Are there any internet sources for builder's numbers as found on builder's plates?

Alco
Baldwin
Lima
etc.

Thanks!

Joshua

Nope.

At best, there are some useful data for some diesels buried amongst the photo listings for The Diesel Shop, RR Picture Archives, etc., and even those can often be called into question.

But everyone wants "someone" to post some complete, interactive database of steam locomotive builders numbers of all the builders. They just don't have the data, the time, or the coding experience.

For EMD try:

http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/modelsearch.htm

As with all sources your mileage may vary.

-Hudson

There was a gentleman by the name of Allen Stanley who was collecting locomotive diagram sheets; I traded some sheets with him years ago, and in our correspondence he stated he was working on an "all time list" of builders numbers. I don't know what became of the project, but I see he posted to RyPN a few years ago.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30859&p=153969

Sorry, I don't have current contact info.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has a list of Vulcan Iron Works builder's numbers, compiled by Tom Taber. It's quite comprehensive. They also hold a list of Baldwin numbers dating back to the late 19th-early 20th century. The DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University holds a complete Baldwin list as well.

PRR T&HS has files, now posted on a Yahoo Group, listing the serial numbers of Pennsy designed steam locomotives.

Hi,

About the time I lost my job (2004) and then wrote my Book on Georgia's Gainesville Midland Railroad (published in 2006) , I stumbled into a fellow (can't recall his name) who had tonnes of files (both scanned and in spreadsheet or text form of most of the locomotive builders.

Fascinating reading and it helped me find a few locos that the general wisdom did not know about (such as Gainesville, Jefferson and Southern #1 and Roswell Railroad #1).

The deal was that any changes/updates to the files were to be spread among the volunteers who were trying to get this done. The second condition was that nothing was to be published in book form or on the internet - no one person was to profit off of others donated work.

I believe that this gentleman's agreement still holds. I think the contact I made was through some Yahoo group that may not even be active any more.

I have a book Keystone Steam and Electric 1974 for the post 1906 locomotives that Altoona built for PRR and her subsidiaries.

If you want to know about something specific, I'll be glad to look a few up if you will pm me and we converse via email.

Doug vV

Wayne, The DeGolyer Library is at Southern Methodist University....

Keith

SMU has Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 online in PDF form (not searchable but there are indexes). They have spec & engine numbers but, oddly, no build numbers. This info useful for chasing down specific engines if all you have is a little history or looking up the original specs and accoutrements on whatever Baldwin-built loco you're interested in.

http://digitalcollections.smu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/rwy/id/32

Ooops! I knew it was at SMU. My next-door neighbor is even an SMU grad. I've fixed that now. Must have had a brain seizure brought on by too much turkey!

I have just copied Allen Stanley's latest additions and have all the up-to-date files, including locomotive builder lists.
If you will email me directly, I will be happy to get the builder lists to you.
Email is dsprice46@bellsouth.net

Allen Stanley is doing a great job of gathering research material and making it available to all who are interested...and at no charge.
You can email him at raildata@yahoo.com
He deserves a lot of credit for his work!

David Price
Hattiesburg, MS

You can also contact the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. I purchased all of my sets of records from them years ago. I have a library devoted to books with builder's records and numbers. Sometimes there are errors in the listings and they have to be cross-checked. Like Sandy mentioned, everyone is looking for an easy way out on this, but that does not exist at the present time. I would be glad to check my records for anyone from time to time, but do not send me a long list.

Folks,
There is another way to get builders numbers for surviving steam locomotives only.

That is J. David Conrad's Steam Locomotive Directory of North America. He has managed to put the numbers into about 90% of the entries in the two volumes.

That's even true of the foreign built locomotives.

That's quite an accomplishment!

ted66

Information on the R&LHS archives of locomotive builders' records and railroad rosters can be found here:

http://www.rlhs.org/Rosters/

They say they have records for Baldwin and Alco (including predecessors), plus a number of smaller builders including Amoskeag, Davenport, Glover, Midwest, New York, PRR-Juniata, Porter, Vulcan, and Whitcomb, and also records of second-hand locomotives sold by Southern Iron & Equipment, all available at $0.25/page for members and $0.40/page for non-members.

-Philip Marshall

Don Hensley at "Taplines" does that.

The lists are all on DVD and very inexpensive, all you guys should have at least one of these.

Choose your builder, send him $12 ea. and your CD/DVD will be in the mail.

http://taplines.biz/American-Steam-Loco ... 68310.aspx