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Nostalgia & History > AT&SF RR photo location from the 1880's?


Date: 01/22/17 23:02
AT&SF RR photo location from the 1880's?
Author: Evan_Werkema

The third man from the right in the photo below is one Joshua R. Ridge, the great grandfather of the husband of a lady who is now trying to identify where the photo was taken and when.  She says Mr. Ridge was born in 1851 and lived in Douglas township just southeast of Wichita, KS in 1880.   In 1892 he moved with wife and child to Daggett, CA just east of Barstow.  She says that according to census and voters registration rolls, Ridge worked for an unspecified railroad for a number of years.  She's not sure whether the photo was taken in Kansas or California, but given the quality of the buildings in the left background, she suspects the former.   There is also a tent in the left background with lettering that says "Photograph Gallery" plus some other words below it, too faint to read and partially hidden behind the head and hat of that boy hiding behind the locomotive's pilot. The lettering on the tender of 4-4-0 #142 appears to read "AT&SF RR," so the photo presumably predates Santa Fe's 1895 reorganization as the AT&SF RY.  Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail shows a 4-4-0 numbered 142 built by Rhode Island in 1880.  It was later transferred to ATSF subsidiary Southern California RR as their #10.  It was back on the parent's roster by the time of the 1898 renumbering, becoming 188, and ending up as 085 in the 1900 renumbering before being "sold" on an unspecified date. 

Not much to go on, but anyone have an inkling of where this might have been taken?






Date: 01/23/17 11:21
Re: AT&SF RR photo location from the 1880's?
Author: mp51w

I like the kid with the hat peeking up from just above the pilot!



Date: 01/23/17 12:33
Re: AT&SF RR photo location from the 1880's?
Author: ATSF132

Here is a data point for you:
Mechanical Department Report on Locomotive Performance for December 1885 lists Engine 142, Providence build, assigned to the Western Division, with Charles Kinney as engineer. Ran 3,000 miles in freight service. Western Division defined as Coolidge to Pueblo, La Junta to Raton and Rockvale Branch.
Vern Glover, Rio Rancho, NM



Date: 01/25/17 00:10
Re: AT&SF RR photo location from the 1880's?
Author: Evan_Werkema

ATSF132 Wrote:

> Here is a data point for you:

Thanks!  Much appreciated.



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