Steam & Excursion > The Last Light Of The Day May Never Have Looked So Good As This!

There all kinds of photos taken of active steam locomotives in the broad daylight of mid day.  However, sometimes the details and the mood of one of these steam giants is best highlighted in the fading light of afternoon.  Such was the case in November, 1953 when Guy Dunscomb captured this classic image.

Guy had come down to the Southern Pacific depot in Tracy, California with his 616 camera to see what images he could capture on film before the daylight faded all together.  Fortunately he was treated to SP #3627 and her train standing at the depot platform ready to depart.

Baldwin had built this handsome 2-10-2 for SP in May 1919 as part of SP's first F-1 class engines. She had already served some 34 years on the SP when Guy caught her in Tracy in this wonderful light. 

Unfortunately, the sun was setting on #3627 in more ways than one.  In less than 5 months she would be stricken from the SP roster in West Oakland and sent to Purdy Metals in Los Angeles to vanish for all time into a pile of scrap.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/17 04:00 by LoggerHogger.

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Nice "Rods Down" image!

I love the Wester Union Telegraph sign.  Memories.  Think about when the last time was that you saw any kind of sign that utilized that kind of pointing finger.  Oh, and the locomotive is OK too.

Gordon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/17 16:41 by gbmott.

A great pic and as Tony says, "with the rods down"!  Looking at this image brings an engineering design question to mind concerning wheel counterweight.  I realize the counterweights were sized based on the main rod portion, rod journal weight, eccentric and drive rod, and cast area of drivers for these journals, but where does one determine (make the break) of the main rod as well as the drive rod relating to a specific driver?  

As in the picture of the #3627 here and for instance, how much of the main rod does the rear driver counterweight take into account?  Would it be the portion of the main rod between its journal and the next forward journal or somewhere in between?  Likewise, what portions of the main rod and the drive rod are accounted into the counterweights of the other drivers going forward?

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/17 20:54 by rrman6.

Great image, that's a very interesting tender.  

The tender probably came from an AC or MM cab forwatrd.

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA