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...and then came the day...
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5213		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  T.J. Gaffney [ Thu Feb 27, 2003 5:32 pm ]
Post subject:  ...and then came the day...
Hello everyone-

Sometimes you have those days you just don't want to get out of bed; this was one of those days. Nothing seemed to be going right, until about 10 minutes ago. A gentleman walked into the door with a donation of a magnitude that is well, just pretty amazing. Let me elaborate.

One of our major industrial employers in the Port Huron Area was Draper Manufacturing Company. Although they were most known for manufacturing ball-bearings, etc., they also delved into two other important areas for railfans: pneumatic flue welders for railroad shops, and turntable motors. We didn't have much on the turntable motor end, with exceptition of a few blue prints; until today that is. What walked into the door and into our collection are a set of photos dating to about 1900 or so; all of them of customers who purchased turntable motors from Draper.

So, big deal you say? Well, these photos are AFTER installation, and most include a locomotive from the given customer at said turntable. So what's included? Here's a brief sample:

1.) Two shots of the Winnipeg, Manitoba, CP turntable, with CPR 4-6-0 #1325 poised dead center.
2.) One close-up shot of pilot and front of above and, of course, turntable motor.
3.) Two shots of PRR 2-8-0 #7440 dead-center on turntable at Mansfield, Ohio.
4.) One interior shot of Mansfield, Ohio PRR shop with man holding what looks to be a boiler tune in Draper Machine (can't quite make out what it is: think its says "pnuematic flue welder")
5.) Shot of 2-8-0 #1028 (unknown location, unknown road)

The best part though? What I believe to be the only existing shot of the first Port Huron & Northwestern/ Flint & Pere Marquette/ Pere Marquette Roundhouse in Port Huron, which stood from 1878-1926 at corner of 2nd and Pine Streets. Sitting squarely on the turntable is P.M.R.R. 4-4-2 #393. In the background can be seen the tender of #336, and in a side stall of obviously a much narrower guage, is what looks suspiciously like a former PH&NW 2-4-0 Porter. Since the P.M. standard gauged its last narrow gauge line, the Port Huron-Almont section, in 1903, this would put it within about a three year period. All-tolled, there seems to be roughly 25-30 shots of varying equipment the Draper manufactured. This will go a long way to helping us better document Draper Manufacturing, and we hope it may help those of you who are researching your shop/ roundhouse equipment in the future.

Sorry about the long-windedness, but something like this I just had to break to those on RYPN. Thanks for the patience.

TJG

Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org
Author:  T.J. Gaffney [ Thu Feb 27, 2003 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Whoops; not Port Huron?
Well, I may have put my foot in my mouth on the P.M. roundhouse, at least on it being in Port Huron. Going back to what records we have of the PH&NW roundhouse, its clearly show a 12-stall WOOD roundhouse on the 1898 Sanborn Map. While the 2-4-0 is in a wood roundhouse on the right side of the photo, there is clearly a newer BRICK roundhouse on the left side; this is now making me think that it could be Saginaw. Oh well; can't win 'em all.

> Hello everyone-

> Sometimes you have those days you just don't
> want to get out of bed; this was one of
> those days. Nothing seemed to be going
> right, until about 10 minutes ago. A
> gentleman walked into the door with a
> donation of a magnitude that is well, just
> pretty amazing. Let me elaborate.

> One of our major industrial employers in the
> Port Huron Area was Draper Manufacturing
> Company. Although they were most known for
> manufacturing ball-bearings, etc., they also
> delved into two other important areas for
> railfans: pneumatic flue welders for
> railroad shops, and turntable motors. We
> didn't have much on the turntable motor end,
> with exceptition of a few blue prints; until
> today that is. What walked into the door and
> into our collection are a set of photos
> dating to about 1900 or so; all of them of
> customers who purchased turntable motors
> from Draper.

> So, big deal you say? Well, these photos are
> AFTER installation, and most include a
> locomotive from the given customer at said
> turntable. So what's included? Here's a
> brief sample:

> 1.) Two shots of the Winnipeg, Manitoba, CP
> turntable, with CPR 4-6-0 #1325 poised dead
> center.
> 2.) One close-up shot of pilot and front of
> above and, of course, turntable motor.
> 3.) Two shots of PRR 2-8-0 #7440 dead-center
> on turntable at Mansfield, Ohio.
> 4.) One interior shot of Mansfield, Ohio PRR
> shop with man holding what looks to be a
> boiler tune in Draper Machine (can't quite
> make out what it is: think its says
> "pnuematic flue welder")
> 5.) Shot of 2-8-0 #1028 (unknown location,
> unknown road)

> The best part though? What I believe to be
> the only existing shot of the first Port
> Huron & Northwestern/ Flint & Pere
> Marquette/ Pere Marquette Roundhouse in Port
> Huron, which stood from 1878-1926 at corner
> of 2nd and Pine Streets. Sitting squarely on
> the turntable is P.M.R.R. 4-4-2 #393. In the
> background can be seen the tender of #336,
> and in a side stall of obviously a much
> narrower guage, is what looks suspiciously
> like a former PH&NW 2-4-0 Porter. Since
> the P.M. standard gauged its last narrow
> gauge line, the Port Huron-Almont section,
> in 1903, this would put it within about a
> three year period. All-tolled, there seems
> to be roughly 25-30 shots of varying
> equipment the Draper manufactured. This will
> go a long way to helping us better document
> Draper Manufacturing, and we hope it may
> help those of you who are researching your
> shop/ roundhouse equipment in the future.

> Sorry about the long-windedness, but
> something like this I just had to break to
> those on RYPN. Thanks for the patience.

> TJG


Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org
Author:  R Petersen [ Thu Feb 27, 2003 8:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Whoops; not Port Huron?
> Well, I may have put my foot in my mouth on
> the P.M. roundhouse, at least on it being in
> Port Huron. Going back to what records we
> have of the PH&NW roundhouse, its
> clearly show a 12-stall WOOD roundhouse on
> the 1898 Sanborn Map. While the 2-4-0 is in
> a wood roundhouse on the right side of the
> photo, there is clearly a newer BRICK
> roundhouse on the left side; this is now
> making me think that it could be Saginaw. Oh
> well; can't win 'em all.
I really enjoyed your write up about the photos. Life is good.

rpetersen@blast.net
Author:  R Petersen [ Sun Mar 02, 2003 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: ...and then came the day...
All of us need a wonderful surprise like yours. thanks for sharing it with us. Life is good!


rpetersen@blast.net
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