I have an old photo from the early 1900's of steam engine #906. Locatiom probably East Altoona / Saltillo Pa area. Can anyone shead some light on the history of this locomotive? Will share this photo but can't figure out how to load it on this site.
First of all, there's a big difference between East Altoona on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and Saltillo, which was served only by the narrow gauge East Broad Top. If you post a picture, we might be able to give more help.
As for number 906, PRR had at least three locos bearing that number over the years.
First 906 was a class F 0-6-0 built by the Altoona Machine Shops in April, 1873, construction number 184, later reclassed B1. She was cut up in August of 1896.
Second 906 was a class F1 2-6-0. Information on builder, construction number, and dates of construction and retirement are not known to me. Class F1 engines were built during the period 1895 - 1897 at Juniata and possibly other shops.
Third 906 was a class L1s 2-8-2, built by Baldwin in January, 1916, construction number 42750. She was scrapped in February, 1949.
This information comes from two main sources: PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD ALTOONA MACHINE SHOPS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER LIST, 1866 - 1904, by Joseph D. Lovell, published by Library of American Transportation for the NRHS, 1984; and KEYSTONE STEAM AND ELECTRIC, by William D. Edson, Wayner Publications, 1974.
Tom
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For posting photos, they must be hosted on another site, like photobucket.
Once on a site like this, view the picture only, and copy the address.
Then, you would simply use the "insert" option, then, under "source", paste the address of the photo (remember, photo only) into this bar.
Then, finish post, and you have a post with a photo attached.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
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Photo of 906
Wheel arrangement of the 906 in your photo ?
Does it look to be standard or narrow gauge ? What kind of stack, domes, cab, headlight, pilot, tender, etc. ?
East Broad Top locos were numbered only from 1 to 18 or 24 - see:
http://www.spikesys.com/EBT/Loco/
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locolist.aspx?id=EBT
The Huntington & Broad Top Mountain railroad (standard gauge) was in the same corner of the world, but it too had no locomotive numbered higher than 40 - see:
http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/pennsylvania-midland-railroad/114-general/guide/291-huntingdon-broad-top-mountain-coal-company
Even the Ligonier Valley Rail Road - slightly farther west - had no locomotive from the early 1900's with a number higher than 807 - see:
http://www.lvrra.org/motivepower.htm
So your photo would likely be of a PRR locomotive anyway, per the above post.
- Paul North.
But definitely not an L-1 2-8-2. Being that it has a pilot (cowcatcher) and not footboards, I would suggest it is the 2-6-0, not the 0-6-0.
Thanks.
The photo has been in some way retouched or whatever the 1910 version of "photoshopped" was. It is some sort of a staged prop for taking the photos of the workers. The cabs of the engines are touching and there is pipe connecting the two engines. The number plate on "Engine no 1" has obviously been hand drawn. Note there is a line at the top of the pilot, below the pilot beam that extends all the way across the picture, including across the cylinder heads, a seam in the prop?
Those things aside, the engine would most likely be the 2-6-0 based on the size, general shape and pilot construction.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Dalong, do you know anything about the circumstances of this picture? The locomotives are close enough that the cabs appear to be touching. What is the structure that appears to be across the tops of the boilers? The crudely painted circle around the "1" on the left locomotive strikes me as odd. Does anyone else have an idea? All I can think of is that it must be in a shop.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
This photo was passed down through the family. The man on the left (legs crossed) is a cousin Frank Elsworth Hoffman (1878 - 1936) who worked at PRR in East Altoona as a machinest.
Just Googled PRR F1 class 2-6-0. The very first image that came up (initial, not images) was F3b 4099. Nice not-quite broadside of fireman's side.
The OP's photo is definitely a PRR loco (follow the handrail back to the Belpaire firebox) and note the general proportions in comparison to the workers. Definitely a standard gauge engine.
As for #1, the chalk circle and number are an attempt to simulate the number plate that isn't there. I wonder if that was actually the right number.
The whole arrangement looks like a couple of obsolete locos cobbled into a shop steam supply - rather like what N&W did with two of their earliest 0-8-8-0s at Roanoke.
