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 Post subject: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:41 pm 

Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:57 am
Posts: 2576
Location: Faulkland, Delaware
Does anyone have any information on the logging locomotive listed for Swan Quarter, NC? I'm thinking about mounting an expedition to find her. Any help would be appreciated.

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomo ... splay=1565

Thanks,

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Tom Gears
Wilmington, DE

Maybe it won't work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.


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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:04 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
A SCRM group has already handled the finding - I suggest you get in touch with them. It has been a few years back, but you will find it reported on RyPN. Try "sumter" or "swamp shay" and see if something pops up.

dave

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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:47 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:28 pm
Posts: 444
I believe the Swan Quarter locomotive and the Sumter locomotive are two different things.

The Sumter, SC locomotive is a Shay:
http://www.shaylocomotives.com/surviving/0196surv.jpg

And something makes me think there may be a second one in the area, ex-Brooklyn Cooperage (from Tom Fetter's book "Logging Railroads of South Carolina"), but I don't know that for sure.


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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:03 pm 

Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:57 am
Posts: 2576
Location: Faulkland, Delaware
The Swamp Shay and Sumpter threads do not mention this one. Any help would be appreciated.

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Tom Gears
Wilmington, DE

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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:32 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 11:30 am
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Location: Eagan, MN
tomgears wrote:
The Swamp Shay and Sumpter threads do not mention this one. Any help would be appreciated.


Well...the information in the steamlocomotive.info site came from two sources: a list first circulated in 1971, author unknown. Found on Usenet in 1992 and from a list of extant steam locomotives published by TRAIN.

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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:52 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:28 pm
Posts: 444
The first reference I ever found with regards to the Swan Quarter locomotive was in J. David Conrad's steam locomotive directory. I also did a quick Mapquest today, and Swan Quarter is in the eastern part of NC...geographically has nothing to do with Sumter, SC. The Swan Quarter locomotive is listed as being built by Tanner & Delanhny circa 1870, and is 4-foot gauge, and a wood-burner. This info probably exists on other lists, but again, the first reference I ever found for it was in the Conrad books.


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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:28 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
OK, that explains it.....there's only one pole road SHAY in the Carolinas, at least that we know about. This is a different type of geared lokie entirely.

dave

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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 11:43 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:14 pm
Posts: 613
Location: Essex, Connecticut, USA
Dear Tom:
Over the years I have wondered (nay, hoped!) that someone would make an effort to track down the remains of the Tanner & Delany (note correct spelling) Pole Rail Locomotive listed in "The Steam Locomotive Directory of North America" as being located at Swan Quarter, NC.
A good bit of background is necessary.
I first heard of this locomotive from the late Robert Johnson, who had a historic machinery restoration service/shop called "Whistles in the Woods" at Rossville, Georgia. Bob also billed "Whistles in the Woods" as a museum, but when I visited, the main display was Bob himself, a walking (and talking!) encyclopedia of knowledge about 19th Century machines, especially locomotives and lumber mills. Bob was the guy that restored virtually all of the machinery (windmills to locomotive) for the Smithsonian's "1876 Centennial Exhibition" opened in 1976 at the original Smithsonian building on the Mall in Washington. He did absolutely fabulous restoration work, albeit at his own pace. His knowledge and advise were much in demand, so much so that Mary Ellen (his wife) screened all of his calls and visitors so he wouldn't spend his days talking rather than working on the project at hand.
Over the years, Bob owned/brokered a number of steam locomotives (see SLDofNA), so when I was doing the research for "The Book", he was someone that I really had to talk to.
My opportunity came in June 1980. Bob had gotten a contract with the U.S. Forestry Service to restore a 3' gauge Climax (from the Allen & Samborski collection) and had not finished on schedule. USFS cancelled the contract and I went to Rossville to inspect the locomotive and try to get the (new) contract (which ultimately went to Tweetsie which restored the locomotive now displayed at the "Cradle of Forestry" museum, Brevard, NC). For some reason, Mary Ellen took a shine to me (perhaps because I chatted with her about the Pigmy goats they raised) and allowed me to meet/interview Bob that evening after supper.
Bob was the sort of person from whom knowledge and information just flowed. It was difficult to keep him on track even though I told him I had a list of specific questions I needed answered for "The Book". During one of many digressions, he asked me if I had ever heard of Tanner & Delany and I said yes, they were a predecessor of Richmond Locomotive Works. He said that there was a Tanner & Delany Pole Rail Locomotive in North Carolina owned by a friend of his, Jack Williams, who lives(d) in Ellamore, North Carolina.
The story: Jack Williams is/was a collector of sawmill machinery who found the remains of a locomotive sinking into the ground near Swan Quarter, NC. He removed some parts and brought them to his home where Bob saw them. It was Bob's opinion from the pieces he saw that they were from a 48" gauge, 2 truck Tanner & Delany locomotive that ran on pole rails. Bob guessed that the locomotive was c.1870. Jack Williams planned to go back for the rest of the locomotive (boiler, cylinder (s?), etc.).
In January 1985 I wrote to Bob asking for an update on this locomotive but received no reply.
Yes, I know, that the information was rather sparse for inclusion in "The Book", however, I trusted Bob, so I put it in (mea culpa), (maybe)...
Good luck with your search, keep us posted!
J.David
PS: I believe that Doug is mistaken when he lists his sources. The list attributed to TRAIN, "LIST OF STEAM LOCOMOTIVES IN THE UNITED STATES" was actually published June 30, 1986 by Joe Minnich, dba: Centennial Rail, Inc. Joe was the Editor of the TRAIN newsletter for many years, hence the (possible) confusion. It consists of 26 pages, single spaced listing: STATE/CITY, LOCATION,ORIGINAL RR, No, TYPE, NOTES for about 960 steam locomotives. Oddly, there isn't a single listing for North Carolina... JDC


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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:27 am 
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Posts: 1231
Location: Eagan, MN
J. David is correct. I dug up the paper copy he and I referred to and the locomotive isn't there. I assumed that is where it came from and was clearly mistaken.

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 Post subject: Re: Pole Road Locomotive in Swan Quarter, NC
PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:12 am 

Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:57 am
Posts: 2576
Location: Faulkland, Delaware
Today was supposed to be the day but it did not work out. We're staying the week on Ocracoke Island and there is a ferry that runs to Swanquarter. My buddy Alan and I set of to the ferry terminal on our bicycles with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches packed in my saddle bags. We got the the dock and were told the ferry was broke down and not running today. Tomorrow we have plans so if the weather cooperates we might be able to take a crack at on Friday. If we don't get over there on Friday we wont make it because we head out on Saturday on the ferry to Hatteras.

Thanks for all of the background information. I hope we can find something.

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Tom Gears
Wilmington, DE

Maybe it won't work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.


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