LE BARON
Power User
Southern Pacific 4-8-2 #4329 in the yards at Oakridge, Oregon in the late 1940's.
Anyone Else Fascinated By Old Locomotives?
- Thread starter Black 03 Z06
- Start date
Jack would like this . Looks like it has Ceramic coating AND PPF! Very clean machine. Nice .
LE BARON
Power User
While there seem to be a number of tender styles used on steam locomotives over the years, most seem to variations on one or two main designs. However, the seldom seen "whale back" tender design stands out as truly unique.
The whale back tenders were not often found in the West and when they were the were often on narrow gauge engines like see her. The date is a modern August 1959 and Southern Pacific narrow gauge #9 is the last active steam locomotive on the SP roster. Glenn Beier was on hand to record this good view of her switching the yards in Owenyo, California using her unique whale back tender.
The simplicity of the whale back design is striking. You have the first tank taking up 1/3 of the tender deck as the oil bunker. Then the separate water tank takes up the rear 2/3d's of the deck. A simple plank walkway built on the tops of the 2 tanks creates the walking surface for the crew when servicing the engine. The sloped sides of the tank gave the operating crews more than the usual visibility when looking to the rear of the engine.
The whale-back tender added not only visibility but also a unique style to any engine that was lucky enough to sport one.
The whale back tenders were not often found in the West and when they were the were often on narrow gauge engines like see her. The date is a modern August 1959 and Southern Pacific narrow gauge #9 is the last active steam locomotive on the SP roster. Glenn Beier was on hand to record this good view of her switching the yards in Owenyo, California using her unique whale back tender.
The simplicity of the whale back design is striking. You have the first tank taking up 1/3 of the tender deck as the oil bunker. Then the separate water tank takes up the rear 2/3d's of the deck. A simple plank walkway built on the tops of the 2 tanks creates the walking surface for the crew when servicing the engine. The sloped sides of the tank gave the operating crews more than the usual visibility when looking to the rear of the engine.
The whale-back tender added not only visibility but also a unique style to any engine that was lucky enough to sport one.
LE BARON
Power User
Very few steam locomotives that were built in 1884 were still in active service as late as 1949, however this particular one beat the odds as we see here. The date is June 1, 1949 and this product of the Lima Locomotive & Machine Works is still going strong as she switches the Michigan-California Lumber mill at Camino, California.
She was Shay construction number #122 when she left the early LL&M factory in Lima Ohio bound for a career in logging. She began her career working for a couple of logging outfits in Michigan before heading West to work for Mich-Calif' predecessor, the Eldorado Lumber Co. of Camino, California.
This little narrow gauge 2-cylinder Shay finally received a new T-boiler in the late 1930's that extended her operating line more than another decade. Here mere 100 PSI boiler pressure a modest 5,100#s of tractive effort. This made her ideal for switching the mill yard in Camino, which was her primary duty while working for the lumber companies there.
Today she still survives as a testament to Ephraim Shay's brilliant, yet simple design of a geared engine for work in the woods. Having been retired and place on display in 1951, #3 has now spent more time on display than she did operating.
She was Shay construction number #122 when she left the early LL&M factory in Lima Ohio bound for a career in logging. She began her career working for a couple of logging outfits in Michigan before heading West to work for Mich-Calif' predecessor, the Eldorado Lumber Co. of Camino, California.
This little narrow gauge 2-cylinder Shay finally received a new T-boiler in the late 1930's that extended her operating line more than another decade. Here mere 100 PSI boiler pressure a modest 5,100#s of tractive effort. This made her ideal for switching the mill yard in Camino, which was her primary duty while working for the lumber companies there.
Today she still survives as a testament to Ephraim Shay's brilliant, yet simple design of a geared engine for work in the woods. Having been retired and place on display in 1951, #3 has now spent more time on display than she did operating.
LE BARON
Power User
She was the second to the last of the famous fleet of cab-in-the-rear articulated Lima Superpower locomotives built for the Southern Pacific in 1939. She was power style and grace when she arrived in Texas to be set up and was still a formidable piece of motive power when she was transferred in the early 1950's to SP's Modoc Line in the West.
