Trying to find GTW Loco #547

[paktools]

My great-grandfather was the Engineer for steam locomotive #547 for Grand Trunk in Michigan. I never got to know much about him or the train. I have a photo that was passed on to me by my grandfather. I would like to know whatever happend to this locomotive. It use to run between Battle Crek MI to Chicago IL.

[selector]

I don't see that number in this list, but I also have no idea how comprehensive the list is.

http://www.railarchive.net/rlsteam/index.html?MainFrame=http://www.railarchive.net/rlsteam/gtroster.htm 

[dredmann]

I can't answer specifically, at least at the moment, but some basic observations / suggestions:

(1) Many railroad renumbered their locomotives, often several times, so if you can give the years that the locomotive was #547, that would help.

(2) IIRC, Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Western were separate, at least in some respects; do you mean GT, or GTW, or do you know?

(3) The Drury steam locomotives book is a pretty good basic reference for those built after 1900. Assuming you can address the potential renumbering issue, if applicable, then the Drury book would tell you want basic type of locomotive it was.

 

[KCSfan]

There's a builders photo of Grand Trunk mikado No.544 on George Elwood's Fallen Flags website. Given the closeness of the No's 544 to 537 there's a good chance the two engines were of the same class/type and may have even been built on the same order. In later years all GTW engines carried four digit numbers so the 537 was most likely renumbered at some point in its career. Many GTW steamers remained in service into the latter 1950's when most all were scrapped and there's about a 99% probability that the ex-537 met that fate.

Mark 

[Yardgoat]

Paktools:

There was a #547 that was a 4-4-0 Class H4 built in January, 1883 and scrapped in July,1925. It started out as GTR #243, renumbered to #547 in 1898, again renumbered to #422 in 1904, then renumbered to #2211 in 1910 and lastly as #284 in 1923 on the CN. 

There also was a Class M 2-8-2 numbered 547 that was built in August, 1913 by Baldwin. It was renumbered to #3452 in 1923 by the CN. It was scrapped in August, 1961.

Hope that helps a little.

Neil 

 

 

[Chrome Blue]

I have a cabinet card photo of a steam loco with the #547 on it.  It has no company markings.  There are 3 gentlemen in the photo.  Looks to be from the 1880-1890 period.

The loco is unusual - it has a cattle guard with horizontal bar instead of vertical.

I scanned the pic at high res (1200dpi) and uploaded here:

http://www.use.com/43d22bc16d97e416162e

Let me know if this helps!  It would also be nice to know because I was going to put the card on eBay and it always helps to know the details of the subject.

Chrome Blue