I have wondered this as well - and I think it was no more insidious than at the time steam engines were just obsolete pieces of capital equipment. Our company buys multimillion dollar printing presses - and scraps them every ten or fifteen years. Someone would be laughed at if they suggested saving one for the viewing of some future industrial historians. Most companies wouldn't preserve old capital equipment anymore than most of us have kept a '74 Impala in the back yard for the enjoyment of future generations. We view the steam engine from the romantized viewpoint of an enthusiast, Erie management of the early '50's didn't view the late steam as any different from the old 4-4-0s, or even the unique L-1 Angus and P-1 Triplex locomotives. They all went to the scrap heap when they could no longer help the bottom line. I think a related question is did any of the on-line communities or contemporary railfan organizations attempt to purchase an Erie steamer or have one donated? Would the railroad have said no if someone offered the few thousand dollars in scrap value to have bought a K-5 or S-3? The Erie dieselized early - I think a few years later as steam began to become rare a lot more people, railroad insiders and fans, began to realize an important part of history was slipping away and the interest in preservation was heightened. If steam could have held on in Erie a few more years.... To go back to a thread from earlier this year - If I had a time machine and a few bars of gold to take back with me to the early 1950's, Erie's 2925 and 3376 might be in my backyard today.... Dan Conrad ELHS #1974 > In a message dated 10/2/2004 9:52:42 AM Mountain Daylight Time, > curtis.brookshire_@_verizon.net writes: > > > And how did the Erie end up preserving no steam locomotives? > >> > ------------------------------
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