The locomotive, No. 5631, was the subject of a special session of the city council on Monday night. During the meeting, city leaders met with John E. Rimmasch of Wasatch Railroad Contractors to discuss a number of options for the Northern-type locomotive. Rimmasch, who owns the Cheyenne-based company, prepared a 10-page report looking at options from doing a cosmetic restoration and keeping it to selling it to a museum.
Regardless of what decision the city makes, it is likely that asbestos that is on the locomotive will have to be removed in the near future.
The locomotive is owned by the city and has been on display in a park since 1962. The local Rotary Club maintained the locomotive in the past but recently informed the city that it did not have the resources to continue.
Rimmasch tells Trains News Wire that he has offered his services to the city should they decide to restore it or sell it. He says he has inspected the locomotive and that it is in good mechanical condition.
“It’s a beautiful locomotive,” he says. “It’s got good bones.”
NRHS Fund listed at AmazonSmile.
Well, let us just say that Menk found a willing victim in Dick Jensen. Prior to Menk’s tenure the Burlington did an effort to promote passenger service, i.e., “Burlington Days” and was hospitable to 5632 powered specials, even at one point painting her gold.
From Flicker,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dazon_blue/5174369721/
Curtis, Menk had no involvement in the scrapping of 5632. The engine was sold to Dick Jensen of Chicago, where the locomotive was stored at the C&WI roundhouse. When Jensen couldn’t make rent payment to the railroad, the engine was moved to a scrap yard for “safe keeping.” Supposedly, it was cut up “accidently.” Jensen did win a lawsuit over its destruction, but ran into other problems down the road, which resulted in the scrapping of his other operational steam locomotive, ex-GTW Pacific #5629.
5631 looks to be an 0-5 sister to late lamented 5632, which the Burlington’s Menk scrapped in an act of vandalistic animus. Now, here’s a great Northern worth resurrection.