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T&P 2-10-4 #638

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:42 am
by Joseph Toth
Howdy Folks, I currently live in Bavaria in Germany. I was born in Dallas, July 4, 1946. I retired in 2010 after a 43 year transportaion career. I served three years with the US Army Transportation Corps and was employed in train service as a switchman in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with both the Cotton Belt and ATSF as well as here in Germany with the German Federal Railways. When I was knee high to a Texas grasshopper my grandfather took me down to Fair Park and let me craw all over T&P #638. Sadly, due to the blindness (or down right stupidity?) of the Fair management she fell onto bad times resulting in some vandalism which resulted in her being scrapped.

Does any member know the real story behind this "vandal" act by the management at Fair Park? I have heard several versions including the fact that the T&P would have taken her back for restoration but their offer was too late.

Thanks,

Joe Toth

Re: T&P 2-10-4 #638

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:58 pm
by dhogan
Gruess aus Texas! [I lived and worked for a German company, Siemens, in Munich from 1986-88.]
From what I've managed to piece together, T&P 638 was not fenced off soon enough and not supervised properly by the State Fair management after its donation. I don't think anything major was removed except some appliances, cab hardware, and possibly the bell and whistle. It could have been restored but the T&P was so disgusted by the neglect it forced the State Fair folks to fix it up or scrap it. Fair Park management chose the latter.
To its credit, T&P found a second steam locomotive from the New York Central (a 4-8-2 this time), customized it a bit, and donated it as a replacement for 638.
Strike two against the new caretakers (Age of Steam Museum) when they traded it for a Pennsylvania RR GG-1 in the 1980s!