I placed an inquiry with a expert in historical banking. If I receive an answer, I will share.

I suspect this was a term of art back then , because it appeared in a couple of archaic judicial decisions.

Maybe the extra $352 is for that Tru-Coat. Yah, but ya need that, or ya get lotsa corrosion.

(OK, what's the reference? 10 points here)

Howard P.

Sure couldn't get #90 built today for $424,000.00 +/- (what 32K in 1924 is equal to in today's dollars) but then again, you can't get anything that cheep "custom made" today...


As we all know, production lines make things much cheaper and in 1924, building a loco was as relatively "routine" then as it is building a vehicle is today with custom additions.

$32,000 is cheap today, but in 1924 that was a years salary for a very well paid executive. A person making $32,000 today would have only made about $2,400.00 a year in 1924.

....and that extra $300 bucks is about $4,500 today.

Now that I think about it, I think it was for drab olive paint.

I've read that for much of the 19th Century in California and other mining states such as Nevada, greenbacks (paper dollars) were not necessarily accepted at full face value. Gold & silver coins were much more common in the Far West than greenbacks. But exactly what "Eastern funds" refers to a mystery to me.
- Doug Debs

I think as each engine was finished, the RR was invoiced for them. No doubt for some bookkeeping purpose.
I have an article from a 1926 Frisco Employee magazine telling about 1522's first trip, tonnage and water/coal used. Interesting.
The 1520-1529 were built as coal burners, but were converted very quickly to oil. The holes are still in 1522's frame tail for the stoker engine.

.

I worked with a toolmaker who hailed from Fargo, ND a number of years ago, and he was emphatic that people DO NOT talk that way in Fargo.

Ja, are we getting off topic here, or what?

Yes they do...my wife's family are from Bismarck and Jamestown. Dakotan can be faked by visitors by learning only 3 conversational phrases:

"Yah, you betcha."
"Well, allright then."
"Well, there yah go."

Alternating these phrases during a conversation with Dakotans will answer almost any requirement. Try it.....and the Lutevisk dinner at the VFW while you're at it.

dave