, the museums' media-relations office said.
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A little rusted out, maybe not up to OSHA health standards, but still quite beautiful to behold. The GG-1 is in a class all its own. From a time that we built items to last. When current locomotives are as old as these, they might be comparable. Thanks for posting atx.
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To reflect Dana M's words...it's sad and a shame! GG-1's ran for years; I would imagine with few clearance problems and now their "too wide" to fit on tracks? Sounds like an easy our of a clean-up project.
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In reply to masoncs - about the "clearance issues" raised by NS about: "..Those issues, as we understand them, have to do with the width of the locomotive, and the simple fact the train does not fit properly on the tracks and therefore cannot be moved..'' are a legitimate concern. Take a look at the photo and the wheel arrangement of these "beasts"! The six rigid axles under the main frame / cab section alone would be a problem to negotiate some of the curves on today's NS lines. Yes, a six axle SD70ACe can negotiate a modern curve, but don't forget, those trucks can pivot. The six axles on the GG-1 are rigid and aren't as "flexible". I would think however that a really good "low-boy" heavy hauling flatbed truck could work, or perhaps the Henry Ford Museum could get the “world’s largest railroad car,” Schnabel CEBX No. 800 to haul this "brute" to Michigan? It is possible to move these rare "gems" - it's just a matter of how.
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