J3a, above, referenced an earlier thread. At about one minute into one of the videos linked in that thread, there is some very clear footage of one of the Midland Terminal engines with a lead truck. So I guess that question has been answered.

Looking for some more material on these 0-6-0s, and this is what I was able to come up with so far:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34458

http://www.whippanyrailwaymuseum.net/vi ... way-page-1

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/UK-4015.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/historical/d ... losion.pdf

Some were on the Raritan River Railroad, all scrapped by 1954:

http://www.raritanriver-rr.com/EnginesSteam1.htm

Two are in Canada, lettered as Canadian Pacific power, both had previously been on Pacific Coast Terminals Co., Ltd. (that's what was on the tenders) at New Westminister, B.C.:

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/i ... T_4012.jpg

Page where that information came from, a fascinating collection inits own right:

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/i ... allery.htm

http://irails.8m.com/trainimages/cpr/cp ... algary.jpg

http://trains.nute.ws/0-6-0/USA4076.htm

http://gino.cdfw.net/_railpage/DOS/doline.html

Former 4002 in Greensburg, La.; wonder if it is still around:

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/0-6-0/ua4002-persick.jpg

There is also an Army 0-6-0 at Miller Equipment Company in Maryland, where it is keeping company with a poppet valve Army 2-8-0, but I don't know its number.

That's as much as I can locate for now.

The one in Maryland is the ex VBR/DO 0-6-0, running on DO as the 2.

COL Hill's letter to Mr. Gil concludes with an invitation to visit his museum and library. I wonder if any of that material still exists, perhaps in the Army Transportation Museum at Ft. Eustis? Probably academic, but the drawings for the lead truck might be still around. Another issue, of course, would be changing the 0-6-0's equalization and spring rigging to adapt to having the lead and possible trailing truck.

On that subject, someone once told me that when backing up a steam locomotive, with tender, that to some extant the tender would act as a lead or trailing truck and help guide the locomotive into curves. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I often thought that the 9 at New Hope rode a tiny bit better in reverse.
Has anyone else heard that same story, or had a similar experience?

Brian -

Thanks for the info. It would be interesting to know the "slightly different design" of the Lima built engines as opposed to the earlier Alco's. One thing I know that is different (and an easy way to tell them apart) is that the Alco's had a circular sand dome on each side of the steam dome, whereas the Lima's had a large single sand dome in front of the steam dome. I had never heard of other differences and would like to know what they might be.

Les

I remember reading somewhere (Trains in the 60s?) that the Army o-6-0s were built from the same prints but the Lima main rods were just a little bit longer so they ran very hot when put onto an Alco.

At least two army 0-6-0s were used to build the bomb at Hanford, WA.

Alco
70389 0-6-0 09-21-42 21x28 50” 80 tons
US Army #4013 Hanford, WA
US Army #4013 Dallas, TX
Minnesota Transfer Ry #485 10-48
Cayahouga Valley Ry #38 Cleveland, OH 1951
Scrapped 1958

70427 0-6-0 09-15-42 21x28 50” 80 tons
US Army #4001 Hanford, WA
US Army #4001 Dallas, TX
Minnesota Transfer Ry #484 08-47
Scrapped 1954

Finding some more material, in this case for the engines that spent some time on the Alaska Railroad. Looks like the entire lot on that road came from Lima:

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/BP-310.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/JCC-311.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/JK-312.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/JK-315.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/historical/S ... RS0338.jpg

http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/JK-320.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/glance/complete-roster.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/

From a letter sent from the Transportation Officer at Ft Richardson to the Alaska Railroad, dated January 31, 1952.

"The increase in freight traffic at this installation imposes a requirement for additional motive power. Locomotive#318, recently acquired from the Alaska Railroad to replace #4004 damaged in a boiler failure, has proved very satisfactory and it is requested that another locomotive of the same type be made available for Army use."

A couple of things can be picked up from the letter, USATC #4004 may have been retired/scrapped by the Army due to a boiler failure. ARR #318 may have spent its final days working for the Army.

According to an earlier post, #4002 was one of the earlier USATC 0-6-0s. According to John's ARR page, ARR#318 was USATC #4058. I'd have to dig to verify it, but #318/4058 (http://alaskarails.org/historical/Strong/WRS0338.jpg) may have been the locomotive that was involved in a swap for the early USATC Consolidation.

I have never seen any photographs or rosters for the locomotives on Ft. Richardson, but from the references in the ARR archives, I'm guessing they had around 4 of them. When I retired from the military 25 years ago there was still a building used to wash garbage trucks that always looked to me as if it had been a single stall engine house in an earlier life. What I've learned since then makes me more convinced that that is what it was.

Ross, Dick, Very interesting information indeed. I to would like to see an engineering drawing for the lead/trail truck if any such information survives today?

Those 0-6-0 locos look like they certainly would have been better off as either 2-6-0 or 2-6-2 locomotives due to the long frames used.

I seem to remember a certain SP 0-6-0 hidden away that was privately owned and due for conversion to a prairie type locomotive?

Robert

I found a decent photo of two of the converted Midland Terminal 2-6-0's on line:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/re ... 2/id/53636

You can zoom up enough to see very good detail on the locomotives. They're fairly brutish 2-6-0's!

Hugh -

Interesting photo! First engine (number 66) with the single large sand dome is a Lima and the second engine (two sand domes) is an Alco. Can't tell about the engine at the rear cut in in front of the caboose. Interesting too that there was a box car tacked on behind the caboose. Also, it appears that the Shop forces at the Midland Terminal also altered the tenders of these engines to give them some additional coal carrying capacity.

Les

And two compressors on the pilot beam now. Watch your air on those Colorado grades!

Howard P.

Here's the 2 we have, now carrying CP rail numbers from the unused bank of engine numbers from 1914. The 2023 is USRA # 4012, and the 2024 is USRA #4076. We have our Railway Days every year on the last weekend in September, and this is the ONLY place in Canada you will see doublehead steam locomotives.

Thanks Howard, somehow I missed that modification. You've got good eyes! I enlarged that photograph as far as I could and it looks like the helper on the rear end might also be a Lima built engine. But really hard to tell for sure on my monitor. And finally, when doing the enlarging, I looked to see if I could see any lettering on the trailing box car. I couldn't, but it looks like the open door might be the type of doors on those old refrigerator cars. Would there be any reason for a ice bunker refer to be on the MT?

Les