Steam & Excursion > SP Narrow Gauge Loco Steam Dome Covers

Does anyone have any insight as to why the steam dome covers on SP narrow gauge engines 8, 9 and 18 were altered from their original Baldwin style?

To illustrate my question I have included this view of No. 9 taken by the late John Hungerford. The photo is from the Tom Moungovan collection. The original cover was identical to that seen on the sand dome.

Cheers,
Jack



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/10 22:01 by africansteam.

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I can't answer your questions, Jack, except with a question: Any idea when this photo was taken? It has nostalgia written all over it. Thanks.

- Jerry

Huh...they look like kettle covers...definitely a shop job.

Here's a crop of #9 to see what is being talked about. Never noticed it myself until now.

The safeties and whistle sure are crammed in there good.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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Jaack,

The dome covers were replaced as a reslt of wrecks. Even a simple wreck wth the engine on its side tended to damage the steam dome lid as it is the highest part of the boiler.

Check out the old photos of D&RGW #346 after her 1936 wreck on the C&S and you will see she sports the same "shop-built" steam dome cover.

Martin

jerryheng Wrote:
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Any idea when this photo was taken? It
> has nostalgia written all over it. Thanks.
>
> - Jerry

Jerry,

Funny you should ask! it was taken yesterday - in 1956. There was no date on the mount, but Tom found a date on another slide in the series of 7-16-1956.

Cheers,
Jack

Looking at the dome Jacket, it looks like the SP shop that made the new one did not have the capability to roll or stamp out a radius piece of steel.

africansteam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone have any insight as to why the steam
> dome covers on SP narrow gauge engines 8, 9 and 18
> were altered from their original Baldwin style?
>
> To illustrate my question I have included this
> view of No. 9 taken by the late John Hungerford.
> The photo is from the Tom Moungovan collection.
> The original cover was identical to that seen on
> the sand dome.
>
> Cheers,
> Jack

Try emailing our mutual friend JDM, He wrote the book on the SP narrow gauge and he knows everything about the SP narrow gauge I'd bet!

Con

And not just figuratively, but literally, it's right next to me on my desk, authored by "JDM".

Some shop guy probably dropped the old one from atop the boiler, ruined it, and had to make a new one fast.

Notice how the earlier photo at the top shows the dome cover lacking a grab iron. The latter photo shows the dome cover with grab irons. Research indicates the SP began to add grab irons to sand and steam domes in the middle 1940's. I do not know what criteria was used for this application but it probably had to do with safety.

Just the missing grab iron on the first photo seems to indicate that it was taken before 1950.

yea I took that later picture at the museum earlier this year, so that's as-is right now.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Not sure why they were altered. If the sheet metal cover was was fabbed so it would be a snug fit on top of the riser, the handles would make it a lot easier to remove the dome and deal with moving it around while working on top of the boiler.



africansteam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone have any insight as to why the steam
> dome covers on SP narrow gauge engines 8, 9 and 18
> were altered from their original Baldwin style?