Pushing Dead Steam Locos Around on Trains

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

The Six Flags park in San Antonio has a converted steam loco or two. I seem to recall a German looking loco when I visited a few years back, but a quick web search shows a more American looking 2-4-0?

I don't know the details of the power, I think it may be hydraulic. It's a good looking setup and fools most people. Heck, it fooled me when I first saw it, as I thought "That's a real steam locomotive". Well, it _was_, at one time, but no longer.

joe6167 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:49 pm

There is a former CPR 0-6-0 at Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta, that has had a Diesel engine installed in the boiler and is connected to the driving wheels via chain drive.

Scott · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:57 pm

Quote:

I remember an experience a while ago:

4449 was painted black for some BNSF employee specials. It ran north to BC to deliver the rebuilt boiler for the CP Hudson. In the consist was Doyle's F-unit (painted for the GN) but 4449 was definitely under steam and doing the work.

I was trackside at an Amtrak stop along the route standing next to a non-railfan. After the consist blew by, he asked me "was that thing real?" He must have assumed that the F-unit was pushing the 4449 down the track.

I assured him it was "real".

Scott, you seem to be combining a couple of different events.

SP 4449 was painted black, and used on the BNSF employee trains. That was in 2000. I don't recall for certain if it made it north to Vancouver BC or not. There was usually (always?) a BNSF diesel in the consist as well. As far as I know, they never used Doyle's F unit.

In 2001, the boiler was shipped north to Vancouver. It ran in a special train with Doyle's F unit, which had just recently been restored, and a couple of coaches. 4449 was not in the consist.

Well, Bob, I guess it's possible that I was combining two events. Being on the shady side of 55 will do that to a person. I was in the exact same spot for both events then - south of Seattle at the Olympia-Lacey train station. I must have combined them somehow in my mind. I know a black 4449 was on the point when that guy asked me the question - so it must have been the 2000 event. I also remember Doyle's unit with the flatcar with the boiler on it. I guess that was 2001, then.

Wow, I'd better do more photo documentation and less reminiscing.

Quote:

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

Don't feel too bad Scott, I had to do some Google work to come up with the dates and the photos. I just recalled (or was pretty sure I did) that the F unit hauled the boiler north alone, without the '49 in the consist. It was also a fairly quiet event, and caught a lot of folks off guard. I also recalled the black scheme on the EAS, having been fortunate enough to ride one of the trips and photograph a couple others.

From there, I did some research to verify my recollections, and posted the results.

Dave · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:03 pm

joe6167 wrote:

There is a former CPR 0-6-0 at Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta, that has had a Diesel engine installed in the boiler and is connected to the driving wheels via chain drive.

That's the one! I seem to recall they also had one of the finest complete train sets of wooden clerestory roofed cars I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Been a long time ago......

dave

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

In David Myrick's Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California, Vol. 2, there's a photo of a former New York Central 4-6-0 on the Ludlow & Southern at Ludlow CA. The boiler was beyond economic repair, so the shop workers removed it and mounted a Holt* tractor engine on the frame. On P. 834, there's a photo from about 1932 of this project. To quote from the caption: "The job was never finished, so historians can only speculate as to what type of superstructure was envisioned for this monstrosity."

*Holt was a predecessor of Caterpillar Tractor.

jasonsobczynski · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:08 am

Having worked at or been involved with a number of tourist roads around the country.... having heard the comments and seen the reactions of John and Jane Q Public.... I would not be so quick as to discredit their ability to know a steamer is a "fake".
The impact a live locomotive has on said public and the potential for FREE mass marketing/ advertising in today's world of social media should not be taken lightly. Nor should the potential for negative of the same were a non functional steamer used for advertising purposes only to be discovered upon arrival that it's fake.
While it's true that some of the public doesn't know the difference, their numbers are fewer than most may think. If nothing else, Hollywood does us the favor of keeping the image alive of what an operating steam locomotive is on the " big screen". A general idea of what it is to "see" an operating locomotive is readily available. The "experiencing" is what makes an impact.

Cheers, Jason

Dave Sutter · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2012 7:39 pm

Am I the only one that finds it odd that this thread wast instigated by someone named "boilerwash"?