Steam & Excursion > Sometimes Your Trip Back Home Doesn't Go Quite As Planned!

Some days of branch line railroading went better than other.  The look on this Southern Pacific crewman's face tells us all what kind of day he is having.

The date is August 1950 and we are at the siding at Norway, Oregon on the SP Coos Bay Branch.  SP 4-8-0 #2952 has been assigned to work some of the log trains out of Powers for this summer and all was going well until this day.  On her run this day she had only left Powers a short time before when she experienced a burst tube that brought her day to an abrupt end.  Bert Ward was part of the crew that day and had his camera along to record the scene.

The crew called out for help and SP dispatched 70-ton GE diesel #5107 to the rescue.  Oh the, indignity of this!

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/16 04:22 by LoggerHogger.

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Haha.  Oh yes, the indignity!  Not even a full-sized diesel.

Stan

Did they leave the train in the siding and take the steam loco back to the shops or was the 70 tonner enough power to limp the train to the terminal?

​Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/16 10:40 by wabash2800.

The 4-8-0 was being used on this line because it was very "light on it's feet", i.e. had very low axle loading. 
The GE 70 Tonner was noted for being pretty light on it's feet too!
The 70 Tonner probably pulled the whole train in. Not very fast, but it probably had no problems.

Now please show us some photos of steam saving the day by pulling some new, broken, overheated diesels.  I remember seeing that happen on the Milwaukee Rd and the C&NW.

C. Hanson
Vay,Id.