On ebay is a photo #194808406202 of an unusual locomotive in the coal region. Can anybody check it out and identify it?

Bernie Perch

Looks like an inspection engine where the passenger compartment was built over a standard steam locomotive.

As far as location, I unfortunately can't help with that.

I can't help with your specific locomotive, but here's a different example of an inspection locomotive:

This is a crop of the actual picture in question...

This is a newly discovered photo of the Gem of the Philadelphia & Reading/Mine Hill & Schuylkill Haven Railroad at a mine on the MH&SH from a collection given to Bill Rice by another collector years ago and who is now long deceased. There was no information provided with it. It is believed to be the oldest image of the locomotive or any P&R inspection locomotive. Its appearance may date from an 1858 rebuilding by the MH&SH, before another rebuilding in 1861 and returning to the P&R when it leased the line in May 1864. It went to the MH&SH in 1850 as a four-wheeled tank locomotive with a single drive axle and came back to the P&R as a 2-2-2T. It was listed in the 1848 and 1849 P&R annual reports as weighing 5.3 long tons or 11,872 pounds. The 1858 rebuilding in the Mine Hill shops resulted in the weight of the Gem changing to 7 long tons (15,680 lbs.) and the 1861 rebuilding to 7½ long tons (16,800 lbs.) compared to lesser weights before that time. MH&SH annual reports have various different weights given for it over the years, some believed to be wrong. During its time and rebuildings on the MH&SH its running gear was reversed in relation to its body. In the photo it had two large sets of wheels towards its front and a smaller set of wheels at the rear, with only the center axle being powered, making it a 2-2-2T. Only the center one was driven, an oddity of design used for such locomotives for some time during the period. Later photos show the small set of wheels at the front. It came to a sad end. On November 16, 1878, its boiler blew up while it was sitting at the Mahanoy City station, killing its engineer and four others, with more injured and the building badly damaged.

Thanks everyone who posted.

Bernie Perch

Can you give us a link to it on Ebay, if it is still listed?