http://www.spshipyard.com/siteplan.aspx

The site was sold and being made commercially available, most of the cranes/buildings still there operational. You can see a paint shop and crane area, the pic depics in the background a crane, looks like a back of a ship, you can strip paint with steam, and cleaning and whatever else you might think of, so the pic location seems close to the paint shop.

The thing behind the cylinder identified as a "fitting" is an oil cup for lubricating the piston rod.

Mystery POSSIBLY solved? Or deepened???

I now have Elmer Hall's book on the Patapsco & Back Rivers.

The book is extremely skimpy on steam resources, as opposed to the in-depth coverage of the diesels that started invading beginning with a huge fleet of EMC SC's and Alco HH660's in 1937. There are indications that the author didn't try very hard to find steam loco info, as the steam roster leaves plenty of gaps, with a few locos listed as "no information except from photographs". He lists Baldwin construction numbers with commas. Let's just say the guy isn't an experienced railfan and leave it at that.

The book claims that ALL steam on the P&BR were 0-6-0 tender steam locomotives built by Baldwin. The photos provided seem to confirm that, and most of the ones listed are listed as Baldwin class 6-36-D, 6-38-D, or 6-40-D.

There is ONE outlier, however: #14, a 6-33-D, c/n 46692 (or, as he listed it, 46,692)

The book also features this quote:


Further, there are two photos of #14, one from each side, while in service (not pile duty). Suffice it to say it's a quite substantial, chunky 0-6-0. One photo shows it with a big, full-height tender, the other with a smaller, slope-back tender. The captions indicate "PB&R 14 had the distinction of being the last steam locomotive to operate at Sparrows Point. Its last day of service was May 29, 1947."

Further complicating the mystery is this bottom listing in the roster:
Extra - [class unknown] - Baldwin c/n 45371 - unknown wheel arrangement - Used for new shifter house boiler room; Scrapped in August 1963."
Now, that SOUNDS to me like a spare boiler, not a spare locomotive. But, naturally, this will likely be exploited by those looking for room to fit their own theories.

There is a poor photo of what LOOKS to be an 0-6-0T, potentially rebuilt from an older PRR or B&O tender 0-6-0 switcher, on site during the construction of the Maryland Steel plant in 1887. Wooden cab. Diamond stack. Long wheelbase. You get the idea. Not the one in the "mystery" photo by any means.

Anyone want to scratch their heads further?

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1& ... 0J.%20Hall

he's written more books on the shipyard and area. He's a teacher, not exactly a railfan, but he lived in the area, I was reading he got a full pass to wander the yards and take pics, gather info.

The theory that they needed a steam generator and using diesels still makes sense, and if the 14 was sold they were without an engine, and may have searched out and engine and that info didnt make the book. Its getting more obvious this engine wasn't part of the regular stock of engines.

What I really need is a locomotive builders reference for multiple makers. I know theres one for Lima/Baldwin, maybe for ALCO, others I'll have to scrumble for.

noticing another detail on the pic, the pilot steps area has striping, thats a modern diesel era habit, safety stripes, any other engines in the book doing that?

Those hoses have clamps on them.

Makes me wonder if the engine was loaned/leased out to them or what but his father took that pic, it makes that engine a more recent situation. CB/Railroad antenna, diesel stripes...hmmm

"http://www.wsbcos.com/pbr/old%20pbr.htm

that list confirms the extra engine was scrapped (sold) Baldwin built 1917 - used for new shifter house boiler room.

I think the number plate on the front is unrelated to what number they may have assigned to it, they didnt bother to remove it. Perhaps just accepted the number for it.

First, either Hall copied that roster verbatim, or that online roster is taken verbatim from the book. Or they both copied off the same third source. Same missing locos, same commas in the construction numbers.

Second, Baldwin was known for building spare boilers to order, and even assigning them builder's plates. I can't prove it wasn't a locomotive; someone else has to prove it was. But the fact that we have a "spare" with no Baldwin class or wheel arrangement listed is suspicious.

I've not met author Hall, but others have. He apparently depended much more on others' photos and memories than any of his own experiences.

at this late date I doubt on spare boilers, but the tank here looks fresh while the engine is weatherworn. There is more digs to do here otherwise its speculation.

Baldwin #45371 was an 0-6-0 built as Bethlehem Steel #8 in March 1917.

Source, please. According to the roster linked above, the loco in question was assigned c/n 45370.

This gives three possibilities or more: the P&BR roster is in error; the source John T cites is in error, or the boiler with the different plate was swapped out. Or there was more than one #8--but why only one c/n apart?????

if true it means they had their own shop switchers.

"They" being who?

The way I am to understand it, the major Beth Steel plants had their own local "common carrier" railroads that were in reality captive plant-only railroads. The P&BR was the one for Sparrows Point. All those P&BR locomotives, steam and diesel, were really "shop switchers" for the Beth Steel plant and facilities down there.

The unknown is whether the plant rostered switchers, at Sparrows Point or other plants, that operated on regular rail trackage that were NOT officially carried on the rosters of the Beth Steel railroad serving the plant (P&BR, Steelton & Highspire, PB&NE, C&BL, etc.). My thus-far-preliminary checking indicates that this did NOT happen. Of course, I could be wrong, and this would be an easy and simple explanation if proven to be the case.

I need to dig for backup on this, but there were locomotives at Lackawanna and South Bethlehem that were assigned to Bethlehem Steel Co (BSC) and not the the PBNE or SB. If I recall correctly, these were usually locomotives assigned to specific areas of a plant for repetitive tasks (shoving cars at the coke plant is one example, I think Scott K's SW-1 from the Saucon Coke Works was actually a BSC loco and not PBNE).

Rob

I think I saw another line reaching into Sparrow, but have to double check, so far this engine is not matching up to my searches, so the dig goes deeper somewhere..

Both PRR and B&O served Grays Yard, the gateway/interchange yard into the P&BR northeast of the plant itself. The only other "line" anywhere down there was United Railways/Baltimore Transit's #26 streetcar line, built to "Baltimore gauge" of 5' 4 1/2"--and that, for obvious reasons, is not an option.

Could a Vulcan-styled saddletank 0-6-0T have shown up from the PRR or B&O that late in the game? I'm inclined, from my PRR and B&O motive power tomes on the shelves, to say "not only no, but h-ll, no". But if you can persuade me otherwise.......