This Midwest 3-foot gauge gas mechanical is possibly one of six either ordered or built April 1929 for use at Fort Barrette on Oahu. Reportedly they were 8-ton with construction numbers 1055 through and including 1066. Any ideas of what model or capacity this locomotive may be? Any assistance appreciated

Jeff Livingston

According to Midwest records serials 1055 to 1060 were 8 ton 36" gauge model GCD ("Gasoline Chain Drive") built on shop order 14182. All 6 were shipped 4/11/1935 to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in Hawaii. Power was a Climax model TU four cylinder engine. No road numbers are shown in the records, nor is the specific destination in Hawaii spelled out.

Hope that helps some. If anyone has questions about Midwest locos or those from predecessor Burton Engine Co. I'll offer such data as exists from their production records. Burton began making blatant copies of the Plymouth Model AL and BL friction drive models in 1920. The name Lakewood Engineering Co. is also associated with Burton, but it isn't clear who owned or controlled who. In 1928 the firm became Midwest Locomotive Works and moved from Cleveland first to Cincinnati and last to Hamilton, OH. Their data is a bit confusing (some serials were apparently used twice) but it appears that a total of 192 locos were built in total.

The business ceased about 1940 and in 1942 nine uncompleted locos were added to the wartime scrap drive.

Thank you David,

My posted date of 1929 was incorrect. I skipped a couple of lines down as I was checking my reference. The correct date listed matches yours of 1935 which is more inline with the completion date of Fort Barrette. The Hawaiian locomotive lists I'm using were compiled by Allen Copeland and Bob Lehmuth. They are an excellent resource and well put together but I'm always cross checking. Does a copy of the actual shop order 14182 exist? Based on the empirical evidence presented by the Army's completion report and the shop order these six locomotives are those ordered for use at Fort Barrette. As of now no photographs of these locomotives in use at Fort Barrette have been found nor any photographs of the powder and shell cars. Still searching though. Unfortunately for RYPN members this is only the first of a number of "Critters" that need to be identified. If a copy of the shop exists please contact me at historian@hawaiianrailway.com. Thanks again.

Jeff Livingston

Nothing unfortunate about that, It's a chance to learn!

Jeff

Interesting Corps of Engineers markings on the cab, you normally don't see locomotives marked for that.
Even more odd is the large, "US Army" on the side of the Jeep (either a Willys MB or Ford GPW from 1942-1945) in the background, something I've never seen in any period photo before of a WW2 Jeep...

The photo was taken by Vitally Uzoff, a Signal Corps photographer, ca. 1946 at Fort Kamehameha. We have yet to find photos of any of these locomotives elsewhere.

Jeff Livingston

In answer to your question about Midwest shop order records: Such data as I have does not include the actual shop orders, just references to them by number. That a particular shop order number applied to all 6 of these locos implies they were all identical and ordered at the same time.