Steam & Excursion > This Engineer's Working Space Was Smaller And Hotter Than Most!

The cabs of steam locomotives came in nearly as many sizes as the locomotives themselves.  Thus the crews assigned to each different engine had to grow accustom to the working space provided as best they could.

Here we see Walter "Fergie" Ferguson making adjustments in the cab of his favorite charge, Southern Pacific's narrow gauge 4-6-0 #9 at Owenyo, California in August 7, 1959.  As we see, the little narrow gauge Mogul does not give her crew much extra space to work.  Couple this with the heat coming off the boiler during operation together with the desert heat that the Keeler Branch was known for, and you have the makings for a long day in the cab!

Despite these working conditions, and the fact that SP's 50-ton GE diesel had arrived on the property in 1954 to replace these old steam pots, Fergie loved any chance he got to run #9 when the diesel had to go back to Bakersfield for servicing.  Can you blame him?

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/16 09:33 by LoggerHogger.

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Cool photo, Martin!  I've been in the 9 and it's pretty tiny in there.  But don't all of the gauges read "0"?  And I believe that the last operation of the 9 in revenue service was in August 1959, so if this was September 1959, the locomotive was already in cold storage.  But the point of your post is absolutely true:  It had to be really, really a challenge to operate that locomotive in those tight confines on a 100 plus degree day, knowing that you'd never go very fast to "cool off"!   Add to it the layers of clothing you had to wear to protect yourself from hot surfaces! 

Thanks again for your daily photo of cool things of the past.

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Lee,

Thanks for catching my typo.  The photo dates is AUGUST 7, 1959.  You are correct that the last run of #9 was 8-24-59.

The gauges that read "0" are for the air brakes.  They have not yet activated the air pumps yet so they read "0".  I have many photos of her operating on this same day so she is still in service - but not for long.

Martin

He's not in the "operating position" since he is forward of the throttle and the Johnson Bar.
Normal operating position is about where the cameraman is.
Still a cramped place, but he doesn't have to lean over the boiler to run her.

Just doin a bit of tinkering on her, neat!

PHall Wrote:
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> He's not in the "operating position" since he is
> forward of the throttle and the Johnson Bar.
> Normal operating position is about where the
> cameraman is.
> Still a cramped place, but he doesn't have to lean
> over the boiler to run her.

True, in this particular case.  However, in the ca. 1985-1905 period MOST engines were of the "deckless cab" design, in shich the engineer did stand as seen in the picture and the cab back wall was apx. even with the backhead.  The fireman stood on the tender to feed the firebox.  Then, too, were the camels.

-LD

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > He's not in the "operating position" since he
> is
> > forward of the throttle and the Johnson Bar.
> > Normal operating position is about where the
> > cameraman is.
> > Still a cramped place, but he doesn't have to
> lean
> > over the boiler to run her.
>
> True, in this particular case.  However, in the
> ca. 1985-1905 period MOST engines were of the
> "deckless cab" design, in shich the engineer did
> stand as seen in the picture and the cab back
> wall was apx. even with the backhead.  The
> fireman stood on the tender to feed the
> firebox.  Then, too, were the camels.
>
> -LD

Case in point would be Strasburg Rail Road's former Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 475.  It dates from 1906 and sports a deckless cab.  I rates high on the list of the most awkward locomotives I have ever run....

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Earlk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LarryDoyle Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > PHall Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > He's not in the "operating position" since he
> > is
> > > forward of the throttle and the Johnson Bar.
> > > Normal operating position is about where the
> > > cameraman is.
> > > Still a cramped place, but he doesn't have to
> > lean
> > > over the boiler to run her.
> >
> > True, in this particular case.  However, in
> the
> > ca. 1985-1905 period MOST engines were of the
> > "deckless cab" design, in shich the engineer
> did
> > stand as seen in the picture and the cab
> back
> > wall was apx. even with the backhead.  The
> > fireman stood on the tender to feed the
> > firebox.  Then, too, were the camels.
> >
> > -LD
>
> Case in point would be Strasburg Rail Road's
> former Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 475.  It dates
> from 1906 and sports a deckless cab.  I rates
> high on the list of the most awkward locomotives I
> have ever run....

Yet she warrant's a power reverse.....! Also Earl, what's that little lever directly below the independent brake valve?