Because of Vermont's air quality regulations restricting steam excursions, declining visitor attendance, and disputes over the use of track, some pieces of the collection were relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s and the rest were auctioned off.

Acquiring the narrow-gauge Edaville Railroad in Carver, Massachusetts in 1955, he began amassing one of the largest collections of antique steam locomotives in the United States.

Starting on July 22, 1961, the MS&N operation at Lake Sunapee utilized a former Canadian National Railway 4-6-4T steam locomotive, #47, and several former Boston & Maine wooden coaches.

The steam operation came to an early end on August 25 when the locomotive was removed from service on account of missing maintenance paperwork, which had been disposed of by the Canadian National when they retired #47 in 1958.

Blount came close to entering into an agreement with the state of New Hampshire in which he would donate 20 locomotives in return for a state-funded Steamtown USA, to be located in Keene.

It was determined that ownership of the Cheshire Branch by either Blount or the state of New Hampshire was essential, yet the B&M delayed a sale agreement while statewide pressure mounted.

The first order of business for the Steamtown Foundation was to acquire the Blount collection at North Walpole, and relocate it to a new property, "Riverside", once owned by the Rutland Railroad across the Connecticut River near Bellows Falls, Vermont.

The waiver permitted the operation of steam locomotive excursions between Steamtown's Riverside station at Bellows Falls, and Chester depot.

[9] In 1974, as the state of Vermont prepared for its celebration of the country's bicentenary, in which the Steamtown excursion featured prominently, the subject of the air pollution regulations came up again.

[15] Self-syndicated newspaper columnist Michael McManus once said that his goal in writing his weekly column was "to suggest answers to problems of the old industrial states.

Among the reasons the article gave for poor attendance at the Vermont site were: past failed management, an isolated location and the lack of signs, owing to opposition by the state, on Interstate 91.

[14] In addition to these problems, the roof of the largest storage shed on the site collapsed under heavy snow the previous winter, damaging several pieces of equipment.

[18] When asked by McManus to describe the value of the Steamtown collection, Jim Boyd, editor of Railfan magazine said, "Everything there is no longer obtainable anywhere, whether it is the "Big Boy" Union Pacific No.

It is a significant part of America's past before the welder's torch is turned on the likes of the 1877 'Prince of Liege', the rare Union Pacific diamond stack, etc.

"But on May 24, Scranton signed a contract to get it, pledging to raise $2 million to cover the cost of moving 40 ancient steam engines and 60 cars, few of which are operable, and to create a museum.

In addition, while the tourists in Vermont had enjoyed the sights of cornfields, farms, covered bridges, a waterfall and a gorge on a Steamtown excursion,[8] the Scranton trip to Moscow, Pennsylvania, cut through one of the nation's largest junkyards, an eyesore described by Ralph Nader as "the eighth wonder of the world".

The Steamtown Special History Study recommended that the engine be cosmetically and operationally restored, as it had served in the northeastern quarter of the United States and had been serviced, at least once, at the Lackawanna's Scranton shop.

The Steamtown Special History Study gave no details of the operational career of 1293, but said that Blount purchased it under the name of Green Mountain Railroad, in January 1964.

[33] In 1979, the locomotive was renumbered "1881", painted black with silver stripes, and leased to a Hollywood company for use in the filming of the horror movie Terror Train (1979), starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

[17] Although the Steamtown Special History Study reasoned that, since this type of locomotive had historically operated in New England, perhaps as far south as Boston, it qualified to be part of the federal government's collection,[17] the Canadian native sat unused for 12 years following the move to Scranton.

In the fall of 1983, Steamtown said "farewell to Vermont" by offering two 100-mile (160 km) excursions "through a landscape of covered bridges, rushing streams and scenic countryside".

It also recommended that it remain on static display, as it was doubtful that the "track, switches, culverts, trestles, bridges, wyes, turntables, and other facilities that would have to carry her [could] bear her great weight".

In fact, since the Steamtown turntable and roundhouse were inadequate for its size,[41] Big Boy 4012 has remained out-of-doors since its arrival at Scranton, where it was still on display as of today.

This locomotive pulled heavy freight in Tennessee and "must have seen hard service, for reportedly the Illinois Central rebuilt it in 1918, modernizing it with a superheater, and possibly replacing the boiler and firebox".

It was moved to Walpole, New Hampshire and then, across the Connecticut River, to Bellows Falls, Vermont where it stayed until the Blount collection was relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

It was purchased by Jacobson in 1994 and as of today, is stored out of service & number 96 remains on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugar Creek Ohio.

It was then formally handed over to Steamtown, who in the 1970s loaned the engine to the Cape Breton Steam Railway in Canada, where it operated a regular passenger service.

In 1989, it was sold again, and returned to the United Kingdom to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), where it was again overhauled and found to be in good condition.

[54] In 1998, the Steamtown National Historic Site, which is funded by the federal government, began divesting itself of foreign equipment, including CPR 2816.

As of present, 2816 is the first steam engine in Canada to be equipped with Positive Train Control, & in the Spring of 2024, the only operating Hudson in North America, made a Transcontinental Journey from Calgary Alberta to Mexico City Mexico for the Final Spike Steam Tour making it one year since CP Rail Purchased the Kansas City Southern to form the CPKC.