Steam & Excursion > Garden tracks

Some engine terminals had garden tracks with the ability to pump steam to engines at rest keeping them hot without a fire in the fire box.  Here we have two examples.  The first in Shreveport La on the Texas & Pacific with an unusual gathering of three class GIb 2-10-2's.  The ranks of those engines had been greatly thinned after WWII.  All were retired by 1949.

The 2nd picture presents a variety of T&P power in Texarkana Tx.  4-8-2 #  907 is being brought up to full pressure for a passenger run.  Ten wheeler # 312 and two big brother 2-10-4's wait for their time to be fired.  312 will become the power for the TC division 4 or  5 car  passenger train #31 which shall be discontinued in 1951..

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Neat photos, Tom.  I see that 312 has all of the improvements that her sister, 316 (now at TSRR) did not get.

Where on the locomotive did they hook up the steam line?  Anybody have photos of the garden track line hooked up to the lokie?

Thanks...

-Tom