Anyone Else Fascinated By Old Locomotives?

[LE BARON]

The Mt. Washington Cog Railroad, seen here with a full open car of travelers, remains one of the most remarkable feats of 19th-century engineering in the United States. Built to conquer the steep and rugged slopes of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Cog was the world’s first mountain-climbing rack-and-pinion railway. Construction began in 1858, but progress halted due to the Civil War. Work resumed in 1866, and by 1869 the Cog was carrying passengers to the summit.

Climbing grades as steep as 37.41%, the railway used a central toothed rack rail and cogwheel drive system to safely ascend the treacherous terrain. Open cars like the one pictured allowed travelers to fully experience the awe-inspiring views and crisp mountain air as they made the slow, steady climb to the Northeast's highest peak.

The Cog quickly became a major tourist attraction, offering a thrilling ride and a new way to access one of New England’s most dramatic landscapes. It continues to run today—steam and all—preserving its legacy as both a marvel of innovation and a cherished symbol of mountain adventure.

 

[1st Vette]

Would seem to have high maintenance costs. Be interesting to know if they are more environmentally friendly per mile than diesel powered trains which of course also depends on how their supply power is being generated. Some things aren't always as " Green " as they are purported to be.

 

[Rruuff Day]

Would seem to have high maintenance costs. Be interesting to know if they are more environmentally friendly per mile than diesel powered trains which of course also depends on how their supply power is being generated. Some things aren't always as " Green " as they are purported to be. View attachment 135279

Ya think?....

 

[Dave91TM]

The Mt. Washington Cog Railroad, seen here with a full open car of travelers, remains one of the most remarkable feats of 19th-century engineering in the United States. Built to conquer the steep and rugged slopes of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Cog was the world’s first mountain-climbing rack-and-pinion railway. Construction began in 1858, but progress halted due to the Civil War. Work resumed in 1866, and by 1869 the Cog was carrying passengers to the summit.

Climbing grades as steep as 37.41%, the railway used a central toothed rack rail and cogwheel drive system to safely ascend the treacherous terrain. Open cars like the one pictured allowed travelers to fully experience the awe-inspiring views and crisp mountain air as they made the slow, steady climb to the Northeast's highest peak.

The Cog quickly became a major tourist attraction, offering a thrilling ride and a new way to access one of New England’s most dramatic landscapes. It continues to run today—steam and all—preserving its legacy as both a marvel of innovation and a cherished symbol of mountain adventure.


View attachment 135221

Introducing our newest "cut rate" rail travel, wind in yer hair, smoke and bad odors in yer face. We provide zero safety features which enables us to create this low cost system. Just hold on and enjoy the scenery, cause if you fall off yer done. Not much different than the subway except yer above ground,

 

[LE BARON]

Vintage Big Boy Locomotives Working Hard

 

[LE BARON]

One day in the late 1940's Richard Thomas was roaming through the deadline of locomotives in the Roseville, CA yards and he came across this sight of SP #4231 after she had suffered a serious collision. The force of the impact did some serious damage to the cab and pilot of the big articulated engine.

While the cab forward design offered the crews some great visibility over that found in conventional steam locomotives, the crew also took the full brunt of any frontal collisions that the engines became involved in.

Not much is known about the details of this wreck. We do know that #4231 was repaired and returned to service and was not retired til the mid 1950's

 

[LE BARON]

McCuish Logging #2 poses with her crew at the landing above Prairie, Washington in the mid-1920's. #2 is a 70-ton Climax turned out in January, 1923 with construction number 1618. She cost the company $20,000 to build and she worked her entire career for McCuish Logging

 

[LE BARON]

Here we see Blumauer Lumber Co. 4-4-0 #1 in the woods outside Tenino, Washington in the early 1920's. She is a second hand locomotive from the Northern Pacific where she was #1153

 

[LE BARON]

One day in the late 1940's Richard Thomas was roaming through the deadline of locomotives in the Roseville, CA yards and he came across this sight of SP #4231 after she had suffered a serious collision. The force of the impact did some serious damage to the cab and pilot of the big articulated engine.

While the cab forward design offered the crews some great visibility over that found in conventional steam locomotives, the crew also took the full brunt of any frontal collisions that the engines became involved in.

Not much is known about the details of this wreck. We do know that #4231 was repaired and returned to service and was not retired til the mid 1950's


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[LE BARON]

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The very first 2-8-8-2 that was ever delivered to the Southern Pacific was #4000, show here stopped for water at Cascade Summit in the early 1940's. She was built by Baldwin in 1909 as a normal cab-in-rear engine. She and #4001 were tried out over Donner Pass where they nearly killed their crews from the fumes in the tunnels and snowsheds. SP decided to have the next batch of 2-8-8-2's delivered in the Cab-Forward configuration. This solved the problem. It was not until 1928 that #4000 and sister $4001 were converted to Cab-Forwards.

 

[LE BARON]

A freshly shopped Southern Pacific Cab-Foward #4185 runs light over Donner Pass in the 1940's. The SP shop did not bother to letter the tender as they knew with the tunnels and snowsheds she would be working over Donner, any lettering would soon be covered with soot.

 

[1st Vette]

Introducing our newest "cut rate" rail travel, wind in yer hair, smoke and bad odors in yer face. We provide zero safety features which enables us to create this low cost system. Just hold on and enjoy the scenery, cause if you fall off yer done. Not much different than the subway except yer above ground,

OH ! Via Rail ! ...............

