Builders Plate from Clinchfield Railroad Challenger 653 Start Price USD 700.00 Current Price USD 2,827.77 Time Left - Bid Count 14 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, December 01, 2008 End Time Monday, December 08, 2008 Location Haysi, Virginia See more about 'Builders Plate from Clinchfield Railroad Challenger 653' Description Hey, hey, railbuffs in general, CRR fans in particular.  Today I am offering you a once in a lifetime chance to own a fantastic piece of railroad history.  I have for sale the locomotive builders plate from Clinchfield Railroad Challenger number 653.  As you can see from the photo, this locomotive was built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York in December 1942 and was serial number 70001.  This piece is in excellent condition, front and back.  No chips, cracks, rust, or damage of any kind.  This plate is made of iron, not brass.  I purchased it from a couple of ole boys in Connecticut back in 1996.  The starting price is what I paid at that time.  No stupid reserve to frustrate you or me.  This fine item comes to you from the Dennis Reedy Railroad and Coal Mine Museum in Clinchco, Virginia, right on the old Clinchfield main line.  Some of you may have been there and actually seen it.  I am liquidating many unique items as no one in the county is interested in keeping the museum in tact.  A Fairmont motor car, lanterns, stoves, and many other items have already been sold.  To see I am legit, go on the net and type in the museum or Clinchco, Virginia, and I should come right up.  Watch for other rare and one of a kind items like lanterns, a bell, headlight, derick light, all from the Clinchfield.  If you let this one get by you, you will regret it from now on, just like I have many items I thought were too expensive at the time.  So treat yourself this holiday season and put this baby under your Christmas tree.  (I just found the following in James A. Goforth's 'When Steam Ran the Clinchfield' on page 59  THE LAST OF THE BREED  "The last trip by a steam locomotive in regular service was on the night of April 16, 1954 by the 653 on a roundtrip shifter run between Erwin and Kingsport, TN.  When the 653 arrived in Erwin, the fire was dumped and the steam operations ended.")  Four of these Challengers sat in Erwin until the 1960s.  If this was one of them, would someone please let me know.  This thing weighs over six pounds, but I will ship it to you at no cost.  Happy Holidays!!! Place a Bid!