I tried to blow up the picture as well. I can't read the lettering, but the size and shape suggests "flying Rio Grande."

The car itself appears to be a "door-and-a-half" car, with unequal sized doors (hence the name). The car itself appears to be of double sheathed wooden construction with a steel frame.

Now, does anybody have an Equipment Register that would show such a car type on the D&RGW?

Found this video of the Midland Terminal on YouTube:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BsGeVybQPes

Nice find! Amazing- I'd never heard of these locomotives until 2 days ago; now we've got photos and color video.

If anyone still cares:

I happened to blunder upon the following information while cataloging W. Hugh Moomaw's Virginia's Belt Line Railroad: The Norfolk & Portsmouth, 1898-1997 at the Md. Rail Heritage Library, and then cross-referenced with Steam Days on the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway by John J. Hilton and Randolph Kean. The following is a consolidation of data from both books:

N&PBL 50: US Army 4065, Lima c/n 8399 of 1942, acq. 8-47, in service until dieselization 1955-56.
51: Army 4061, Lima 8395, acquired 11-47, sold 1956 to Va. Blue Ridge
52: Army 4060, Lima 8394, acq. 11-47, in service to end
53: Midland Terminal 66, Lima 8385, acq. as 2-6-0 6-49, rebuilt back to 0-6-0
54: MT 64, Lima 8385, acq. as 2-6-0 5-49, rebuilt back to 0-6-0
55: Army 4064, Lima 8398, purchased by MT 1946 but never used, acq. 5-49
56: Army 4070, Lima 8404, purchased by MT 1946 but never used, acq. 7-49
57: Army 4068, Lima 8400, acq. 12-52

60: Army 4016, Schenectady 70392, acq. 3-48
61: Army 4040, Schenectady 70416, acq. 3-48
62: Army 4005, Schenectady 70419, acq. 3-48
63: Army 4022, Schenectady 70398, acq. 7-48
64: MT 65, Schenectady 70416, acq. 4-50, rebuilt from 2-6-0 back to 0-6-0
65: Army 4014, Schenectady 70390, acq. 4-49; purchased by MT 1946 but never used there

The four at VBR:
5: Alco Schenectady 70421 Nov. 1942, Army 4039; sold to Morris County Central late 1965 and now at Whippany Railway Museum in NJ.
7: Lima 8395, Feb. 1944, Sold 1964 to Steam Trains Inc. which later turned over to NH&I
8: Schenectady 70420 Nov. 1942; last used by Army at Ft. Eustis as 618; sold to Delaware Otsego 1964
9: Schenectady 70402 Oct. 1942; last used by Army at Ft. Eustis as 616; Sold 1964 to Steam Trains Inc. which later turned over to NH&I

Add to No. 9:
Now at SMS Rail Services; Pureland, N.J.

Wasn't there a fourth U.S. Army 0-6-0 at VBR? Or is my memory playing tricks on me again?

Les

From what I understand, the #7 was never turned over to NH&I ownership. It was retained by its owner, who purchased it directly from the VBR and later scrapped it at NH&I under his direct orders. There was a long drawn out dispute between the owner and the NH&I and the owner was happier seeing it scrapped than saved and returned to service.

McHugh was able to purchase or trade parts off the #7, to be used for #9, directly from the scrapper.

Actually, two, in a roundabout way. VBR 4 and 5 were both purchased from the Army via the War Assets Administration on Feb. 17, 1947.

VBR 5: Alco Schenectady 70421 Nov. 1942, Army 4039; sold to Morris County Central 1965 and now at Whippany Railway Museum in NJ.
VBR 4: Long, convoluted history both pre- and post VBR, but you know her now as Wilmington & Western 58.

Just to clarify for those who are not familiar with Wilmington & Western #58; while this engine was in Army ownership at one point, it was acquired by the military secondhand and was not of the same design as the 0-6-0's otherwise discussed in this thread.

It was also not the first #4 on the Virginia Blue Ridge; a small 0-4-0T was the original VBR #4 although it escaped the attention of most historians.

Alan Maples

Former 4002 in Greensburg, La.; wonder if it is still around:

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/0-6-0/ua4002-persick.jpg


Here's an article from 6/30/2009 regarding plans to return the locomotive to service.
http://tinyurl.com/jmuyufm

The "museum" was incorporated on 11/24/2014 as the Louisiana Museum of World Mechanical History. Mailing address is 1225 Museum Road, Greensburg, LA 70441.

That's the most recent info I can find.

Jim Tatum