Some remember the twenty old steam locomotives stored on the back northwest yard tracks in 1957 and 1958. These engines were the Santa Fe Railway’s Class 2-10-4 Texas-Type that had been leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad for use out East. The Santa Fe had phased out virtually all steam engines for diesel locomotives by this time. These engines had been returned to the Santa Fe and awaited disposition. Eventually, they were taken to Chicago for scrapping.

In the couple of years that they sat in Chillicothe, they were quite the public draw. Most people found a railroad relative or friend to take them out to see. I remember, and a couple of others tell, of visiting the monoliths, with recollections of standing next to the driving wheels and seeing how huge they were. We were about eight or nine, and the wheels were massive even to normal persons, let alone us youngsters.

My recollections also include how the cabs still had rolled up canvas all-weather tarps either rolled up or left hanging at their ends, and even rubber overshoes left on the floors as if the crews had simply walked away. Some have expressed, too, whatever had happened to the big brass bells and engine identification plates of the engines that are worth quite a bit of money now.