EMD Steam Locomotive #1936

PCook · **Joined:** Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:16 am **Posts:** 2129

Have any of the contributors to the forum seen any disposition information on EMD's steam locomotive #1936? The most recent photos I have encountered of it were taken in the mid-1950s. I suspect it was scrapped prior to 1960.

PC

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:43 am

WHAT????!!!!

WHAT was EMD doing with a steam locomotive??

Howard P.
Really Curious, NY

DBH · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:52 am

My thoughts also Howard!

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

I don't see EMD with any steam, only possiblity if they owned a steamer for some oddball reason. Its like you don't expect N&W with narrow gauge but they had a narrow gauge tie plant.

note early diesels had steam generators because passenger cars were steam heated.

Dave · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:03 am

I think it was a lot like the statue of Zeus or Apollo in a temple...... provides a divine presence to which mere mortals could aspire.

dave

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

Is it possible that Preston jumped the gun by about 14.5 hours?

Phil Raynes · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:15 am

Hmmmmmm....
This IS close to April 1st, isn't it?!?!?!!!!
Phil

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

G. W. Laepple wrote:

Is it possible that Preston jumped the gun by about 14.5 hours?

I hope not. I have much more faith in PCook than to join the annual Interchange vandalism. ;-)

But I am curious. The Google doesn't turn up anything on #1936. Could something have existed that is not documented online (he asks facetiously)?

Rob

alcoguy1 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:36 pm

G. W. Laepple wrote:

Is it possible that Preston jumped the gun by about 14.5 hours?

It's 3/31 in the US but it's 4/1 somewhere.......

I am intrigued though.....Would love to have some more info.

-Alex

MEC_557 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:10 pm

There was an artical about that EMD steamer in one of the magazines a few years ago. I wish I could remember which one, possibly Trains?

EMD was bent on concentrating on diesels but since railroads still hadn't fully adopted to the diesel movement at that time they considered getting into producing steam for a few years. They only went for this since they formed an alliance with Lima that would help offset tooling costs and share some parts. There was no mention of what became of that loco though. Likely no one had the forethought to save it or maybe EMD requested that it be destroyed.

Newriver400 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:31 pm

Dave wrote:

I think it was a lot like the statue of Zeus or Apollo in a temple...... provides a divine presence to which mere mortals could aspire.

dave

That engendered an uproarious laugh! Too bad those Winton and 567 powered sewing machines never could live up to that aspiration.

Best,
Mike

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 4:31 pm

"sewing machines" they may have been, but they were good enough to knock Zeus and Apollo off their pedestals....

And rather quickly, too. 10-15 years at most is all it took.

Howard P.

PCook · **Joined:** Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:16 am **Posts:** 2129

Perhaps I should have described #1936 as a "steam" locomotive or a steam "locomotive", or maybe even as a "steam locomotive". It did exist, it was a very nicely detailed 4-6-2 Pacific with appearance features similar to Reading locomotives. It was acquired sometime in the 1940s and seems to have been kept around until the late 1950s. It was lettered for the "Pre-Diesel Railroad" and was displayed at railroad industry trade shows, state fairs, and other special events. I have never seen any mention of the disposition of the #1936 and was curious whether anyone else on this discussion has come across anything about it.

And to further explain, it was approximately a 1/2 size replica of a steam locomotive, in other words about 1:2 scale, which still resulted in it being about 2-1/2 times the length of typical 1950s automobiles, probably longer than a bus. It had rubber tires that were barely visible inside the railroad wheels of the pilot truck and the trailing truck, the tender also had rubber tires inside railroad styled wheels, and it was operable on public streets and in parking lots. I have seen photos of it running down the middle of public streets in the Chicago area and in the parking lots of exhibitions and trade shows. The exact identity of the chassis I have not been able to determine, but some of the components of the locomotive may have been "borrowed" from GM bus or truck application, or perhaps adapted from a large farm tractor.

Has anybody seen EMD #1936 since the 1950's?

PC

MEC_557 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:56 pm

^Well, I guess it wasn't a 4/1 joke after all. Here I took it as bait and decided to run with it and make up the Lima connection. Just had to make it sound "plausible" as the Mythbusters would say.

Of course, seeing that Howard was getting curious and interested just made it that much more tempting for me to jump into this and have some fun!

PCook · **Joined:** Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:16 am **Posts:** 2129

EMD #1936 was a pretty unique piece of equipment. I am sure if anyone saw it they would remember it.

PC