Kelly,

When the engine was Tremont and Gulf #28 after WW2, the cab was raised by exactly 6" because they had a tall engineer, so SPL 28 still has that modification.

Regarding the U. S. Army 2-8-0's, there was only one place in the USA where all three types ran at together at the same time, and that was on the Claiborne and Polk military RR in Louisiana.

SPL 28 arrived at the C&P in December, 1942, while the RR was under construction, as Army Corps of Engineers #300, from Fort Peck, Montana. On the C&P, the engine was renumbered USA #20.

Early in 1942, a pair of the Lima class 180 2-8-0s arrived which became USA #10 and #11. #10 was assigned to Camp Claiborne and #11 although set up at Claiborne was sent around to Camp Polk to be used there.

In addition, 3 S-160s were eventually assigned to the C&P, #1600, #3409 and #3410.
#1600 was the first Alco built S-160, while the other two were Baldwins.

C&P #20 had an interesting career on the C&P, derailing the tender and then the loco on top of a high fill while running in reverse, and finally making the last run of the C&P, which was a light engine move from Camp Claiborne to Camp Polk on August 30, 1945.

For the record, the tender behind the 28 has almost as interesting a history as the engine itself. What is behind the engine on the TSR is at the very least, the second or third tender frame and the 4th tender tank. When the engine was built, and when it went to the Fort Peck Dam project in 1937, it had a standard Baldwin tender like those in the photos above.

However, when it arrived at Camp Claiborne, it had a tender with a long raised coal bunker and a short water cistern. This tender is of unknown origin. By the end of the war, it had swapped tenders with Washington, Idaho and Montana #22 which also came to the C&P from the Fort Peck Project. (This was the tender that derailed on the fill).

This tender stayed with the engine through it sojourn on the Tremont and Gulf and Southern Pine Lumber and stayed with the engine until it was rebuilt at TSR in the 1990's. TSR rebuilt the tender using the underframe of the existing tender, and an extra tank from an Army S-160 that was at Rusk.

The tender underframe carries a Great Northern RR inventory tag identifying it as belonging to GN 4-6-0 #932 and was behind it as late as 1934 based on photographic evidence. The photo also confirms that it is this underframe that still trails #28.

I don't exactly know how it all fits together, but my best guess is,

1. Original BLW tender

2. Tender of unknown origin

3. Tender tank from WI&M 22 on GN 932 frame

4. S-160 tank on GN 932 frame

So there you have it.

Jay would be very happy to see that! Might be time for me to make a little trip over...

Who constructed the replacement boiler for the 28/300?

The replacement boilers for 28, 316 and Santa Fe 1316 were all constructed by Hahn and Clay in Houston. 28's was an exact match for the original, 316 and 1316's were not.

Are these the boilers (the ones for the 316 and 1316) which have the ultra thick firebox side sheets? Far thicker than standard railroad practice?

It is my understanding that the over thick crown sheet is the real problem, not so much the side sheets. I am NOT a boiler expert, but this is what I have been told by those who know.

Number 4 is the answer. It has the tank from U.S. Army 611 on a Great Northern frame.

28's boiler came from Dixon in CA. I don't recall who built 316 and 1316's boilers, but I don't think it was Hann and Clay. They did the original over hauls of 316 and Magma 7 back in the 1970's.

Yes, the boilers on 316 and 1316 are the ones with the issues. 316 has both the wrapper and firebox made with 3/4" steel, 1316's boiler has 1" wrapper and firebox sheets. Both boilers are constructed with staybolts whose strength far exceeds the code.

I would take it that one side effect of the thick sheets is that the engines take longer to bring up to pressure and less responsive to changes in firing (more lag)?

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

I told you I was not a boiler guy. I stand corrected on the builders of the new boilers.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH MR KNOOB !!!!!!! That foto of 316 in T&P paint is truly gorgeous. Thank you for making her look so nice. Bet you can't make her behave, though.... unless you mean behaving badly. Much of my first month working in Rusk was spent on learning the proper way to cuss 201. She sure is a beuatiful bitch.

Best of Luck & WORK SAFE

After the initial photo special run with 316 in the fall of 2012, in which it was discovered exactly how many run bys that you can make between Palestine and Rusk before 316 drinks you out of water and what the engine will do without being able to use a lot of sand, Earl made some adjustments to the valve gear (I am not knowledgeable enough to know exactly what they were) and the engine not only delivered more power and pulled better, but used less water than before.

After that, other than the normal mechanical issues that you may have from time to time with a 106 year old machine, 316 performed flawlessly in getting over the railroad with Earl running. 316 does need to be properly handled going up and down the hills but it was a privilege to ride occasionally with Earl running and Robert firing 316 over the railroad. The 7 and the 28 have more than enough power to get the trains over the road, but the 316 is just spot on for a 5 or 6 car train on the 2%+ grades to put on a great show with that crew in the cab.

Sure glad you've got 201 all figured out, no doubt you guys know way more about her than I do, and I bet you've made lots more trips on her than I have, too.

We used to say that 201 was like a snake, it'll reach out and bite you. The first time that happened that we know of, was at Hahn & Clay, when one of the workers fell off her running board, and his head hit the concrete ramp. Splattered like a ripe cantaloupe, they say. Of course those railroader superstitions are just a bunch of BS, Hell, some of us don't even have high school diplomas, and most of us are kind of dense.

You guys watch yourselves on 201.

Best of Luck & WORK SAFE