Chuck
It looks like the shop forces have dispensed with the tedious practice of carefully positioning and torqueing down the nuts on the smokebox door dogs every time the smokebox door was opened and closed. It looks like they would just tap the dogs with a hammer to turn them 90 degrees to engage or release them. And they didn’t worry if a few dogs were not doing their part.
When did the Pennsy start using the Keystone on the number plates?
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 When did the Pennsy start using the Keystone on the number plates?
Not being partial to freight or passenger locomotives they started using them c.1927, not all class's of steam locomotives were equipped with them. Many retained the round plates.
K4sPRR tree68 When did the Pennsy start using the Keystone on the number plates? Not being partial to freight or passenger locomotives they started using them c.1927, not all class's of steam locomotives were equipped with them. Many retained the round plates.
tree68 When did the Pennsy start using the Keystone on the number plates? Not being partial to freight or passenger locomotives they started using them c.1927, not all class's of steam locomotives were equipped with them. Many retained the round plates.
I can't explain the curved rivet line which seems to be above 906's cab. Could it be something behind 906? It is possible that the photo was altered. From the photo, 906 is definitely the F1 2-6-0. PRR 2-8-0 no. 1 was an H6b in her later years, and may have been built as an earlier variant. One man on the pilot of 906 is holding some sort of gauge, and the very close positioning of the two engines suggest (to me) some sort of extraordinary testing activity at East Altoona. Chuck's suggestion that this has something to do with supplying steam as an ersatz stationary boiler setup, also is plausible. The wooden slats on 906's pilot were not uncommon on PRR in the years between about 1900 and about 1925, so "early 1900's" sounds right.
Correct that keystone number plates were not applied to locos during this time period. When the practice started, it was restricted to passenger and dual service engines, although some more modern freight locos (J's and Duplexes) got keystones in later years. It's probably pretty safe to say no PRR 2-6-0 or 2-8-0 ever wore a keystone number plate.
The photo of the F3b 2-6-0 might be misleading, since the F1 was a smaller engine than the F3b.
This is NOT Saltillo.
(edited)
I think the roof material is about the same color as the background and that makes it sort of dissappear and makes the line of rivets seem to be floating in mid air. I think the front edge of the roof is curved back starting right about the top edge of the rivets.
The photo does leave one wondering how they got those two engines that close together!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
In the photo look closely below the left foot of the man seated second from the left. There appears to be a pipe going left and right between the locomotives and then a pipe going back between the two. Then look closely at the terrain on the extreme right and left on the photo its as if they are backed into the side of a hill. If this is some sort of use as a stationary industrial boiler I guess we discovered a new definition for a dual purpose locomotive.
If you blow up the picture and look underneath the cylinders - there appears to be a 6 to 8 inch pipe and a round valve operating handle.
With the cab window boarded up and the rivets above the cabs, I believe they have been installed at some factory as 'cheap' replacement boilers for whatever needs the factory has for steam - most likely operating machine tools.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I am starting to see this as an amazing photograph. It seems to show something exaggerated. It also has a staged look because having engines parked so close to each other seems absurd. Although a side-by-side boiler setup for stationary power might be a reason for nesting the engines so close to each other.
But there are other details that seem mysterious. There is a tremedous clarity and perspective in the picture. The perfection of the depiction of those posed men is stunning in its detail. You can see a lot in their expressions. I would say the guy on the right is in charge and the one in the middle is the newbie.
BaltACD If you blow up the picture and look underneath the cylinders - there appears to be a 6 to 8 inch pipe and a round valve operating handle. With the cab window boarded up and the rivets above the cabs, I believe they have been installed at some factory as 'cheap' replacement boilers for whatever needs the factory has for steam - most likely operating machine tools.
I'm willing to go with the Stationary Boilers theory. I suspect one of the many facilities in Altoona was getting a new boiler, and this setup was there as a temporary measure. Maybe the photographer showed up on short notice and wanted to get his picture before the crew had time to secure the smokebox door dogs.
If the engine on the left is correctly identified as number 1, it's interesting to note that she was returned to service and lasted a long time in PRR service. My information on this loco is severely lacking, but Stauffer's PENNSY POWER (not necessarily an authoritative source) shows her rebuilt as an H6sb, and gives a photo date of 1934, which is plausible.
Of course, if the engine on the left is not identified correctly, then, in the words of Emily Litella, "Never mind."
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