Ohio’s Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum acquires a rare steam locomotive – July 15, 2020

The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugar Creek, Ohio, is happy to announce that it was the high bidder for an unusual “Camelback” steam locomotive in a sealed-bid auction held on July 15, 2020, at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. The amount of the winning bid was not disclosed.

A rare Camelback type of locomotive, #1187 is a former Philadelphia & Reading Railroad 0-4-0 steam switcher constructed in 1903 that was specially designed to burn the smokeless anthracite “hard coal” found in deposits across the eastern part of Pennsylvania. It was the last Camelback steam locomotive used in regular Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) railroad service, and is one of only three such Camelbacks still in existence, all the others having been scrapped and melted down by the mid-1950s.

“The addition of this historically significant locomotive to the museum’s collection was important due to our founder Jerry Joe Jacobson’s long desire to acquire, restore and display it at the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum,” stated Executive Director, Noel Poirier. “We are ecstatic and proud to honor Mr. Jacobson’s legacy by successfully acquiring #1187.”

Because of the special firebox construction needed by these Camelbacks to burn anthracite coal with its lower heating value than found in other types of coal, the engineer had to sit and operate his engine in a separate cab mounted on top of the boiler instead of being attached in its usual location at the back end of the boiler. It was this hump-back appearance resembling the desert-dwelling animal that gave rise to the Camelback nickname of those steam locomotives having this unusual construction.

The fireman shoveled coal into the huge firebox in the usual manner, but from his own small, open-side cab located where the locomotive’s larger cab was normally located. Therefore, engineer and fireman had to work in two separated locations on the same engine, a situation that could be dangerous during the operation of the locomotive. Perched in his cab located atop a Camelback’s hot boiler, the engineer roasted during the summers, and working in his open-air cab during the winters, the fireman froze.

Construction of the beautiful Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum was completed in 2012 by Jerry and Laura Jacobson of Sugarcreek. The late Mr. Jacobson was the owner and operator of the 550-mile Ohio Central Railroad System. He loved old-time steam locomotives and was fortunate to acquire 22 of them for his private collection. In 2008 Mr. Jacobson sold his railroads, and spent the remainder of his life constructing this beautiful, 18-stall roundhouse and back shop complex to restore and display his stable of iron horses, which is believed to have been the world’s largest privately-owned collection of steam locomotives. Mrs. Jacobson continues that “love of locomotives” tradition and generous support begun by her late husband.

“Even though Camelback steam locomotives were operated primarily on a dozen railroads back East, they were also used on railroads out West, in Maine, on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and even up in Canada,” Mr. Poirier added. “During the 1880s, three Camelbacks were operated on the predecessor of the railroad that borders our Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum property here in Sugar Creek.”

The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum offers summertime tours, occasional fire-ups of some of our steamers, and many other special events. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Please visit our website at: http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com , or visit us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

John B. Corns
Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum
Sugar Creek, Ohio

A somewhat faded photo from a trip to Strasburg back in 1976.

Color me surprised, I thought antracite was a hot burning fuel in comparison to bituminous.

NRHS Bulletin - Vol. 80, No. 1 was devoted to the history of the Strasburg Railroad. Here is a page from that publication concerning the little camelback.

Funny, I never saw THAT auction notice.......... anyone else?

I didn’t exactly see this coming, but this is a good move.

Even if it isn’t exactly home territory for 1187, this is a great home for it to be preserved. Makes a lot of sense really. Strasburg has quite a bit on their plate from what I know, and sending the 1187, a locomotive far behind in the queue for restoration of any kind, can be stored indoors and be eventually cosmetically restored.

Works well for both parties. I’m glad this happened.

So uh, what else was offered at this secret auction?

I think this is wonderful news. Obviously, I would have loved to see this engine restored, at least cosmetically, either by the Strasburg Rail Road, or by the Railroad Museum of PA, but as has been duly noted, it was not a near-term priority for either organization and needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. I think it will be a great addition to the AoSR collection.

Man, lately, many of the saddest cases in RR preservation have been finally getting some love. Now, if only Old Tucson would loosen it's claws on V&T #11 and let the NSRM folks have a crack at her, I could die happy. :)

/Kevin Madore

Anthracite is denser in carbon and BTUs per unit volume / weight, but burns much more slowly than bituminous. So, you need more of it burning at the same time but you don't have to shovel as often to match the BTUs per unit time as with bituminous.

She is looking a little worse for wear these days, her cab is nearly gone now.

"She is looking a little worse for wear these days, her cab is nearly gone now"

How could Kelly have let that happen? :-)

Camelbacks like #4 burned culm, anthracite mine waste that was very cheap instead of the grades of coal for commercial or home heating use. That is why a Wooten firebox was so wide, pushing cabs on to the boiler ahead of the firebox.

AOS has done it yet again. Thanks, John Corns and the rest of the acquisition board. Thank you Strasburg for having the wisdom to offer her new life. I am so anxious to see 1187 run again in this lifetime!
I do hope AOS is excited to make her operational once more.

Congratulations AOS and thanks for wanting her. From the looks of her current condition I hope you didn't pay much for the privilege. I realize there's more to it than just outward appearances but wow, she makes the sad picture that has greeted everyone to this site forever look like a beauty queen.

And that's going some !!!!

I'm sure when Tim Spasato and his team get done with her she'll look like she just came off the builders line.

Ross Rowland

Still don't understand why they needed to put the engineer right above the drivers/ rods. Why couldn't they have put the cab behind the firebox as in a normal engine even though the firebox is super wide? Seems like you could still see around/ above it. Possibly the frame would have been too long.