Steve

Steve

Steve

Steve

Steve

I believe this is a photograph of the 1929 Whitcomb that claimed to be the largest gasoline-electric locomotive built. If I remember right, it was about 90 tons.

One ugly, stumpy locomotive.

Steve

Steve -

I'd say that the locomotive is neither ugly OR stumpy. It sure does have "character" though! Although I can't see any railroad lettering or herald in the photo, the headlights look pure Milwaukee Road. Might it have been built for the Milwaukee?

Les

Two of the above "rolling mud fences," 5800-5801, were built for the Milwaukee Road in 1929, powered by two 300-hp Waukesha engines described as "oil engines" with carburetors, so no one seems certain whether they were gasoline, semi-diesels, or dual-fuel. They were repowered in 1940 by Whitcomb and sent to Navy service.

Info from Pinkepank & Marre's "Second Diesel Spotter's Guide" and Marre's "Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years".

Thanks much for the info.

Les

Thank you very much for that information.

Does this information come from both books or just one? The first book is affordable. The second is out of my price range.

"Rolling Mud Fence" = One ugly locomotive?

Steve

According to the spotters books you were correct about the headlights and Milwaukee. I'd never have known that - I'm too much of a rookie.

Steve

"Rolling mud fence" = "hit too many times with the ugly stick". The "mud fence" phrase seems to have originated with Ed King in a Trains Mag article, and the "ugly stick" was a Jim Boyd specialty (referring to RDG T-1s).

That MILW Whitcomb is kinda interesting looking in a weird way. Would be perfect with a pantograph on the cab roof!

Howard P.

Howard -

Didn't the Milwaukee have some kind of short, pantagraph equipped electric switchers kind of resembling this Whitcomb? And do I recall at least one being saved? Maybe not.

Les

I'm not Brother Pincus, but I will suggest you are referring to the Milwaukee Road's small class of ES-2 switchers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Road_class_ES-2

I don't see any of the four being saved, but.....

There was also a smaller ES-1 class, seen here:
http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/ind ... hread=8310

Not worth it to get either just for that one loco--it takes up one page in each book. The info is basically identical in both books; the latter is basically an updated edition of the former (1995 versus 1973), with slightly more and better photos than the former. Out of 480 pages in the latter, 14 are devoted to Whitcomb as opposed to 13 out of 460 in the SDSG.

Yeah, I was a little shocked when I saw the Amazon price for what had been a $29.95 book, considering I "stole" one from a library surplus sale for 50 cents. It's been republished by another publisher in hardcover large format color for around $70:
http://www.mcmillanpublications.com/pro ... rs-marre-1
http://www.goldenspike.us/?page=shop/fl ... t_id=24395