Former Millwaukee Road bipolar engine on the Merriam layout

This is a former Millwaukee Road engine that was converted from electric to deisel. In 1945 the Merriam Shawnee Northwest RR bought the old engine and used it on the upper trolly line for 3 years. Most of the RR's switcher engines could only pull 7 to 5 cars at most. They converted it to deisel for switching duites. The engine has tow deisel engines on both sides. In the middel are the two old steam generators. It could pull over 30 cars by itself with no helpers. The freight decreased in the yard due to the power of the locomotive. But as freight decreased on the railroad in the 1950's the railroad didnt need a big locomotive to move freight. The Railroad purchesed used switcher engines to replace the old bipolar. Its last run was in 1952. It was placed on an unused siding with unused old railroad equipment. It sat out in the elements and was to never be used again. In 1983 she was to be scraped. Railroad museums planed to purches her but never did. A former railroad engineer for the Merriam Shawnee Northwest RR saw her and said 'I will not let you die, I promise' He kept his promise, and in 1983 the restoreing began. The restoring didnt officially start till 1990 but sat in a engine shed out of the elements. Today only one of the engines is working but they are still restoring it. It was brought out into the light and was connected to a freight connsist. It did a weekend run for the public to see this old engine running with a new coat of paint and a newly restored engine. For its age it ran good it even got up to speed and still did fantastic. Locomotive engineer Dan said "It almost brought a tear to my eye to see the condition of the engine. There was rust and graffiti all over but Iam glad they didnt scrap her". The engine made her first run in over what seems like a thousand years. The restoring is to end in 2012. She will become a tourist train for visitors and will run on the weekends. Enjoy the video!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Entertainment

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• mrnewshoes
• lionel train
• mth train

[mrnewshoes]

@JACK206KNIGHT Thanks, did you read the background on it

[JACK206KNIGHT]

Nice, I really like that engine. Maybe next time I go to the train room we can run that one