Month: May 2011

Charolais Coal Switchers Scrapped by Ricky Bivins

Our beloved ex-Illinois Central Railroad SW-9 switchers at St. Charles KY are gone. High scrap prices and a level of aggravation were key factors in Donald Bowles decision to cut them up. As sad as it is to us rail fans, I must come to Donald’s defense. Here are the factors or reasons Donald decided to dismantle the units.

Several weeks ago a local Kentucky State Trooper was east bound on Hwy 62 at St. Charles. He saw two men removing parts from #1247 which was the orange and white unit used as a parts store for the two operating units. The Trooper was suspicious first because they had only small tools and second their car, not a truck but a car was parked by the road…not inside the gate. He called Donald’s office, knowing Don and his secretary Jill, he ask if Donald had anyone at the facility removing parts etc. Jill called Don in Florida, Don called Luke whom I will get to in a moment. Neither Don nor Luke nor Jill knew of any reason someone should be there removing parts from the locomotive(s). The Trooper called for back up and the arrest was made.

Luke is Donald’s Nephew; Luke is a computer technician turned salvage dealer. Donald is helping Luke with his Pull a Part style salvage yard which will be located on Donald’s former mine sight at St. Charles. After surveying the damage to #1247 Donald told Luke to finish cutting it up and use the money to further his salvage yard operation. Then Donald told Luke to cut up #1250 which had suffered a busted piston years before we went down to “play” with #1249. At this point #1249, “our Locomotive for a few years”, was spared.

Having worked for Donald for many years, I know him well; I know how he thinks for the most part. First, one does not go to Donald with a problem for him to answer, one goes to him with an answer to a problem for him to approve. If I were to go to him for an answer, he would become very agitated. I was hired to think as well as work. Usually he would approve my “answer” or tell me what he wanted me to do if he did not approve my way. Second, Donald is an aggressive man, he does not wait for things to happen, he makes things happen. He is almost always correct and one does not second guess him. If I wanted or needed something for the airport or personal….approaching him was something that had to be done with precision, and more than once. But at the same time if he becomes irritated by one’s actions, that person can toss the idea or need out the window. If he is not kept informed…same result. The key point here is “balance”.

As an example, when I started building my house I ask to use some equipment from his shop. A Bobcat skid steer loader and a Hitachi backhoe. Donald graciously allowed my use of same, at his expense. While using the Bobcat I cut a tire beyond saving. I called the tire service company, had them replace the tire etc. The cost was several hundred dollars. Don only mentioned that he had a spare tire at the shop that could have been used. But he was not upset with me because I didn’t know about the spare tire. He seamed pleased that I simply “fixed the Problem”. Donald Bowles is a generous man.

The locomotives at St. Charles were tools to him. Just as a D-11 Caterpillar tractor or HaulPak off road truck. Once they had served out their usefulness….they were of no value to him. However…I had for the past few years talked with him about saving one of the units and donating it to KRM. He had agreed to this and we even discussed using his lowboy truck to haul it to New Haven KY! I informed Donald of the Museums WWII era MRS-1 that was in need of a prime mover and another locomotive that would benefit from the other operating parts while the unit itself would be cosmetically restored. Donald even told Luke not to cut up the 1249 because “it is going to a museum”.

And then one man steps in and changes everything. While Luke was working on the two units to be scrapped a man drives up and informs Luke he has talked to Donald about parts from the locomotive. Luke said this guy had the manners of a high pressure car salesman. Luke, knowing Donald could very well have talk to some one, called Donald on the phone. Don said he had talked to the man before etc. While Luke is on the phone with Donald, this guy is yelling “I have cash money” and spitting out dollar figures etc. Donald had had enough. He told Luke while the guy was spatting off “do I look like a guy that needs cash money”? Luke is in the middle of this and knows full well the whole salvage yard thing could collapse at any moment. Don tells Luke “look over your right shoulder”. Don was sitting just over Daniel Boone hill….hovering in the Helicopter! Don tells Luke to “tell that blankity blank to get off my blankity blank property and to cut that blankity blank locomotive up”! And so it came to pass.

I was involved in the whole ordeal, I gathered up the paper work for the units to forward to other scrape dealers for quotes etc. I did this on my own time as I no longer work for Donald. I felt I owed him something for the many times he helped me. Some of the parts were “parted out” and will be reused. I was surprised to learn, the prime movers were of little value, even in running order. The crank shafts had the most value. The electrical cabinets were hit hard by the copper worms i.e. thieves. And at local scrap prices of $225.00 per ton, at 124 tons each…. $27,000.00 plus times three units, this equates to a sizable sum of money. Money Donald gave to Luke to help him get started in business, which is just the type of thing Donald would do.

Donald wants Luke to do well so he decided to help. One man in just a few minutes was able to turn years of timed effort into a frustration for Donald. Run out equipment to Donald has little or zero value. These were all factors in Donald’s decision to cut them up. But most of all Donald is in control of Donald and Donald’s estate. And what he says goes.

I tried and almost succeeded at getting one of them saved. I can rest knowing all that could have been done, was done.

As a side note, I ask Donald if I could have a souvenir from one of the locomotives. He said “get what ever you want, and tell Luke I said so”! I did and Luke even helped.