3 "A"s in Stationary Boiler service in Charleston WVA.

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

On Sep 6, 2006, at 11:20 PM, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org wrote:


> Bob,

> the story is as follows...

>

>                                    How 1218 was Saved

> <snip>



>

> The rest of the article tells how the 1218 traveled from Vermont to 

> Virginia to be displayed at the newly built Roanoke Transportation 

> Musuem in 1967, and it also tells how while the 1218 was in route that 

> Mr. Blount was killed in an airplane  crash.....If any one would like 

> to read the rest of this article and doesnt have this issue I would be 

> more than pleased to pass it along here...just let me know.

>

> until later,

> Shawn

>

Just to offer a tiny correction, the Roanoke Transportation Museum 
opened on Memorial Day weekend, 1963, as a city park. The 1218 did go 
to Vermont to be displayed, I recall a photo in Trains Magazine in late 
1967 or so with it in transit. Nelson Blount died in a small plane 
crash on August 31, 1967. I don't know why there was such a delay of 
movement to Steamtown. However, I suspect that it may have in a process 
of negotiation between Roanoke City (read N&W) and Steamtown to return 
it to Roanoke. To quote a Roanoke City News release about the arrival 
of the 1218 back in Roanoke, dated March 7, 1969
"...the acquisition of this classic display item is the culmination of 
four years of off-and-on negotiations of a charitable foundation in New 
England which held title to the locomotive."

The 1218 arrived in Roanoke on March 6, 1969 after about a 2-3 week 
move, and was spotted at the Roanoke Station for Bob Claytor, Bruce 
Sterzing and some other officials to examine it. It was then moved to 
the East End Shops where it underwent a cosmetic restoration, as time 
permitted. It was first rolled out for public display, on May 1, 1971 
at the Passenger Station while on the adjacent track Pocahontas arrived 
and then departed behind NKP 759 for the last time.

George Greenacre and Phil Titus were the folks responsible for saving 
the 1218 and getting in touch with Blount. They are to be commended to 
this day. George died a number of years ago, I don't know about Phil.

Ken Miller