Steam & Excursion > Chicagoland Steam Part 5 - NYC and B&O

On December 26, 1955, shortly after our visit to Grand Central and LaSalle Street stations, we drove down to the Englewood NYC roundhouse, figuring that we would see at least a few in service steam locomotives. It was another cold and cloudy day, typical for Chicago at that time of the year. When we arrived we were surprised to say the least. Two lines of steam locomotives were sitting there waiting for us to photograph them! We jumped out of the car and snapped off a few shots before we were approached by an employee that said we couldn't be there without a signed permit. We pleaded our case to no avail and had to leave. What a disappointment. This was the only roundhouse area that we were kicked out of, and it looked like it would have been the best of all. Well, at least we got a few shots.

1. NYC S1a 4-8-4 6000 (the class engine built in 1945) is on the left. On the right a line of Hudsons await the call to service.

2. A closer look at the line of Hudsons, led by NYC J3a 4-6-4 5411. The roundhouse is in the distant background, behind the coal chute.

3. Another Niagara, NYC S1b 6001 (built in 1946) sits on the roundhouse lead. This workhorse looks pretty worn out. In the background you can just see the cab of an engine on the turntable.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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4. The last picture is NYC U2b 0-8-0 7478 over the ashpit. We saw this loco at LaSalle street station as well. Again, the roundhouse is in the background but we never got there. So close and yet so far! Even at this late date for steam this was a very busy place.

Disappointed but undaunted, we decided to look elsewhere for steam. We headed south to what I think was B&O's Barr Yard. I'm not really sure about this and as always, corrections are welcome. We got a few steam shots here to end our railfanning day.

5. The first shot is B&O T3 4-8-2 5587 looking mighty fine. I was always impressed with the clean look of these mountains.

6. B&OCT L4 0-8-0 777 with a short work train. This locomotive was clean and it looked like it was just shopped. Even the canvas storm curtains were clean. Note the unusual B&OCT name plate just above the cylinders. That was the only loco lettered that way I ever saw.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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7. B&OCT L4 0-8-0 777 from the side. It seems to me that I read somewhere that these engines worked into 1958.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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More great photos Jack!

In 1956, Ben Young visited the NYC Englewood roundhouse and shot the scene on 16mm film which is included in the video "Reflections of the New York Central". By then, steam was clearly on the way out with a few Hudsons in standby service. He shot F units there as well, including an A-B set on the turntable. Also in that video is a 1940's chase of Niagara 6000 shot from a PRR train alongside as they both race out of Englewood side by side.

-JH



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/10 05:53 by Panamerican99.

Those NYC steamers were way west, out of sight, out of mind (temporarily) of the brass in NYC, which had banished NYC steam east of Buffalo by that time, right?

Thanks for posting these Jack, would have loved to have been there, alas, I was only 3 at the time..

chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com

If only your caption for photo #1 was: FOUND!

Great shots!

/Mitch

Interesting placement of "B&OCT on the 777. I had no idea they were lettered like that.

Ryan

Way cool! You got some beauties even so. I had no idea Niagaras had air horns, but that sure looks like a honker on the 6001. Thanks for showing these. Kurt.

The J3 Hudsons have their as delivered tenders, not the big "PT" pedestal tenders. These engines may be for powering MC trains which could not easily handle the bigger tenders. Their turntables were too short. The 5411 and the Hudson behind it looked coupled together and may be for a mail and express train which sometimes used doubleheaders.

The last steam locomotive dispatched from Harmon, NY in revenue service was Niagara #6020 on a mail and express train. The date was 8/7/53.

Great photos please keep them coming, esp. NYC steam.

pwh, you beat me to it. Surprised to see those original tenders on J-3s in 1955. I think you are right, they are either assigned to the MC or Big Four. Great photos, Jack! How I wish I had taken some back then. And, yes, that's an air horn on the 6000. That's where they were mounted, not way up front like most other RRs.

pwh Wrote:
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> The last steam locomotive dispatched from Harmon,
> NY in revenue service was Niagara #6020 on a mail
> and express train. The date was 8/7/53.

Interesting comment. We just finished a video for fall release that has
some footage including on the "Lakeshore Limited" Chicago to NY.
The guy gets a cab ride in a diesel pulling the LS, and they meet a steam
hauled train with a Niagara (Can't catch the number). It must have been near
the end, since the date of the trip was June 1953. In an otherwise diesel/electric
show, I left this scene in anyway!

Also enjoyed the stills Jack.
Greg Scholl

Someone once described the Hudsons as "feline," and I think that fits 'em to a T. Magnificent creatures! Remind us, please, what that overhead thingamabob at the Central engine facility is. Wish we could see it all today. Thanks, Kurt.

I seem to recall that the steam slides I had of B&OCT locos were lettered B&OCT???

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> I seem to recall that the steam slides I had of
> B&OCT locos were lettered B&OCT???

You're right. Check my last post for pics

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,2145644

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA