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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 4:51 am 

Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:48 am
Posts: 1531
Location: Byers, Colorado
And how about that firebox ??? I don't see any crown stays in the wrapper, but there's a big row of rivets on the backhead right about the same level as the bottom try cock. Crown bars ???

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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 8:05 am 

Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm
Posts: 705
I've visited this place many times from the 1960s on. When the mystery loco first appeared I inquired of its origin. I was told it "came from some coal company in WV." When I asked about its curious wheel arrangement they told me "what you see is what we got." From that I presume the modification was done elsewhere. It certainly has "that West Virginia look" to it. In all my visits I never saw any indication that any of the stuff, rail or otherwise, was actually operated at the site.

Porter definitely identified their locos with the b/n stamped in various motion parts as well as somewhere on the frame and somewhere on the boiler. Hopefully someone can spot a number.


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 1:10 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am
Posts: 279
From what little I have seen at this site, nothing ever ran. There is barely enough track to house the rail equipment, which also includes some EBT hoppers and at least one standard gauge caboose (B&O?). I think there were "plans" that never got past the first few rails.

Here are some photos of the equipment and trackage. There is actually quite a bit of track, although most of it is covered in weeds. In fact, there is a complete loop up past the restaurant and behind the garage, but unless you stand on top of it you'd never know it is there - it's covered in growth.

These photos show the track arrangement near the restaurant. The track that goes past the shed with the satellite dish is the one that makes a tight loop.


Attachments:
Cool Springs Track Layout.jpg
Cool Springs Track Layout.jpg [ 332.59 KiB | Viewed 6535 times ]
Cool Springs Switches.jpg
Cool Springs Switches.jpg [ 302.55 KiB | Viewed 6535 times ]
Cool Springs Track.jpg
Cool Springs Track.jpg [ 300.64 KiB | Viewed 6535 times ]


Last edited by Jeff Terry on Mon May 25, 2015 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 1:11 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am
Posts: 279
Vulcan 0-4-0T with a strange home-built tender, along with a Vulcan gas-mechanical. I also found a pair of drive wheels sitting off in the weeds.


Attachments:
Cool Springs Horsepower Display.jpg
Cool Springs Horsepower Display.jpg [ 321.04 KiB | Viewed 6534 times ]
Cool Springs Critter.jpg
Cool Springs Critter.jpg [ 268.22 KiB | Viewed 6534 times ]
Cool Springs Drivers.jpg
Cool Springs Drivers.jpg [ 305.07 KiB | Viewed 6534 times ]


Last edited by Jeff Terry on Mon May 25, 2015 1:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 1:13 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am
Posts: 279
Standard gauge C&O cabooses, including one on EBT trucks. There is also an EBT hopper nearby.


Attachments:
Cool Springs Cabooses.jpg
Cool Springs Cabooses.jpg [ 300.72 KiB | Viewed 6533 times ]
Caboose and mine cars.jpg
Caboose and mine cars.jpg [ 288.75 KiB | Viewed 6533 times ]
Refugee from the EBT.jpg
Refugee from the EBT.jpg [ 281.37 KiB | Viewed 6533 times ]
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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 1:14 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am
Posts: 279
Down at the far end of the property there is a steel boxcar (EBT?) and two EBT flatcars full of rail. There was apparently going to be another loop of track on this end, but it was never constructed.


Attachments:
Cool Springs Boxcar.jpg
Cool Springs Boxcar.jpg [ 320.27 KiB | Viewed 6533 times ]
Cool Springs EBT Flat.jpg
Cool Springs EBT Flat.jpg [ 320.01 KiB | Viewed 6533 times ]
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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 1:54 pm 

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm
Posts: 6400
Jeff -

Thanks very much for the additional photos. The EBT boxcar is interesting. I wonder how many of them there were? I know that the East Broad Top was mainly a coal hauling road but that there were box cars too. Not sure how many, and if this one is a rare car. Also the "pink" caboose on the 3' gauge trucks doesn't look like C&O or B&O to me, but maybe from a railroad that they acquired. Perhaps someone can comment.

