Locomotive collection looking for home

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Dave Kosmal
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2020 5:04 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA, San Diego CA

Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Dave Kosmal »

Dear Live Steamers,

My father, Reed Kosmal, was a Live Steam enthusiast all his life but is now in declining health and in a nursing home. He was a member of this forum with the username Plummer. We will be selling his home to provide for the costs of his care and need to clean out his basement shop. He has asked me to find a new home for his collection.

He built one working locomotive and had at least two others partially built. He also has a collection of parts and scrap metals (brass, etc.)

My goal is to find someone that will value and use his work for their own enjoyment. I'm not concerned with financial compensation and would gladly sell these items for a token amount to an active enthusiast or donate them to a school or club that could make use of them. I would also appreciate any feedback on the potential market value of any of these items since we may end up donating to charity.

The major items are below. There are also many other tools and an incomplete, small (G scale?) locomotive not shown. I will try to get pictures of the additional items. Reed and his collection are in Pittsburgh PA and I live in San Diego CA, but there are some family members in Pittsburgh that can show the collection to anyone interested.

reed-1.jpg
1 inch scale 0-4-0 Camelback. Coal fired. Ran well for many years.

reed-2.jpg
Tender for 0-4-0 above

reed-4.jpg
1 inch scale locomotive. Incomplete. I don't know the state of progress.

reed-3.jpg
I believe this goes with the above locomotive

reed-5.jpg
1 inch scale partial locomotive. I'm not sure what this was going to be. (I don't know what the rope is meant to do. When my father's memory started to fail, he did some odd things.)

reed-6.jpg
1 inch scale coal hoppers. There are two of these.

Any interest, comments, or advice is appreciated. I do not have expertise in Live Steam modeling but am familiar with the basics. I will answer questions as best I can. My father struggles with his memory but may be able to get answers to any specific questions from him.

Thank you,

Dave Kosmal
dave@kosmal.org
thej611
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:26 am

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by thej611 »

The 1" partial locomotive is the start of a shay . Looks like need alot of work to get going . Wish I lived closer I would love to see this shay close up and see what can be done
Marty_Knox
Posts: 1724
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2003 6:50 pm
Location: Michigan, USA

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Marty_Knox »

Dave, I would suggest you contact Jim O'Conner at Discover Live Steam. He probably has the best idea of current prices. The running locomotive is a Little Engines Camelback 0-4-0. The second locomotive you show is a Coventry 4-6-0, the brass tender goes with it.
The partial locomotive looks like a Harris Shay.
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Greg_Lewis
Posts: 3014
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Greg_Lewis »

You might also want to contact the Pennsylvania Live Steamers in Collegeville. More than likely they knew your dad or at least about him. And they could help you put a value on things and be sure that scattered parts get put with their proper partners. Some contact info for them is: 610-454-0477, secretary@palivesteamers.org
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Brian Hilgert »

So sorry to hear about your father. I knew Reed since I was a little kid as him and my dad were good friends. We ran many times on the Plum Creek Valley. It was always a joy running though the woods and across the creek. I have fond memories of Reed running the Camelback looking like a pretzel with his elbow below his knees to operate the controls....And he always had “Plummer” on the running board.

The last time I saw Reed was at a car show about 4-5 years ago. He had his 1940 Chevy business coupe there and won first prize. Needless to say, he was very proud.

I will contact you offline, my father might be able to help in a limited fashion. Also, he would like to visit Reed, He last talked to him about a month or two ago. Even though his memory was failing, they still had good conversations.

Good luck with everything,
Brian Hilgert.
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Adirondack
Posts: 410
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:59 pm
Location: southern CT

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Adirondack »

Email sent.
Adirondack Car & Foundry
Check out our projects: https://www.facebook.com/ADKrail/
Visit our ALL-NEW online store: https://adirondackcarfoundry.square.site/

A little locomotive with 4 wheels on the track is a lot more fun
than a 1/2 finished one with 16 wheels on the bench!
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backyardrails
Posts: 228
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 8:08 pm

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by backyardrails »

I sent you an email.
Bernie
Dave Kosmal
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2020 5:04 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA, San Diego CA

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Dave Kosmal »

Thank you for all the responses. I apologize for not getting back sooner. My mother/Reed's wife passed away and we have been busy dealing with the funeral, etc. We will need to put all of this on hold for a few weeks or more because there is lots to sort out with their home, cars, etc. I may not respond to emails for a while. Thank you all for your patience.
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Adirondack
Posts: 410
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:59 pm
Location: southern CT

Re: Locomotive collection looking for home

Post by Adirondack »

Dave Kosmal wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:54 pm Thank you for all the responses. I apologize for not getting back sooner. My mother/Reed's wife passed away and we have been busy dealing with the funeral, etc. We will need to put all of this on hold for a few weeks or more because there is lots to sort out with their home, cars, etc. I may not respond to emails for a while. Thank you all for your patience.
My sincere condolences.

Chris
Adirondack Car & Foundry
Check out our projects: https://www.facebook.com/ADKrail/
Visit our ALL-NEW online store: https://adirondackcarfoundry.square.site/

A little locomotive with 4 wheels on the track is a lot more fun
than a 1/2 finished one with 16 wheels on the bench!
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