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 Post subject: Steam Locomotive in Wilkes-Barre Streetcar Thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 12:57 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am
Posts: 2499
I don’t want to fully hijack the “found” Wilkes-Barre streetcar thread, bur I am obsessed with the steam locomotive in the scrapyard image. Post with image is here
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42522


Image
The scrapper, Louis Cohen & Son is still in business in the Wilkes-Barre area. The image in question is said to be from 1948.

The locomotive appears to likely be an 0-6-0, 2-6-0 or 2-6-2 with tender. I am leaning towards it being of ALCO origin, but that’s just a feeling. There are some Dickson hallmarks. It does not have a wide firebox, so common to the anthracite region.

Looking at the rosters of the local lines with smaller locomotives (and my memory of such) I can’t place her.

Cohen was a big operation, and in period advertisements claims to be a scrapper of “plants.” It is possible the locomotive came
From outside of the area and was used by Cohen.

Cool mystery.

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 Post subject: Re: Steam Locomotive in Wilkes-Barre Streetcar Thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 2:04 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 am
Posts: 705
robertjohndavis wrote:
Cohen was a big operation, and in period advertisements claims to be a scrapper of “plants.” It is possible the locomotive came
From outside of the area and was used by Cohen.

Cool mystery.


There is something that pulls one in when a mystery loco is spotted. Here's the link to the Trolley Museum of New York archive page for this photo:

http://www.tmny.org/catl.php?n=7114&d=8/11/1948&c=Wilkes-Barre+Transit+trolley+car%20bodies+at+Louis+Cohen+&+Sons+scrapyard,+Hanover+Twp&a=PR199001

This is a vey low res scan so the first step in any further inquiry would be to ask the TMNY volunteers if a higher res scan is available. The low res scan shows that the loco still has its headlight. It is not a tank engine but does not appear to have a tender behind it so it is unlikely to be in service at the scrap yard at the time of the photo.

Which area railroads were known to use Cohen as a scrapper? Since the photo is from 1948, it is unlikely that the loco was scrapped before the end of WWII or it would have been more quickly converted to metal for the war effort so, unless Cohen used it on site for a while during the war, it is likely that this loco was scrapped between the end of WWII and the date of this photo.

My initial gut reaction was that this could be a 2-6-0 because of the comparative length of the cab relative to the visible part of the boiler, the location of the domes, and the location of the two sets of drivers that appear to be visible above the streetcar roofs. It does not appear to be DL&W 500 series 2-6-0, because the stack appears a bit too tall relative to the domes and the cab appears to have arched windows. Also, as delivered the 500 series' oil lamps were mounted on top of the smokebox but were later moved to the smokebox front. All electric headlights were mounted on the smokebox front.


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 Post subject: Re: Steam Locomotive in Wilkes-Barre Streetcar Thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:14 pm 

Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2016 7:05 pm
Posts: 270
I'd lean toward a 2-6-0 also as it looks very similar to Bath & Hammondsport (now Everett RR) #11, which was Alco-Cooke 62635, blt. 1920 (for export to Cuba but never left). Differences are height of steam dome (taller than 11's), placement of forward sand dome, headlight, turbo and some cab openings, but definitely a cousin from the same period.

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 Post subject: Re: Steam Locomotive in Wilkes-Barre Streetcar Thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:55 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 8:30 pm
Posts: 77
Engine in the photo looks smaller than the #11 to me. It also appears to have slide valves.


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 Post subject: Re: Steam Locomotive in Wilkes-Barre Streetcar Thread
PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:46 pm 

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm
Posts: 6400
Thought I might have a possible candidate. Found a short line in New York state on the internet that still had two Prairie's on the roster through World War 2, with sold for scrap dates of 1948 and 1950. The 1948 date fit perfectly! But then I found photos of the two 2-6-2's. Definitely NOT the same engine!! Still looking.


Les


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