Does any one recall any articles or stories written on the history of steam operations on the Middland Coal Co.at Farmington Ill.? I visited the railroad back in 1963 when they were using ex-M&StL 0-6-0s and I also recall seeing them at Northwestern Steel&Wire scrap yards around 1969.

> Does any one recall any articles or stories
> written on the history of steam operations
> on the Middland Coal Co.at Farmington Ill.?
> I visited the railroad back in 1963 when
> they were using ex-M&StL 0-6-0s and I
> also recall seeing them at Northwestern
> Steel&Wire scrap yards around 1969.

Terry; I have been waiting to see if anyone posted
a reply to your question. I visited the midland
one winter day in the 60's but right now I haven't located my pictures so I can give you a date. I believe it was about a year before they
quit steam. We got some excellent pictures and I used one of them on my Christmas card that year.
It was dark by the time we left and the temperature was 6 below.
One outstanding memory is how cold my feet got in
the new "Insulated" boots I bought at a sporting goods store. They were imported and apparently there was some problem in translating the meaning
of "Insulated". I threw them away when I got home and bought a pair of "Northeners" that have been to Colorado for a snow plow run, to Wyoming for
an 844 run plus a whole bunch of snow shoe trips.
They have never failed me.
Jim

rrfanjim@mvn.net

> Terry; I have been waiting to see if anyone
> posted
> a reply to your question. I visited the
> midland
> one winter day in the 60's but right now I
> haven't located my pictures so I can give
> you a date. I believe it was about a year
> before they
> quit steam. We got some excellent pictures
> and I used one of them on my Christmas card
> that year.
> It was dark by the time we left and the
> temperature was 6 below.
> One outstanding memory is how cold my feet
> got in
> the new "Insulated" boots I bought
> at a sporting goods store. They were
> imported and apparently there was some
> problem in translating the meaning
> of "Insulated". I threw them away
> when I got home and bought a pair of
> "Northeners" that have been to
> Colorado for a snow plow run, to Wyoming for
> an 844 run plus a whole bunch of snow shoe
> trips.
> They have never failed me.
> Jim

Terry and Jim: In the MINNEAPOLIS & ST. LOUIS IN COLOR book by Gene Green that was put out by Morning Sun Books Inc., there is a very short section on M&StL steam. One of the photos shows ex-Louie 0-6-0 #87 on the MECC but the photo is not very good. The caption accompanying the photo says that sister engine 84 was still in use as late as August of 1963. I have also seen in the recent past, a photo of BOTH of the ex-M&StL engines in service on the Midland, one hauling empties and the other loads, but I cannot remember where I saw that photo. Old age is getting to me I guess!

Would certainly like to see your photos Jim if you ever find them.

Les Beckman (HVRM)

midlandblb@cs.com

> Terry and Jim: In the MINNEAPOLIS & ST.
> LOUIS IN COLOR book by Gene Green that was
> put out by Morning Sun Books Inc., there is
> a very short section on M&StL steam. One
> of the photos shows ex-Louie 0-6-0 #87 on
> the MECC but the photo is not very good. The
> caption accompanying the photo says that
> sister engine 84 was still in use as late as
> August of 1963. I have also seen in the
> recent past, a photo of BOTH of the
> ex-M&StL engines in service on the
> Midland, one hauling empties and the other
> loads, but I cannot remember where I saw
> that photo. Old age is getting to me I
> guess!

> Would certainly like to see your photos Jim
> if you ever find them.

> Les Beckman (HVRM)

OK, Les and Terry. Give me a few days and I'll see if I can locate them. I Believe I was shooting
some B&W as well as slides so I'll see what I can find.
And a very Merry Christmas to All ! Jim


rrfanjim@mvn.net

> OK, Les and Terry. Give me a few days and
> I'll see if I can locate them. I Believe I
> was shooting
> some B&W as well as slides so I'll see
> what I can find.
> And a very Merry Christmas to All ! Jim

Jim and Terry:

In case you didn't see it, on another RyPN thread there is a mention of a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 0-6-0 (#1548) that apparently was sold by the CB&Q in 1942 to Midland Electric Coal for use at Middle Grove. The engine was subsequently sold (according to J. David Conrad's Steam Locomotive Directory) to an outfit called Galva Iron & Metals (no date) and then in 1961 to collector Mack Lowery. So the engine may have been gone Jim, when you photographed the MECC. Perhaps the M&StL 0-6-0's replaced this (and other?) Burlington locomotives.

FYI.

Les

midlandblb@cs.com

> Jim and Terry:

> In case you didn't see it, on another RyPN
> thread there is a mention of a former
> Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 0-6-0
> (#1548) that apparently was sold by the
> CB&Q in 1942 to Midland Electric Coal
> for use at Middle Grove. The engine was
> subsequently sold (according to J. David
> Conrad's Steam Locomotive Directory) to an
> outfit called Galva Iron & Metals (no
> date) and then in 1961 to collector Mack
> Lowery. So the engine may have been gone
> Jim, when you photographed the MECC. Perhaps
> the M&StL 0-6-0's replaced this (and
> other?) Burlington locomotives.

> FYI.

> Les

Les; It was my understanding that the engines working when we were there were the M&StL 0-6-0s.
I am going to be getting into my slide collection
soon as we are planning a slide show party for a
bunch of the local fans. Also,at Christmas I visited with the nephew that went with me on that trip and he too was fuzzy about the year. When I find the slides that should solve that question.
Jim


rrfanjim@mvn.net

> Les; It was my understanding that the
> engines working when we were there were the
> M&StL 0-6-0s.
> I am going to be getting into my slide
> collection
> soon as we are planning a slide show party
> for a
> bunch of the local fans. Also,at Christmas I
> visited with the nephew that went with me on
> that trip and he too was fuzzy about the
> year. When I find the slides that should
> solve that question.
> Jim

PS: The guy that ran the Galva Iron & Metals must
have been a character. I saw an ad in Live Steam, I believe it was, where he wanted to buy live
steam models. He said to let him know what you had and the price and added, "and I don't have to ask my wife."
Jim


rrfanjim@mvn.net