Recently, Barnhart was contacted to assist in moving a vintage 1918 steam locomotive from the Birmingham, AL Fairgrounds to its new home at the Sloss Furnace National Historic Landmark on the other side of town.
In order for the locomotive and tender car to be moved to Sloss Furnace, a cost effective transport plan would have to be developed. Initially, the plan called for cranes to lift the train from its original location and for Barnhart to haul the train across town where it would once again be unloaded by cranes. Barnhart then explored the possibility of railing the locomotive to avoid public road traffic. A rail spur was located near the fairgrounds and another within 300' of the new resting place. Barnhart's plan called for the locomotive to be loaded onto a 12-axle PSTe Goldhofer and transported to the nearby rail spur. The tender car was to be transported via road trailer to the Sloss site. This concept was determined to be the most cost effective method and eliminated major route modifications and potential traffic congestion concerns.
In the end, Barnhart provided a better solution for a safe and uneventful project and saved the City of Birmingham thousands of dollars.