Mystery Steam Loco Pic of the Month

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:42 pm

The below photo showed up on Facebook's "Abandoned Rails" group this morning:

Quote:

My father who worked for Bethlehem Steel took this photo while working down at Sparrows Point Navy Yard in the 1970's. A bit of history now a memory. He was laid off in the early 1980's. He past away in 1989 from a Asthma attack and I found this with his things.

Attachment:

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Now, never mind that the Navy never had its own yard at Sparrows Point (Beth Steel just built big boats for them and others there), so we can probably "scratch" former military switchers. The fact that an 0-6-0ST supposedly survived into the 1970s in a town with active rail preservationists and a rail museum sort of seems incredulous--though, yes, Sparrows Point was generally "off limits" to the general public. This also doesn't match any loco in the list of "Recently Scrapped Steam Locomotives" in the back of Conrad's 1987 Steam Locomotive Directory of North America. Note also what appears to be a CB radio antenna atop the cab. The cranes in the background are reminiscent of dockside cranes, some of which are still present at the now-derelict shipyard.

Can anyone ID this as any survivor elsewhere, or at least narrow this down a bit?

(Photo from the collection of the late Donald F. McGowan Sr., posted by Donald F. McGowan Jr. at Facebook)

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

Bethlehem Steel had a fireless cooker or 2, it looks like its parked at the steamup spot, but thats not a fireless cooker. Quick digs isn't showing an 0-6-0, but that doesnt say they didnt.

One of them hideaway engines you may not hear about on industries, I visted Milwaukee years ago and somewhere there was an operating electric freight engine at some industry.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2015 4:25 pm

dinwitty wrote:

Bethlehem Steel had a fireless cooker or 2,

But at which plant(s)? I have no documentation of one ever being at Sparrows Point.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

what makes this engine curious is the models of 0-6-0 marked Bethlehem steel, somebody knows something and smack them on whatever 0-6-0, nope the model isnt correct for this engine...as usual. Look like a baldwin? I don't have a Baldwin construction roster.

philip.marshall · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:02 pm

I can't see a shield-shaped builder's plate but I'm pretty sure that's a Porter, not a Baldwin.

What an intriguing picture!

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:45 pm

The guy who posted it says it's "not in" a reprint of Porter's 13th steam locomotive catalog.

How much that means is open to discussion.

It reminds me of the Great Western (Colorado) steam switchers, some of which I recall being Davenports.......

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

I'm thinking Lima.

looks very similar but the tank extends over the stack, this engine might have been modded with a larger tank.

philip.marshall · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:25 am

Compare with this model from the 12th edition of the Porter catalog:

Sully · **Joined:** Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:24 pm **Posts:** 76

I've been searching Google images way too long for something very close now, with not much better than that Porter ad.
I look at subtle clues like the cylinder casting up to the valve chest box for shape and profile (no Porter stamp tho), the hangers and ears holding the saddle tank, shape of the saddle tank and bottom, smoke stack profile, even the dome casting profile and fills, and the connecting rod brass ends.
I think Davenport might be a good guess - possible text of builder name circles the number plate on front, looks like plenty of room and not too fancy like other builders styles...

Flagg · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:49 am

I'm pretty certain that is a Vulcan engine.

Sully · **Joined:** Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:24 pm **Posts:** 76

I want to agree on Vulcan, but the slide valve chest is short, the saddle tank brackets on the smoke box are tiny, and the rod ends are not quite as big and boxy as typical Vulcan...

Does look like Vulcan stack, cylinder casting profile, and the smoke box door, dogs, and more.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

I seem to recall seeing a photo of a Bethlehem Steel 0-6-0T preserved somewhere back east. Perhaps in Pennsylvania. Might that be this locomotive?

Les

Flagg · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:35 am

The cab construction is Vulcan the hand rail brackets are Vulcan the builders plate is barely visible on the side of the saddle .The sand domes are vulcan so is the stack. I say hello this as it matches the three Vulcan engines we have. The front tank brackets are smaller than ours I'll give ya that. I don't have my Vulcan catalog with me as I'm out of town , but it is definitely a Vulcan.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:34 am

Les Beckman wrote:

I seem to recall seeing a photo of a Bethlehem Steel 0-6-0T preserved somewhere back east. Perhaps in Pennsylvania. Might that be this locomotive?

Gee, ya think I wouldn't have searched through as many 0-6-0ST survivors as I could find first? Give me a little bit of credit, please!

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomo ... splay=1462

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

Les Beckman wrote:

I seem to recall seeing a photo of a Bethlehem Steel 0-6-0T preserved somewhere back east. Perhaps in Pennsylvania. Might that be this locomotive?

Les

Les,

There is a Beth Steel 0-6-0T in Tannersville, PA but it is definitely not the one in the mystery pic.

I have to wonder if the mystery loco really is Bethlehem property, or if there is another story.

I don't have the time to do comparisons of crane photos, but given that they are the only landmarks in the image, can anyone actually confirm this is at the Sparrows Point ship yard and not another location?

Rob