[CBQ] Where Was This Image Taken?

["LZadnichek@aol.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>]

October 8, 2014

 

Gene, Hol and All - As it turns out, I can now answer part of my question on how 7020 appeared near the end of its service life on Lines West. I did have an image of the 4-8-2 after it had been modernized with a disc main driver and converted to burn oil. Note the heavily modified tender with its oversize oil bunker. The image is undated and identified as being taken at Lincoln, but from the size and shape of the steel coal chute, that is incorrect. Can any Lines West expert tell me where this image was taken from the coal chute and, I think, fuel oil storage tank alongside? Could it be Alliance, NE? A classy looking B-1-A. Best Regards - Louis

 

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL  

 

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From: LZadnichek@aol.com
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 10/6/2014 11:13:48 A.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Re: [CBQ] Where Was This Image Taken?

 

October 6, 2014

 

Gene - Thanks for checking your locomotive assignment sheets. Ottumwa, IA, interesting. Some of the younger members of the Group may not realize that in the steam era prior to the Class S-4 and Class O-5 passenger locomotives that earlier steam power such as the Class B-1-A's were often changed at each division point for a "fresh" engine. Thus, in the mid-1920s when the 4-8-2's were the epitome of passenger power, they would, for instance, run from CUS to Galesburg, change engines, Galesburg to Ottumwa, change engines, Ottumwa to Creston, change engines, Creston to Omaha/Lincoln, change engines and so on. So, in that era, 7020 would've bounced between Galesburg and Creston with its home terminal as Ottumwa. Later, the "modern" S-4 and O-5 engines were often run through from CUS to Omaha/Lincoln that eliminated the need for time consuming engine changes and need for multiple locomotives resulting in significant savings. Since Galesburg was not in a valley to where you could see hills in the background and the Ottumwa engine terminal wasn't large enough to support such a large ash gantry crane, nor was Omaha, and we've already eliminated Lincoln, I guess Dayton's Bluff remains the most likely location by process of elimination. A  thought crossed my mind that maybe 7020 is pictured in Savanna due to the background hills, but, again, that engine terminal wasn't large enough to support such a crane. Plus, we can cross out both the Clyde and Western Avenue engine terminals in Chicago due to the background hills.  I did check the June 1935 and February 1952 locomotive assignment sheets in the Corbin book to see what happened to 7020. The 1935 sheet shows her assigned to the Chicago Division that means 7020 could've ventured to Dayton's Bluff engine terminal in St. Paul, MN. I personally think the image in question was taken in the late 1930s or into the 1940s. The February 1952 sheet shows that 7020 had been reassigned to the Alliance Division in western Nebraska. 7020 was among the last four Class B-1-A's retired, all in May 1955. I do not know if 7020 was modernized with a disc main driver as several class engines were, but the 1952 sheet identifies her as having been converted to burn oil. The Corbin book also reports 7020 was equipped with roller bearings on the main driver. I have two other images, both unidentified as to date and location, of 7020 as a coal burner, but none of her as an oil burner on Lines West. If any Group member has an image they'd like to share of 7020 on Lines West as an oil burner, I'd sure enjoy seeing it. Best Regards - Louis       

 

In a message dated 10/5/2014 5:28:18 P.M. Central Daylight Time, CBQ@yahoogroups.com writes:

Louis,

I have copies of a bunch of locomotive assignment sheets and 7020 was assigned as below:

ENGINE

DATE

2/1/1923

1/1/1925

12/1/1925

12/1/1928

8/1/1931

11/1/1932

6/1/1935

4/1/1937

4/1/1939

2/1/1941

9/1/1942

1/1/1948

1/1/1950

6/1/1950

10/1/1950

4/1/1952

12/1/1953

10/1/1954

4/1/1955

B-1A

7020

OTTUMWA

AURORA

CHICAGO

CHICAGO

CHICAGO

BEARDSTOWN

CHICAGO

ALLIANCE

CASPER

CASPER

ALLIANCE

ALLIANCE

ALLIANCE

ALLIANCE

CONDEMNED

Maybe this will help find the location.

Gene

 

From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 5, 2014 5:04 PM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Where Was This Image Taken?

 

 

October 5, 2014

 

Hol - OK, none of the above..... That's the FUN in trying to identify old photographs. At least we're pretty sure where the image wasn't taken! I agree, could be Dayton's Bluff engine terminal in St. Paul, MN. Perhaps, some one else in the Group will have an educated guess, or a list of where such gantry style ash handling conveyors were located. Had to be at a major engine terminal where removing the huge volume of ashes and cinders would require mechanical assistance. While there are some number of Q coal dock/tower/chute images in existance, I very seldom see any of ash handling machinery. I guess it's a subject now pretty much lost to time. Enjoy your Sunday afternoon - Louis 

 

In a message dated 10/5/2014 4:48:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time, CBQ@yahoogroups.com writes:

You're right; that does appear to be a hill line, visible both in front of and behind 7020.  And in Denver the South Platte River would be in that area, so it's not Denver or Lincoln -- or Galesburg either.  I don't know if the Dayton's Bluff engine facilities has one of these conveyors, but the B-!-A's were used a lot on the Twin Cities line, too, and a hill would be visible there.
 
Hol
 

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To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2014 17:38:47 -0400
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Where Was This Image Taken?

 

October 5, 2014

 

Hol - Many thanks!  Looking at the faint background, does that look like a hill line to you? The Lincoln engine terminal as I recall was built on flat terrain. Would a hill line be visible from the Denver engine terminal? What do you think. All this will help in identifying the other "gantry" images. Best Regards - Louis

 

In a message dated 10/5/2014 4:25:47 P.M. Central Daylight Time, CBQ@yahoogroups.com writes:

 

Louis:
 
Denver, Galesburg and Creston, that I know of, also used this style of cinder gantry.  Since it's the 7020, my bet is Denver or Lincoln; not enough background to be sure.
 
Hol
 

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To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2014 17:20:39 -0400
Subject: [CBQ] Where Was This Image Taken?

 

October 5, 2014

 

Hol and Group - Where was this undated image taken of Class B-1-A 7020? 

 

 

I "think" it's Lincoln from the traveling gantry crane used to clean the ash pits looming over the 4-8-2. Was Lincoln the only Q engine terminal set-up with such a gantry?  I have a number of unidentified engine terminal images all showing the above gantry crane (or one like it if more than one terminal was so equipped). Would appreciate your comments and thoughts on this subject. Best Regards - Louis

 

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL

 

 

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Posted by: LZadnichek@aol.com

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