roundhouse in monroeville, PA

What railroad originally owned it?

I grew up ('til 8th grade) in Penn Hills and remember looking down on a roundhouse like the one pictured from a position similar to Thompson road in the Google shot.  Early '50s timeframe - remember seeing a blend of steam and cab units,

TIA,

I don't know the story on this F but it is interesting.  They had some ex Bessemer SD38s for a short time too. 

It was built for and has always been owned by the Union Railroad. A quick google search of 0-10-2 will show you one of the largest, heaviest non-articulated switch engines ever built; the Union Type. The reason for the odd wheel arrangement is the size of the turntable you see in the image; had Baldwin added a lead "pony truck" then engine would not have fit on the turntable. The turntable and roundhouse are still used today (though not that often since the diesel shop is much more suitable for working on the locomotives and the myriad of wyes within a short distance of the shop).

Very nice roundhouse photo. I would guess it is in western PA, as I lived in eastern PA a while back.

Lee f.

Mike,

I think you are correct in saying they never used the Fs.  Maybe this was painted in Hall and somebody slapped a URR herald on it.  Just guessing...........

I'll see if I can find the real story.

Dave

Here is another interesting photo.  Ex EJE

Here are the 38s.

The UNION runs near me That little railroad is awesome! They still run a caboose due to switching manuvers. They run for the steel mills in the area. Hauling in Ore Pellets from Bessemer & lake Erie RR " now CN but they still run the B&LE trains into The North Bessemer Yard "Penn Hills"

The Union Runs Sw1500's or their newer counterparts and they like to run multiple units and with the cab forward.

MTH had made several UNION RR items but got into licensinging problems with US Steel and had to quit.  

This roundhouse is in "Penn Center" Monroeville Pa near Monroeville Mall

As you cross the bridge on route 22 you can see it.

http://www.tstarinc.com/union/union-history.html

Is the B&LE roundhouse still in existance?

The one in Greenville, PA is....there are no longer any engine facilities in North Bessemer.

This is the image from link in the first post - the roundhouse at Monroeville PA.

Wondering about the age of the roundhouse, I'm guessing it could be 90 years old. The turntable and stalls are relatively short. The 0-10-2 was designed to fit this size turntable? I found this info:

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/0-10-2/?page=ur

Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender)   67.23'

The 0-10-2 also had a booster in the tender.

and side rods on the lead truck.

http://www.greenvilletrainmuseum.org/Default.aspx

Here's a couple of scanned pics in pdf format. From the Morning Sun book  "Union Railroad" by Richard C. Borkowski Jr.

#616 is a rebuilt Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500. Rebuilt by EMD and also they lowered the front hood. Quite a hybrid.

other pics ex B&LE SD-38. Read caption.

I lived in Plum Borough in my teens. Used to watch B&LE, Union, And Unity RR at the Renton coal mine. My sister lives in Penn Hills and when I visit, I sure do some railfanning!!!

Harley.

Thanks for refreshing the memories of a 7th grader.  Salzburg Road!! When I saw that on the Google view, it all came rushing back!

A loong time ago looking down from Salzburg road on the roundhouse...

Pete

Hello,

Speaking of the B&LE..does anyone know the status of the B&LE 2-10-4 nowadays?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

Still in Mckees Rocks I believe. Last I heard the warehouse fell down around her and she is land locked.

A great video of her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D3O_jyslyk

its funny because I was looking at the Sears Site because Walmart is supposed to buy it. so I was looking at the site for Potential to Cut and Fill as to what size the store would possibly be.  Sears is closing and tools are on sale now!!!!  going fast.  so go in and buy up some things!  store closing in Jan 2013.  So as I scanned the maps I saw this and thought I see this all the time driving past.  I grew up in monroeville, so I saw this all the time.  im 38 now, but I always stopped at the bridge when my dad went to sears to watch the trains there

I always wondered what the Quarry was up in the hills there. 

Chris

I have been retired from PennDOT for almost 16 years. I remember seeing a Bessemer and Lake Erie F-3 parked along route 68 near the village of Kaylor (Armstrong Co.). I wonder if this is the F-3 in the above picture?

Ah The PAT train........................

wow,  you got photos. Ill have to look at the #plate on my old video.  But I was on one of those.  there was a special Dining car they were proposing to use also for trips?  I saw that also.  thanks for the memories.  Ill share this with my folks. 

MTH should make a PAT Train like the PCC car!  I could have one of these on the layout.  this inspires me to get one of the locos and paint one up! 

Chris

MTH could easily make this train. Mike has put out so much Pittsburgh stuff and this PAT train would make a great addition. Too bad PAT transit is so poorly run.

How about this for a great Bessemer layout?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2-jBxehiZ8

How about the Bessemer and its owner CN with ore Jennys?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2J-TQJt89k

I loved to hear a train of ore Jenny's run over the Allegheny River bridge.

Such a racket in it's day and .................A caboose at the end!

Can you petition MTH for stuff?

I believe MTH talked about making the PAT Train about four years ago. If you folks would like to see this train made, I suggest you call MTH and talk to Rich Foster and Andy Edelman.

Is that an actual recording on the soundtrack?  The whistle reminds me of a sick cat!

Harleyhouse,

Thanks for the info on the B&LE 2-10-4 643.  I hope that they have at least covered the engine with tarps and such to protect her from the elements.

Steve

Nope...she's sitting naked outside under the pigeons. And the locomotive is no longer on track that's connected to an active railroad. It is isolated in a short piece of rail that goes nowhere. The owner would not - or could not - get it moved out of there when CSX told him they were going to remove the switch to the main. The switch is long gone and the engine cannot move by rail now because CSX won't put the switch back in. Moving this very heavy locomotive by truck in the tight clearances and congested routes out of Pittsburgh would be a nightmare...and VERY expensive.

Other people with deep pockets and the resources to get it moved out of McKees Rocks have tried to purchase this locomotive, to no avail. The current owner thinks it is worth way more than anyone in their right mind would pay for it, so it sits, rusting away.

Thanks Rich,

A shame that things have to be that way.  I was hoping to hear that the engine was at least covered and protected from the elements.

It appears that the owner has a strange way of properly protecting this engine.  Maybe he hopes that potential buyers will take pity on the unprotected engine and purchase the engine from him at his asking price.

Steve

As a "top seller" on eBay, I can attest that just like any "antique" or "collectable", a steam locomotive is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it!

Mike,

You were very correct!

I got the skinny on the F7.  It was never in service on the URR. It was somebody playing around.  The URR herald was only on for the photo.

Dave