Bensman said Feb. 23 that 12 crown brasses and 12 hub liners, two per driving axle, were removed from 1309. New pieces will have to be manufactured to replace them.
Earlier this month, Allegany County, Md., authorities charged former Western Maryland Scenic employee Scottie A. Nixon with stealing more than $14,000 worth of brass and bronze from the railroad’s shop in Ridgeley, W.V.
It’s not known if these components were recovered, because an inventory of stolen items has not been made public. Bensman said the crown brasses were original to the locomotive, built by Baldwin in 1949. Diversified made replacement hub liners.
Bensman said all the pieces will have to be re-made because a hydraulic press used to remove them from No. 1309 caused damage that rendered them useless. He said he had not estimated the cost of making replacements, but it will add to the $530,000 WMSR needs to raise to complete restoration of No. 1309.
The project ground to a halt last November after the railroad ran out of money. Railroad General Superintendent John Garner has said several times that the railroad is committed to completing the job.
