Question on Santa Fe Oil-fired steamer tenders...

[C&WRailway]

I have looked around and cannot find an answer so here it goes.  Using the ATSF 1950 Class 2-8-0 locomotives as an example (i have a soft spot for them) what is the Covered box on top (towards the back) of those oil tenders?  It looks like a cheesewheel turned on its side or better yet tombstone shaped.  Perhaps a covered hose reel of some type?  Let me know as i have been wondering.  Other railroads oil tenders dont have these...

OK, here is a picture of another ATSF consolidation of a different class but you can see on the tender what i am talking about:

Help?

Thanks

NC

[g. gage]

I have a United brass HO Santa Fe 2-8-0, what you refer to as a tombstone on the tender appears to be an inclosed hose reel as you say. I also have a United, Sierra 2-6-6-2 that has a hose reel in about the same position on the tender. I think they were for fire hoses 

Hope this helps, Rob

[Sperandeo]

Yes, those were hose reels for fire hoses on the Santa Fe engines. They were commonly installed on engines used in yard service, as were many of the 1950-class 2-8-0s. Engine 811 probably ended its days in yard service too, to judge from the sloping top of its oil tank and the lack of number boxes on the engine. Tender hoses sometimes served other purposes on shortline and logging railroads. They could be used to take water from a lineside stream in the absence of a water tank or water plug. I once saw this done on the old Reader RR in Arkansas. The Sierra RR's. 2-6-6-2 no. 38, the prototype of the United brass model, was originally built for logging service for the Weyerhauser Co. Merry Christmas, Andy