PRINTER'S NO. 2068
No. 219 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY BELARDI, CAWLEY, STABACK, SERAFINI, BATTISTO,
DERMODY, SHANER, PETRONE, DALLY, SCRIMENTI, RAMOS, ORIE,
DeWEESE, MELIO, READSHAW, GIGLIOTTI, DEMPSEY, COY, BEBKO-
JONES, LAUGHLIN, FICHTER, CORRIGAN, COSTA, HORSEY, WALKO,
KIRKLAND, HENNESSEY, WOJNAROSKI, B. SMITH, MAJOR, TIGUE,
HARHAI, CAPPABIANCA, JAMES, MUNDY, ROBERTS, M. COHEN,
HERSHEY, MARSICO, GEIST, PISTELLA, GRUCELA, SEYFERT AND
HALUSKA, JUNE 16, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
JUNE 16, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Commissioners of the County of Saint Louis,
2 Missouri, to release the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
3 Railroad's 4-4-0 Camelback Steam Engine No. 952 for its
4 return to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton,
5 Pennsylvania.
6 WHEREAS, On Christmas Eve, 1911 the Delaware, Lackawanna &
7 Western (DL&W) Railroad's 4-4-0 Camelback Steam Engine No. 952
8 was the only engine on the first train to use the Lackawanna
9 Cut-Off on a run from Hoboken, New Jersey, to Scranton,
10 Pennsylvania; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1938 Steam Engine No. 952, the only surviving
12 DL&W Railroad steam camelback passenger locomotive, was donated
13 to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society (R&LHS) by the
14 management of DL&W Railroad, which recognized its historical
15 significance; and
16 WHEREAS, Until 1953, Steam Engine No. 952 was operated from,
1 maintained at and stored in the DL&W Railroad Roundhouse in
2 Scranton, Pennsylvania; and
3 WHEREAS, Steam Engine No. 952 was later loaned by the R&LHS
4 to the developer of the National Museum of Transport in the City
5 of Saint Louis, Missouri, who subsequently sold the site and
6 equipment to the County of Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1979,
7 without the knowledge, notification or consent of the R&LHS; and
8 WHEREAS, The developer of The National Museum of Transport
9 failed to comply with the conditions under which the loan was
10 made by the R&LHS and DL&W Railroad management; and
11 WHEREAS, The Commissioners of Saint Louis County have
12 steadfastly refused to release Steam Engine No. 952 to its
13 owners for return to DL&W Railroad territory; and
14 WHEREAS, The R&LHS, on May 30, 1996, voted to consider
15 transferring ownership of Steam Engine No. 952 to any museum or
16 group that would:
17 (1) protect it against further deterioration;
18 (2) restore and conserve it for at least static display;
19 and
20 (3) exhibit it, at least on a loan basis, in the
21 territory where it was operated by the DL&W Railroad;
22 and
23 WHEREAS, Steam Engine No. 952 is the only DL&W Railroad
24 engine that was maintained in its original configuration
25 following the railroad's decision to use electric equipment; and
26 WHEREAS, The DL&W Railroad Roundhouse in Scranton,
27 Pennsylvania, which has now been transformed into Steamtown
28 National Historic Site with the facilities to store Steam Engine
29 No. 952 under cover, restore it, make it operational and make it
30 available for use by various historic rail preservation groups
19990H0219R2068 - 2 -
1 in its home territory, including New Jersey, New York and
2 Pennsylvania, would be the most appropriate location to which
3 Steam Engine No. 952 should be returned; therefore be it
4 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
5 memorialize the Commissioners of the County of Saint Louis,
6 Missouri, to expedite the prompt release of the DL&W Railroad's
7 4-4-0 Camelback Steam Engine No. 952 to its rightful owner, the
8 R&LHS, for its return to DL&W Railroad territory; and be it
9 further
10 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
11 the Commissioners of the County of Saint Louis, Missouri, and to
12 the presiding officers of the Legislature and the Governor of
13 the State of Missouri.
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