With all this going for her, why do we find her in 1955 parked outside of the SP shops in Sacramento with lines of other modern SP articulated engines? Well, of course we know that the coming of the diesel had spared none of the classes of SP steam power and even the vaulted AC-9 engines were quickly set aside to make room for the new more modern diesel power arriving on nearly a daily basis.
All too soon, in July of 1955, she would arrive at the scrap yard where she would be broken apart never to be seen again.
With all this going for her, why do we find her in 1955 parked outside of the SP shops in Sacramento with lines of other modern SP articulated engines? Well, of course we know that the coming of the diesel had spared none of the classes of SP steam power and even the vaulted AC-9 engines were quickly set aside to make room for the new more modern diesel power arriving on nearly a daily basis.
All too soon, in July of 1955, she would arrive at the scrap yard where she would be broken apart never to be seen again.
LE BARON
Power User
There were only a handful of railroads in the West that lasted into the late 1950's that were all steam until the end. this is one such line.
We see here the C.D. Johnson Lumber Co. yard in Siletz, Oregon in June 1952. Baldwin 2-6-2T #2 is stopped in the yard before proceeding on to the landing with her string of disconnect trucks. While C.D.Johnson would soon add a small diesel locomotive to switch the mill yard at the mill in Toledo, the logging line would continue as an all-steam affair for the rest of Johnson's days and even after Georgia Pacific would buy them out.
This was the very last logging railroad to use disconnect trucks and the last run on the line would be new years eve 1959 with Baldwin 2-6-2T #9 holding the honors.
There is something to be said for an outfit that holds on as all steam only until the very end.
We see here the C.D. Johnson Lumber Co. yard in Siletz, Oregon in June 1952. Baldwin 2-6-2T #2 is stopped in the yard before proceeding on to the landing with her string of disconnect trucks. While C.D.Johnson would soon add a small diesel locomotive to switch the mill yard at the mill in Toledo, the logging line would continue as an all-steam affair for the rest of Johnson's days and even after Georgia Pacific would buy them out.
This was the very last logging railroad to use disconnect trucks and the last run on the line would be new years eve 1959 with Baldwin 2-6-2T #9 holding the honors.
There is something to be said for an outfit that holds on as all steam only until the very end.
LE BARON
Power User
The year is 1940 and a couple of railfans ar visiting Modoc Point, Oregon where they have discovered a pair of Lima logging locomotives in the form of Lamm Lumber 2-truck Shay #2 and 2-6-0 #4. Both of these locomotives are kept hot from steam being piped to them from the nearby Lamm Lumber mill so that they will always be ready to switch the siding off the Southern Pacific where the mill interchanges with the SP
LE BARON
Power User
By April 7, 1936 when Charles Caine visited the S. Tacoma shops of the Northern Pacific, he found little NP 0-4-2T pushed out back in the scrap yard. What a shame she could not have bee saved.
LE BARON
Power User
Here we see the afternoon ritual of steam railroading being played out. Pacific Coast Railway narrow gauge 2-8-0 #108 has completed her work for the day and her crew is tucking her away for the night into her stall in the roundhouse at San Luis Obispo, California.
In a few minutes her fireman will kill the fire in her firebox and chock her wheels to keep her in place. Her crew will close all the valves in the cab to try and keep her steam pressure up for the next morning so they can light her off with no help from the house steam supply.
After she is secured for her night's slumber, the crew will say their good bys and depart for home. They know they have only a few hours rest before they repeat this whole process in the morning.
In a few minutes her fireman will kill the fire in her firebox and chock her wheels to keep her in place. Her crew will close all the valves in the cab to try and keep her steam pressure up for the next morning so they can light her off with no help from the house steam supply.
After she is secured for her night's slumber, the crew will say their good bys and depart for home. They know they have only a few hours rest before they repeat this whole process in the morning.
LE BARON
Power User
Western Pacific 2-6-6-2 #201 certainly fills the turntable at the SP roundhouse in Portola, California in the late 1920's.
LE BARON
Power User
The proud crew of Western Pacific 2-6-6-2 #202 stands by their charge at the servicing track at the WP yards in Portola, California in 1926.