McCuish Logging #2 poses with her crew at the landing above Prairie, Washington in the mid-1920's. #2 is a 70-ton Climax turned out in January, 1923 with construction number 1618. She cost the company $20,000 to build and she worked her entire career for McCuish Logging

View attachment 135335

Couldn't paint it for $20,000 today.

 

[1st Vette]

View attachment 135345
The very first 2-8-8-2 that was ever delivered to the Southern Pacific was #4000, show here stopped for water at Cascade Summit in the early 1940's. She was built by Baldwin in 1909 as a normal cab-in-rear engine. She and #4001 were tried out over Donner Pass where they nearly killed their crews from the fumes in the tunnels and snowsheds. SP decided to have the next batch of 2-8-8-2's delivered in the Cab-Forward configuration. This solved the problem. It was not until 1928 that #4000 and sister $4001 were converted to Cab-Forwards.

Hmmm...the Donner Pass . They were a few years late to the buffet......

 

[1st Vette]

You can hear that trestle creaking just looking at it.....looks to have a bit of a sag .

 

[LE BARON]

You can see Paul Bunyan in the background. Wonder if it AI

In the early 1900s, a steam train carrying a heavy load of lumber came to a halt atop a trestle bridge, crossing a tributary branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The train’s powerful engine, billowing thick plumes of smoke into the sky, stood still on the bridge’s wooden structure, its wheels creaking slightly under the weight of the cargo. Below, the tributary wound through a forested valley, its waters shimmering in the sunlight. The trestle bridge, an impressive feat of engineering, was constructed of thick timber and iron supports, rising high above the water below. The rhythmic chug of the steam engine had been a constant as the train made its way through the rugged landscape, hauling the valuable lumber to distant mills and towns. As the train paused on the bridge, the stillness of the moment contrasted with the power and movement of the locomotive, creating a snapshot of industrial progress amidst nature’s beauty.

 

[1st Vette]

J

You can see Paul Bunyan in the background. Wonder if it AI

In the early 1900s, a steam train carrying a heavy load of lumber came to a halt atop a trestle bridge, crossing a tributary branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The train’s powerful engine, billowing thick plumes of smoke into the sky, stood still on the bridge’s wooden structure, its wheels creaking slightly under the weight of the cargo. Below, the tributary wound through a forested valley, its waters shimmering in the sunlight. The trestle bridge, an impressive feat of engineering, was constructed of thick timber and iron supports, rising high above the water below. The rhythmic chug of the steam engine had been a constant as the train made its way through the rugged landscape, hauling the valuable lumber to distant mills and towns. As the train paused on the bridge, the stillness of the moment contrasted with the power and movement of the locomotive, creating a snapshot of industrial progress amidst nature’s beauty.


View attachment 135371

Judging by the size difference between him and the train that must be Paul Bunyan.......

 

[LE BARON]

The 1946 photograph of workers at the C&O's Huntington Shops laboring over Hudson #490 captures a unique and transitional moment in American railroad history. The scene shows the extensive process of streamlining, where a classic 1926 steam locomotive is being encased in a sleek, modern shell to meet the aesthetic and public relations demands of a new era. This particular engine, one of only four C&O Hudsons to receive this treatment, was famously nicknamed "Yellowbelly" for its distinctive paint scheme. Its conversion from a Pacific-type locomotive symbolizes the railroads' last major effort to keep steam power competitive with the rising tide of dieselization. The image is one of both creation and preservation; the workers are not just maintaining an engine, but fundamentally transforming it. This effort ensured #490 a special place in history, later becoming the last steam locomotive in scheduled passenger service on the C&O in 1953 and ultimately being preserved for posterity. The photo is a testament to the skill within the shops and the final, grand flourish of steam technology before its retirement from mainline duty.

 

[LE BARON]

The photograph from March 21, 1940, captures the immense presence of Katy's mighty C-2-a class, a true titan of switching operations. Here, number 104 is seen in Denison, Texas, a locomotive that perfectly embodies the term "heavy switcher." Built by Lima in 1925, these 0-8-0s were not merely for shuffling cars in a yard; their massive size and power were essential for the grueling work of assembling long freight trains and tackling the steep grades found within industrial complexes and terminal areas. The eight coupled wheels provided tremendous traction, allowing them to move immense tonnage with slow, deliberate force. The image, credited to Rader T.A., freezes this powerful machine in its element, a soot-stained workhorse of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Its rugged, purposeful design, devoid of the sleekness of a passenger engine, speaks to the raw, unglamorous, yet utterly vital work that kept the railroad running. These locomotives were the backbone of Katy's freight service for decades, and this photograph serves as a powerful tribute to their strength and enduring utility on the American rail network.

 

[LE BARON]

The railway turntable at the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1961 was a vital piece of machinery in the final years of steam and early diesel operations. This impressive piece of infrastructure was essential for a terminal-based railroad like the CNJ, allowing locomotives to be turned around and directed into the correct roundhouse stall for servicing. By 1961, the scene would have been a mix of the old and new, with the massive, coaling stations and ash pits still standing but seeing less use as steam locomotives were rapidly being replaced by diesel units that required different maintenance. The turntable itself, a massive steel and concrete structure, was the pivotal point of the entire yard, a hub of constant activity where the powerful machines that moved the railroad were carefully rotated and positioned. Its operation was a precise and skilled task, a symbol of an era when complex mechanical systems kept the railroads running. This image captures a key piece of industrial architecture and a way of life that was already receding into history, a nostalgic look at the heart of a once-mighty railroad's operational core.

 

[Dave91TM]

You can hear that trestle creaking just looking at it.....looks to have a bit of a sag .View attachment 135369

Everything , the wheels ,the carts , the connectors and the trestle all look fragile.