Just found two odd geared locos. They were working on construction near Boston in 1900. Anybody know anything about them?

This one looks like it may have 2 speed gearing.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/sea ... :t148gc09k

This one has chain drive.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/sea ... :t148gc11m

This photo shows both stored a few months later.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/sea ... :bc386k58g

This may be the Hobo in 1893.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/sea ... :pr76ff957

Looks to be a sister to Hobo but only one speed gearing.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/sea ... all_fields

From the looks of them I don't think they started out life as locomotives. They look like some kind of bodged together home build made out of a couple of "steam donkey" winch engines.

The first one may be an early "Gypsy" engine but that second one with the rain barrel water tank screams shop job. My question is how the heck did that arrangement with the stack coming straight out of the fire box work.

It's probably a 2-pass boiler. This is a pretty common arrangement for small stationary fire tube boilers used for building heating. Here's a simplified illustration of the arrangement:



In the case of the locomotive, there's a firebox instead of an oil burner as shown above.

The engine on the chain drive loco looks like it was built by Lidgerwood. It could have been cut down from a winch or a stationary engine.

reminds me of this locomotive that lives, and maybe still operates, at Ft Humboldt Park in Eureka, CA, along with a similar engine
http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/bear_h ... photos.htm

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=665

One of these odd locos has been identified. My friend over at www.gearsteam.com has found that the Hobo was built by Miller & Shaw. See:

http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/images ... 20&%20shaw).jpg

Here is an article about this obscure builder.

http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/articl ... rticle.jpg

Here is the complete link for the photo:
http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/images/moulton_&_o'mahoney-hobo-10-12-1900-smokebox-%28miller%20&%20shaw%29.jpg

Now that's cool... I wonder, but aren't some of the access roads to the reservoir parts of the old roadbeds from those tracks?

Something that never fails to strike a chord with me is the "pretty" woodwork of the cab. The arched windows were something a shop person simply took time to craft. Somebody had to be thinking, "Now, that will look nicer".