LE BARON
Power User
The Western Pacific roundhouse in Portola, California was a wonderful place for railfans to visit during the age of steam on the WP. We can see that in this early view showing WP 2-6-6-2 #206 on the Portola turntable on a fine spring day in the late 1920's.
LE BARON
Power User
nman-Polson Lumber 2-truck Shay #4 and her crew stop at the yards at Keasey, Oregon long enough for Clark Kinsey to snap this photo.
LE BARON
Power User
The San Joaquin & Eastern Railroad was one of the very few common carrier railroads that used Climax Locomotives in regular service. The grades on the upper end of this railroad required geared locomotives and both Shays and Climax locomotives were used. Here we see SJ&E #106 and her train on the upper end of the line.
LE BARON
Power User
Oregon Lumber Company narrow gauge 2-truck Heisler #100 prepares to leave the service track at Bates, Oregon in 1940 for another day in the woods.
LE BARON
Power User
We can see that once they hit the diamond in the track, the engine crew of this old #7 in this photo had a wide ride for them that nearly ended in disaster. Such was one of the inherent dangers of hitting a track diamond at speed.
The photo is labeled as Bellingham, Bay & British Columbia #7 in Northern Washington State. We see that the railroad crews have already attached a set of ropes and pulleys to #7 to keep her from laying completely over on her side.
It looks like only her stack, headlight and much of her dignity was lost in this particular mishap
The photo is labeled as Bellingham, Bay & British Columbia #7 in Northern Washington State. We see that the railroad crews have already attached a set of ropes and pulleys to #7 to keep her from laying completely over on her side.
It looks like only her stack, headlight and much of her dignity was lost in this particular mishap
LE BARON
Power User
The way that helper power was used in the days of steam was quite different than what we see today. In these modern times, groups of diesel locomotives are simply added at the head and rear of most freights and are left intact until the train reaches its final destination. A single crew on the lead locomotive controls all the power thanks to radio controls.
Things were quite different in steam days. Each helper had it's own engineer and fireman. This added expense limited the use of each helper engine so just the grade that they were needed to help conquer and no more. This require the "flying cut-off" whenever the summit was reached and the helper's job was done.
We see that maneuver being performed here in this fine photo taken on the Moffat Tunnel line of the Denver & Rio Grande Western. D&RGW #1526 had just successfully completed the job of pushing this freight train up to the summit. Rather than make the freight stop to uncouple #1526, the brakeman in the caboose has signaled the crew on #1526 to get ready for a flying cut-off as he lifts the pin on the coupler on the back of the caboose and allows them to slow their speed to release themselves from the freight as that train proceeds on it's way.
Here is but one more railroading tradition that has been all but forgotten in these days of modern diesel power.
Things were quite different in steam days. Each helper had it's own engineer and fireman. This added expense limited the use of each helper engine so just the grade that they were needed to help conquer and no more. This require the "flying cut-off" whenever the summit was reached and the helper's job was done.
We see that maneuver being performed here in this fine photo taken on the Moffat Tunnel line of the Denver & Rio Grande Western. D&RGW #1526 had just successfully completed the job of pushing this freight train up to the summit. Rather than make the freight stop to uncouple #1526, the brakeman in the caboose has signaled the crew on #1526 to get ready for a flying cut-off as he lifts the pin on the coupler on the back of the caboose and allows them to slow their speed to release themselves from the freight as that train proceeds on it's way.
Here is but one more railroading tradition that has been all but forgotten in these days of modern diesel power.
LE BARON
Power User
Many railroads in the West back in the days of steam were constantly following water either in the forms of rivers or bays and inlets. This made for a number of crossing bridges along the route to keep the trains and water both moving.
In this simple scene shot by Wil Whittaker in March 1939, we see Northwestern Pacific 4-6-0 #141 and her passenger train crossing a small draw bridge at Gallina, California as the train travels along this Northern California line.
The NWP traveled through some wonderful scenes in Marin County north of San Francisco
In this simple scene shot by Wil Whittaker in March 1939, we see Northwestern Pacific 4-6-0 #141 and her passenger train crossing a small draw bridge at Gallina, California as the train travels along this Northern California line.
The NWP traveled through some wonderful scenes in Marin County north of San Francisco