I was wondering about that one myself!  With all the borrowed/secondhand power the URR has had over the years, like the Bessemer SD38's and the EJ&E SD9/18, an F unit creeping in wouldn't have surprised me.  That pic had me curious, but I never had the time to do any research on it.  Thanks for checking into it!

To keep up to date with B&LE 643

take a look at their Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/BLE643?ref=hl

Len.

The B&LE 643 Facebook page is a pretty laughable. The trackage and access switch has been removed into the storage location, and the owner of 643 is simply delusional in believing that "his big steam locomotive" is worth TONS of money, and also will NOT acknowledge the FRA requirements for a 15 year boiler inspection. The owner thinks that 643 is simply "ready to fire up, and run someplace".  

Just a crying shame!  

Hi all,

  When I was involved with the tourist operations in Westmoreland County (After the Laurel Highlands Railroad went by the wayside), the owner of the 643 came to us with these grand ideas that someone would fall out of the sky to provide rehab money and he could get that monster over to our trackage.  His thought was that it could be used in tourist service and it would be an instant super-draw because of its size.  This simply wasn't grounded in reality.  Besides being about 5 times the amount of locomotive we needed for the operation, the trackage we ran on simply wouldn't have handled it, curves too tight, condition of the ties and roadbed simply too worn for such a monster, not mention the enormous operating costs.

On the flip side I did get to visit this machine in person when it was still under cover.  What a monster - drivers almost as tall as me and the cab felt like it was tow stories up.  It would have been thrilling to lean out the cab and crack the throttle but it would also have looked ridiculous to have that much engine with three passenger coaches behind it!

Hot water sadly I'm the kid who owns the page. Glenn isn't on the page also. I know the engine needs it's forum 4 and the fra total teardown and everything else. I wish the engine was better taken care of but Glenn is stingy he's like a mule who doesn't wanna work. Hope you guys don't think less of me because of the page. I try to run the page in an orderly fashion but its hard.  Also my name is Andrew Treece.

Hmmm, a 2-10-4 on the SWP... I'd like to see that!   I'm actually surprised their Geeps stay on the rails... most of the time.

Chris, John and I were referring to the Southwest Pennsylvania RR, the county-owned line you mention.  I think you're confusing the Ligonier Valley RR with the Laurel Highlands RR, which ran on the SWP trackage.  The Westmoreland Scenic, a county-endorsed tourist line, came after LHRR.

If you're interested in the Ligonier Valley, check out the LVRR museum at Darlington.  I've not personally made it there yet, but have heard good things about it.

The LVRR Darlington station is a must see!

Restored to it's glory and a ton on pictures and RR items inside.

The rail line ran right through Idlewild park and there is a LVRR station inside the park as well.

http://www.lvrra.org/

http://www.abandonedrails.com/...nier_Valley_Railorad

im going real soon!  talked to my secretary and she lives up there but has not gone either.  My engineer here has been on the Model railroad house tour though.  I might have to join up!   Maybe I can participate on the tour one day when my garage layout would be finished!  haha. 

I look forward to the layout tour every year.

It is awesome that the partisipants open their homes to complete strangers.

They are a wonderful group.

I missed this topic, but since I live about 15 minutes from this roundhouse, I had to take a look.  At night, there's still a green light (I think its green, its been a few weeks since I've seen it) next to one of the tracks and I'm wondering if they still use the building for something

Bad title

very cool pic of the union railroad engines! how old are these pics?  is this a private collection of engines in the house?  any steamers???

thanks Chris

Has anyone zoomed in and out of the original link photo. on the original distance shot the building north of the round house is half torn down. zoom in and that same building is GONE? Just a foundation. These computers are getting strong, X-Ray vision, or the wrong satellite?

Jamie

Some aerial shots, at least that I've noticed on Google Maps, have updated when zooming in.  Not in all areas, but some.  So a higher aerial shot shows older images than closer shots.

Chris,

   It definitely is the Union RailRoad Round House and those Engines are used every day and every night switching railroad cars, right at the bottom of Brown Avenue just down the street from my home. I spent time in the Round House/Repair Shop as a boy, my Uncle John Parker was the Superintendent of the Union RailRoad, needless to say I learned a lot about his Union RailRoad.  The original Colors of the Engines and Caboose was Green with white trim, only once in a while do you ever see the one old original Green Switcher & Caboose on the tracks.  I do believe they are just a show piece now.  I would really like to get a picture of them on the Brown Avenure Trestle in Turtle Creek some time.  The Union RailRoad is an active running RailRoad even today.

PCRR/Dave

Mike,

   The Round House/Repair shop is still active even today.  If you would like to visit the Round House yard some time, I will show you how to get close up for some pictures.

PCRR/Dave