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Jack Showalter's engines have been saved! They were almost scrapped, for the asking price from Showalter was too high when he tried to sell, them before he died. They were then going to be donated, but it fell through. When Showalter died, the lease ran out, and the landlord wanted the engines off his property or they would be scrapped in July. It was a near miss, but they've been saved! Here's a short article from trains.

Two former Canadian Pacific G5 class 4-6-2 locomotives will return to Canada after spending more than 40 years in central Virginia. Nos. 1238 and 1286 operated as the showcase of Jack Showalter’s Virginia Central tourist Railroad in Covington, Va., from the 1970s to 1980s, and the WMSR in the 1990s.

The locomotives have been stored on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Staunton, Va., for more than 15 years and will soon be moved to The Vintage Locomotive Society Inc., the operator of the Prairie Dog Central Railway in Winnipeg. The locomotives have been acquired for use in one or more steam excursion operations, but will remain in storage at Winnipeg while future operating plans and commitments are under review. The two steamers operated tourist excursions on the ex-Chesapeake & Ohio Hot Springs Branch, a 15-mile line connecting Covington, Va., with the Hot Springs Resort.

Under the leadership of Jack Showalter, Nos. 1238 and 1286 would lead occasional trips on former C&O main lines, including a 1983 trip to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. In addition to the two steam locomotives, five passenger cars will go to the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Those cars include three 1948-built Pullman coaches for the Grand Trunk Western, an ex-Baltimore & Ohio diner, and ex- U.S. Army diner. The Spencer, N.C.-based museum intends to place the B&O diner into service for the museum’s widely popular 2015 Polar Express excursions later this year.

Each of the cars will receive additional renovations as time permits. The three remaining passenger cars in Showalter’s Virginia Central collection, ex-RF&P heavyweights, will go to Roanoke’s Virginia Museum of Transportation for restoration. Showalter, an influential tourist railroad operator and steam preservationist died in November 2014.

Description
Jack Showalter's engines have been saved! They were almost scrapped, for the asking price from Showalter was too high when he tried to sell, them before he died. They were then going to be donated, but it fell through. When Showalter died, the lease ran out, and the landlord wanted the engines off his property or they would be scrapped in July. It was a near miss, but they've been saved! Here's a short article from trains.

Two former Canadian Pacific G5 class 4-6-2 locomotives will return to Canada after spending more than 40 years in central Virginia. Nos. 1238 and 1286 operated as the showcase of Jack Showalter’s Virginia Central tourist Railroad in Covington, Va., from the 1970s to 1980s, and the WMSR in the 1990s.

The locomotives have been stored on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Staunton, Va., for more than 15 years and will soon be moved to The Vintage Locomotive Society Inc., the operator of the Prairie Dog Central Railway in Winnipeg. The locomotives have been acquired for use in one or more steam excursion operations, but will remain in storage at Winnipeg while future operating plans and commitments are under review. The two steamers operated tourist excursions on the ex-Chesapeake & Ohio Hot Springs Branch, a 15-mile line connecting Covington, Va., with the Hot Springs Resort.

Under the leadership of Jack Showalter, Nos. 1238 and 1286 would lead occasional trips on former C&O main lines, including a 1983 trip to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. In addition to the two steam locomotives, five passenger cars will go to the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Those cars include three 1948-built Pullman coaches for the Grand Trunk Western, an ex-Baltimore & Ohio diner, and ex- U.S. Army diner. The Spencer, N.C.-based museum intends to place the B&O diner into service for the museum’s widely popular 2015 Polar Express excursions later this year.

Each of the cars will receive additional renovations as time permits. The three remaining passenger cars in Showalter’s Virginia Central collection, ex-RF&P heavyweights, will go to Roanoke’s Virginia Museum of Transportation for restoration. Showalter, an influential tourist railroad operator and steam preservationist died in November 2014.