Les


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 8:14 pm 

Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:34 am
Posts: 535
Location: Granby, CT but formerly Port Jefferson, NY (LIRR MP 57.5)
What an interesting "collection". I'm going to have to stop there the next time I'm in WV and take a look before it all rots into the ground.

The boxcar definitely looks EBT to me. The EBT is supposed to have had something on the order of 20 boxcars and 23 flats, but I don't know how many are still on EBT property.

I'm curious, has anyone inquired of the owners of Cool Springs if any of the equipment might be for sale?

-Philip Marshall


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 8:40 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
For what little it may be worth, the ARCHES book "Captive Cabeese" lists the Cool Springs cabeese as:

B&O C2158 (Wood cupola, I think that's class I-5)
B&O C2161 (ditto)
B&O C2645, former Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh 294, wood--the one now on 3' trucks
B&O C2710, earlier B&O X2773, the bay-window one (now missing its bay window)

An additional caboose, B&O C2050, is restored in downtown Rowlesburg nearby, and supposedly came there by way of Cool Springs Park and possibly Round Lake Beach, Illinois.....


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 8:03 am 

Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm
Posts: 705
The Vulcan gas loco is b/n 4667. It was advertised for sale on several occasions. Is it still at the "park?"


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 8:57 am 

Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am
Posts: 473
You got to see more track than I have ever seen!! Any time I was there, there was so much vegetation that the boxcar, hopper, flat, and cabooses were nearly overgrown. Looks like quite a bit has been cut!

Quote:
I'm curious, has anyone inquired of the owners of Cool Springs if any of the equipment might be for sale?


Quote:
The Vulcan gas loco is b/n 4667. It was advertised for sale on several occasions. Is it still at the "park?


This site has been discussed on Smokstak, and my experience as well as others have posted, is that nothing was for sale. That may have changed at some point?


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 9:31 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm
Posts: 1227
Here is the dope on the Vulcan gas loco.

4667 6/1948 B 36” 53 HP 6T G/M Herc
E I DuPont , Parlin, N J
Brady M Boyles, Keyser, W Va
Cool Springs Park, McComber, W Va


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 10:46 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:52 pm
Posts: 914
Hi,

I don't think she's a Glover. There are six (maybe 7?) Glover's in existence as far as in known. five here in Georgia and one in Puerto Rico.

Glover did put their builder's number on items that started as someone else's and they upgraded/rebuilt it.

When I find my Glover book, I'll check to see if it is there.

My point (that I did not get clear) was that some small shop somewhere may have rebuilt the loco and so the tracking may have been lost without a Porter C/N.

Doug vV


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 5:22 am 

Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:52 pm
Posts: 914
Hi,

Here is a pic of Glover 8141 - a 36" gauge 0-4-0 that went to Stanton Brick in Macon, GA.

Attachment:
gmw 8141.JPG
gmw 8141.JPG [ 18.88 KiB | Viewed 6194 times ]


As I said, it looks a lot like the 0-4-0t in question.

I looked at what Glover built in 42" gauge. 7121 was sold to a place in Kentucky. No other 42" gauge locos were 0-4-0Ts as far as the is certain. Lots of locos with no known gauge or wheel arrangement.

FWIW.

Doug vV


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 Post subject: Re: Cool Springs Mystery Porter
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 7:02 am 

Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:34 am
Posts: 535
Location: Granby, CT but formerly Port Jefferson, NY (LIRR MP 57.5)
Hi Doug,

This is pretty clearly a Porter, not a Glover. Specifically it's one of the low-clearance engines Porter built for use in mines, much like the example in the photo below except with a modified cab. If you look in the third picture in this thread you can even almost make out the name 'H. K. Porter' on the smokebox door. 42" gauge ("bastard gauge") was of course the common PA/WV/KY coal mine gauge.

-Philip Marshall


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glendale-colliery-coal-locomotive.jpg
glendale-colliery-coal-locomotive.jpg [ 47.49 KiB | Viewed 6177 times ]
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