Lookit What WE Found!

[Jaxter]

We were out hunting for buffalo to photograph, being "out west"and all. Then in the yard at IPSCO Place, we found something that sickened me to the core. Still bedecked with gay Christmas lights, her headlight missing and her cab boarded up with cracked and peeling wood, we came upon one of only two ever built mountain-type 4-8-4 steam locomotives. #3101 is slowly dying and another piece of Canadiana will soon be only alive in old mens' memories.

Originally built in the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1928, #3101 was built for Canadian Pacific Railway. They proved to be a heavy proposition, and were soon relegated to local passenger service. In 1966, IPSCO purchased the newly-retired 4-8-4 with the intention of preserving it as a museum display on their property.

Sadly, under their stewardship, the once-proud "Queen of the rails" is dying a slow, agonzing death, ravaged by weather and lack of apparent care.Along with an attached passenger car, instead of being given at least some sort of dignity, they are being left to rust while organizations argue over their ownership, and IPSCO's idea of preservation seems to be to cut history up for scrap. Anybody wanna buy some used iron?

[Mark D]

Buying it would be the easy part. Moving it and finding a place to keep it out of the weather would prove to be much more difficult.
If the current owners intend to scrap it if someone doesn't come and get it, then I'm afraid that the sad fact is that it will be scrapped. '
But where or how does a 4-8-4 become a "Mountain"?
Is not a Mountain a 4-8-2? Or are some classifications different in Canada?
Or, come to think of it, Some railroads did refer to 4-8-4's as "heavy mountain's". Maybe that is what this one is?
Would sure like to see some more pictures of it. Maybe a bit bigger file size too? 250 to 300 KB?

Also, while some groups argue about nonsense, how about getting a couple people together, get permission from the owner, and go over there and stabilize a few things? Just do it with no expectation of any return on your labor investment, but rather just knowing you helped it out a bit.

Is there a nearby town that would have interest in it as a park engine if it were cleaned up and made presentable?
Just some thoughts that came to mind.
Mark D.