A former Wheeling & Lake Erie steam locomotive has been shipped by truck to the Age of Steam Roundhouse, which plans to cosmetically restore it
The 0-6-0 was owned by the City of Canton where it sat on static display for 33 years.
In 1991 No. 3960 was moved in anticipation that it would be restored to operating condition by Silver Throttle Engine and Museum.
That didn’t happen and in recent years it has been stored in a disassembled state in Minerva.
During the time that No. 3960 was stored in Canton many of its appliances and parts were stolen.
AOS has some parts that have been stored in boxcars for more than 10 years and it plans to give the 0-6-0 a new cab and replace rusted, lost, and stolen parts.
The 21st steam locomotive to be acquired by AOS was built by the Wheeling in 1935 at its Brewster shops.
It was part of a class of 20 0-8-0s and 30 0-6-0s locomotives built to a USRA design.
The locomotives 51-inch driving wheels with No. 3960 capable of producing 41,200 pounds of tractive effort and a boiler pressure of 200 pounds.
After the Nickel Plate Road leased the W&LE in late 1949, No. 3960 became NKP 360.
It operated in revenue service for the final time on Oct. 31, 1957. After being cosmetically by the Wheeling, it was put on display in Canton’s Mother Goose Land Park. It was re-lettered to W&LE 3960 in 1973.
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