Steam & Excursion > When SP Brought Back It's Narrow Gauge Engines To Scrap

When the SP bought out the narrow gauge Nevada-California-Oregon Ry, they inherited the fleet of 3' gauge engines operated by the N-C-O.

In the late 1920's SP completed the standard gauging of the N-C-O which then rendered these narrow gauge engines largely surplus. Several were stored awaiting sale by the SP over the years with a couple finding new homes. Most, however found no new buyers and by the mid 1930's the SP decided to scrap these narrow gauge engines.

In this first view we see former N-C-O #7 on her flatcar after her arrival in Sacramento, CA in 1935 awaiting her fate with the scrapper. This engine had been built new by Baldwin for the N-C-O in 1903.

Another narrow gauge line taken over by the SP was the Carson & Colorado RR that ran from Nevada down into California. In later years of the SP this was run as the Keeler Branch. When the narrow gauge engines that were inherited by SP from the C&C wore out they too were loaded onto flat cars for the trip to the scrap yard at the Sacramento shops. Here we see SPng #12 after arriving at Sacramento in June 1934. This graceful 4-6-0 had been built new for the C&C by Baldwin in June 1881 - some 53 years earlier! Dave Joslyn took this fine photo.

In the last photo we see SP (former C&C) #10 arriving at Sacramento to be "broken up" in June 1933. As you can see, snow would get pretty deep along the narrow gauge Carson and Colorado line. This fine engine was built by Baldwin for the C&C in 1885. This is another fine David Joslyn photo.

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/12 05:40 by LoggerHogger.

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On December 15, 1935, noted Western railfan Guy L. Dunscomb was visiting the SP shops in Sacramento and he happened to come across 2 more former Carson & Colorado narrow gauge engines that had just arrived from the Mina, Nevada shops for scrapping.

In the first photo we see SP #15 a 3' gauge 4-6-0 that had been built by Baldwin in 1889 for the South Pacific Coast Ry as thier #22. Notice in the cropped enlargment of this photo. Someone has chalked "Went to Work 1883 (sic), June 1st. My Work Is Done."

The third photo shows SP #16, another 4-6-0 built by Baldwin for the C&C new in 1886.

Both of these engines would be scrapped a few days after Guy's visit.


Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/12 10:19 by LoggerHogger.

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Well aren't you just a ray of freakin sunshine with all these steam scrap photos? You're breakin my heart.

Martin - Many thanks for posting these photos. You have a great collection and I am pleased that you are taking the time to share the photos. Look at #7 - it still has its Baldwin front number plate and at least one builder's plate!! All of the locomotives appear to still have their bells, headlights and whistles. It was a different time and place in America. Today they would have been picked clean and most likely sold at a scrap yard for drug money.

Ron

Thanks for sharing some real history.

Ignore the sarcasm of some folks. The TO circus seems to have picked up a few new clowns.

Have fun, be safe,
Bruce "Doc" Jones
Sierra Madre CA

I'm surprised it was worth while hauling them to Sacto to scrap. Seems it would have been cheaper to scrap them at their home shop.

First, he railroad cost to ship these engines to Sacramento was simply that, cost. They were their own customer in the move.

Second, scrapping back then was not as sophisticated as it is these days. It literally was referred to as "breaking up" the engines. They had a yard at the shops in Sacramento that was used just for that back in the day.

Martin

Not to mention that by then their home shop wasn't much. That was about the time that even the Mina
roundhouse/back shop was being closed.

Old thread about scrapping locomotives with dynamite:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,2453667