Following up on the previous thread, Jay Reed's Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Locomotives lists the former Georgia Northern SW-8 (an EMD demonstrator) as presently employed by U.S. Pipe & Foundry at Birmingham, AL.

Alan Maples

AMaples@aol.com

> Following up on the previous thread, Jay
> Reed's Comprehensive Guide to Industrial
> Locomotives lists the former Georgia
> Northern SW-8 (an EMD demonstrator) as
> presently employed by U.S. Pipe &
> Foundry at Birmingham, AL.

> Alan Maples

Thanks for the info Alan. Good to know one of the Pidcock lines engines is still kicking around out there.

Albany & Northern 1, (originally #70) is still missing in action, however. It supposedly went to Continental Grain in Beaumont, TX in the (late?)1970s. The manager there (in 1996) thought they had had two 70 ton GEs and that the older of the two (probably the A&N engine)had been scrapped. The newer had been sold to Econo-Rail in Port Arthur, TX. Eventually I contacted Econo-Rail and was told they still had a 70 tonner, but it was from the Moscow, Camden & St. Augustine Railroad (E. TX) and was a 1952 model (SN 31728, 12/52) with top-mounted radiator. A&N #70 was from the class of '46 with a top-mounted radiator, like sister GAS&C #71 (r/n #15 in 1966). Don't know what happened to #71 either, except was traded to EMD by Southern Ry on an order of GP-38s in July 1969. Probably razor blades by now. Does the Guide have any references to either of these locos?

Stephen


syfrettinc@bellsouth.net

> Does the Guide
> have any references to either of these
> locos?

> Stephen

A quick glance did not provide a reference to either of those engines. The Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Locomotives is organized geographically, although author Jay Reed could probably track down a specific unit. The book is a "must have" for anyone interested in older diesels and can provide hours of fascinating browsing.

The GE 44-ton and 70-ton locos (built for railroad service as opposed to industrial use) are rapidly disappearing from the landscape. Relatively few have been preserved.

Alan Maples

Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Locomotives
AMaples@aol.com

Maybe someone can answer this for me.
Over the years, I have purchased several slides, both originals and dupes, of various Pidcock equipment. In one of my earliest shots of Georgia Northern FT 4105, the unit is still sporting the Southern Rwy scheme, but the engine looks to be purple, where the green would usually be. This is the only shot I have of it in this scheme. Everything else is clearly the maroon color, after May 1965. I have heard that the FT was painted purple and lettered as Georgia Northern from another fan, but I can't seem to find any clear photos to support this. The one slide I have looks to be on the shady side of the unit on a somewhat cloudy day. Can anyone verify that 4105 was indeed purple in the early 1960s? If so, what else recieved the purple colors?

Thanks!!!

NFDRwy@Cox.net

> Maybe someone can answer this for me.
> Over the years, I have purchased several
> slides, both originals and dupes, of various
> Pidcock equipment. In one of my earliest
> shots of Georgia Northern FT 4105, the unit
> is still sporting the Southern Rwy scheme,
> but the engine looks to be purple, where the
> green would usually be. This is the only
> shot I have of it in this scheme. Everything
> else is clearly the maroon color, after May
> 1965. I have heard that the FT was painted
> purple and lettered as Georgia Northern from
> another fan, but I can't seem to find any
> clear photos to support this. The one slide
> I have looks to be on the shady side of the
> unit on a somewhat cloudy day. Can anyone
> verify that 4105 was indeed purple in the
> early 1960s? If so, what else recieved the
> purple colors?

> Thanks!!!

Russell, to my knowledge none of the Georgia northern locomotives were ever painted purple , although the GN burgundy or maroon paint apparently faded to a somewhat purple hue. (I think reds in the old slide films tended to fade toward purple also.) The GN Ry had long standing relationships with Atlantic Coast Line and Central of Georgia, as well as personal relationships between the president of Southern Railway (Brosnan)and C.W. Pidcock. The FTs 4100 and 4105 were acquired from Southern, and it is highly unlikely Mr. Pidcock would have insulted Mr. Brosnan by painting his former diesels in ACL purple. Further, the burgundy color was already established on the GN diesels when their first, GE 70-ton No.70 was bought new, lettered for Albany & Northern, in 1946.

When first acquired, both FTs retained the white nose as applied to the Southern units, but the nose paint was later reduced to a simple extension of the side stripe all the way across the nose, with a gold stripe separating the burgundy and white. I have a photo of the 4105 after being renumbered 14 following the purchase of the GN by Southern in 1966. The former white nose of the Southern paint scheme is readily visible under the thinning burgundy . When fresh, the white did not show through.

As much as I like ACL purple, I would never believe any of the Georgia Northern diesels wore purple. Given the relationships, it would not make sense. Hope this helps.

Stephen

syfrettinc@bellsouth.net

> Thanks for the info Alan. Good to know one
> of the Pidcock lines engines is still
> kicking around out there.

> Albany & Northern 1, (originally #70) is
> still missing in action, however. It
> supposedly went to Continental Grain in
> Beaumont, TX in the (late?)1970s. The
> manager there (in 1996) thought they had had
> two 70 ton GEs and that the older of the two
> (probably the A&N engine)had been
> scrapped. The newer had been sold to
> Econo-Rail in Port Arthur, TX. Eventually I
> contacted Econo-Rail and was told they still
> had a 70 tonner, but it was from the Moscow,
> Camden & St. Augustine Railroad (E. TX)
> and was a 1952 model (SN 31728, 12/52) with
> top-mounted radiator

There were a pair of industrial units; looked derelict, near the grain elevator at the Port of Beaumont in the past few years. I need to get my camera down there, and if they are still there, photograph them for you to see if one of them is the unit you are looking for.

I seem to recall of them looked like a Plymouth locomotive; I can't remember for sure what the other one looked like. If they were scrapped, it was within the past 5 years.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Locomotives
james1@pernet.net

> There were a pair of industrial units;
> looked derelict, near the grain elevator at
> the Port of Beaumont in the past few years.
> I need to get my camera down there, and if
> they are still there, photograph them for
> you to see if one of them is the unit you
> are looking for.

> I seem to recall of them looked like a
> Plymouth locomotive; I can't remember for
> sure what the other one looked like. If they
> were scrapped, it was within the past 5
> years.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a

Thanks, James. I would appreciate the photos if you get a chance to do that. You never know what they might turn out to be. Meanwhile, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Stephen

Stephen,

Sorry to keep you in suspence for so long. I did finally drive by the grain elevator in Beaumont, TX.

The two or three derelict appearing diesels I remeber being there are gone; only a small Plymouth-looking unit remains. I can only suppose the larger switcher I saw is the one that went to Port Arthur.

Also drove through the refinery in the Port of Beaumont area; there is a "public" road if you know what you are looking for. I saw five steam lizards just like the pair I photographed at a plant in Port Neches scattered throughout the tank area. Did not dare and stop and photograph them; that will get you thrown in jail these days.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> Thanks, James. I would appreciate the photos
> if you get a chance to do that. You never
> know what they might turn out to be.
> Meanwhile, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
> Stephen


james1@pernet.net

Thanks for checking it out, James. I suppose that unless someone comes up with some definitive information on the 70 ton GE, we must presume it no longer survives. Thanks again!

> Stephen,

> Sorry to keep you in suspence for so long. I
> did finally drive by the grain elevator in
> Beaumont, TX.

> The two or three derelict appearing diesels
> I remeber being there are gone; only a small
> Plymouth-looking unit remains. I can only
> suppose the larger switcher I saw is the one
> that went to Port Arthur.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a


syfrettinc@bellsouth.net