Just curious to see if anybody had been in touch with the good folks at DeGloyer Library at Southern Methodist University, where many of the Baldwin steam locomotive records went. Curious if there is a specific person who is the contact and the level of difficulty in digging out drawings of your favorite engine.

Incidentally, anybody know how the Baldwin records came to be at SMU... which is a fer piece from Philly?

Jim

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

> Just curious to see if anybody had been in
> touch with the good folks at DeGloyer
> Library at Southern Methodist University,
> where many of the Baldwin steam locomotive
> records went. Curious if there is a specific
> person who is the contact and the level of
> difficulty in digging out drawings of your
> favorite engine.

> Incidentally, anybody know how the Baldwin
> records came to be at SMU... which is a fer
> piece from Philly?

> Jim
I've gotten a number of records from them over the years, and found them to be extremely helpful and cooperative. Just address your request to DeGolyer Special Collections Library, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 396, Dallas, Texas 75275. Give them as much info as possible, e.g., construction number, date, whyte specification, buyer, road number, etc. Their fees are fairly reasonable. One item of note--the materials are sent out on non-copy paper that can't be xeroxed.

Kevinmccabe@avenew.com

> Give them as much info as
> possible, e.g., construction number, date,
> whyte specification, buyer, road number,
> etc.
It also helps to give the Baldwin Classification number of your locomotive. This can be found stamped on many frame parts. for example, our Baldwin 0-4-2 tank engine , the Kahuku, has the number 6-10-1/3-C-33 which means that the engine has 6 wheels, 8 inch diameter cylinders (a formula of 2(D-3), why, ask Baldwin), a trailing truck, 2 drive axles, and was the 33rd engine in this size.

One interesting note, not all of the parts on our engine have the same number. Over the years she acquired parts of at least 4 other engines. She will be running tomorrow, July 24 and on next Tuesday, the 31.

ironbartom@aol.com

Kay Bost is the best contact person.
DeGolyer sells a catalog of its Baldwin holdings.
Best to start your research with that.

> Just curious to see if anybody had been in
> touch with the good folks at DeGloyer
> Library at Southern Methodist University,
> where many of the Baldwin steam locomotive
> records went. Curious if there is a specific
> person who is the contact and the level of
> difficulty in digging out drawings of your
> favorite engine.

> Incidentally, anybody know how the Baldwin
> records came to be at SMU... which is a fer
> piece from Philly?

> Jim

> One
> item of note--the materials are sent out on
> non-copy paper that can't be xeroxed.

If you do want to publish material from the DeGolyer Library, they will work with you. Some years ago, when I was editing Friends of the East Broad Top's magazine, The Timber Transfer, I got their permission to reproduce some erecting cards as illustrations for a very interesting article by Rich Wickett on proposals for locomotives that Baldwin submitted to the EBT. As I recall, the only requirements were that I insert a credit line exactly as DeGolyer specified and send them a courtesy copy of the article (which we would have done anyway). Had the TT been the publication of a for-profit organization DeGolyer would have applied different requirements.

ebt4evr@aol.com

> A friend of mine was there recently and came away quite amazed at the amount of railroad materiel that have available. Not just Baldwin, but all sorts of stuff.

Good luck with your research! TM

ted_miles@NPS.gov

Jim, you asked about how the Baldwin material ended up at DeGolyer. Evidently this material was salvaged by Charles Witbeck around 1954 who was seeking Baldwin drawings for a plantation engine he was restoring in Louisiana. Invited to Eddystone, BLW officials opened the doors to the company archives and invited him to take whatever he wanted. Evidently he carted several loads and loaded up a nearby boxcar with his lcl and it was sent south. After Witbeck died, the material ended up in the hands of Owen Davis bookseller in Chicago, who in turn sold the material to Everett DeGolyer, Jr. Many of the drawings reflect late 19th and early 20th century engine design, and are largely incomplete. They also have Baldwin locomotive mechanical specifications, c.1870-1940. Copies are on microfilm at CSRM Library and at the Smithsonian.

> Good luck with your research! TM

> It also helps to give the Baldwin
> Classification number of your locomotive.
> This can be found stamped on many frame
> parts. for example, our Baldwin 0-4-2 tank
> engine , the Kahuku, has the number
> 6-10-1/3-C-33 which means that the engine
> has 6 wheels, 8 inch diameter cylinders (a
> formula of 2(D-3), why, ask Baldwin), a
> trailing truck, 2 drive axles, and was the
> 33rd engine in this size.

If anyone is interested about the Baldwin Classification Number there is a site on the web with scanned images of a Baldwin catalog with a description of the number system, and much more interesting information.

I was once told that the basic classification system began in the mid-19th century and when the size and wheels increased the classification system was revised to allow for these changes while keeping the old designations. The result was this convoluted system.

Brian Norden


Data from the Baldwin Catalog of Locomotives
bnorden@gateway.net