Mike Spoor wrote:
>
<snip>
> Somewhat intriguing that the Q
> changed the lights on #549 between 1950 and 1955 on a steam switcher was
> obviously going to be retired soon.
According to a friend who worked at the West Burlington Shops in the 40s
and 50s, it was standard practice on the Q to salvage all re-useable
applicances from retired engines before they went to scrap, and to swap
out on whatever engine came up for shopping next. They really liked to
get rid of cuckoo clock headlights because they tended to leak and short
out. That's also why odd tenwheelers, atlantics and moguls wound up
with rolltop tenders every once in a while . . . .
Marshall
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