Steam & Excursion > She May Be No Thing Of Beauty But She Still Brings Out The Fans!

All too often we overlook the mundane workhorses of the steam era in favor of those machines that were designed for beauty speed and style. However, sometimes it is these simpler machines that deserve just as much attention.

This seemed to be the case in December 1948 when a group of railfans visited the Mojave Northern yards in Victorville, California. There they were treated to the sight of MN #1 in all her work-a-day splendor.

Built in 1914 to connect Victorville with a cement plant at Bell Mountain, the Mojave Northern had no need to streamlined styled motive power. All it required was the brute strength and traction found in the form of 1915-built Davenport 0-6-0T #1. She was the first or q trio of 0-6-0T's purchased from Devenport for the line between 1915 and 1923.

The MNR did not bother to polish #1 for the visiting railfans. They felt those fans deserved to see #1 just as she was when she performed her daily chores.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/17 04:14 by LoggerHogger.

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LoggerHogger Wrote:

> The MNR did not bother to polish #1 for the
> visiting railfans. They felt those fans deserved
> to see #1 just as she was when she performed her
> daily chores.

Evidently those feelings had changed by 1950, when the Railway Club of Southern California stopped by for an excursion. On that occasion, No.1 was painted and polished up bright, white-walls and all:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4220322,4220327#4220327

Hey, that's one of those "TT" things!!

Out

Did she sport some version of a Belpair firebox? Or is that just a very large steam manifold cover? One of the original "torpedo" installations, too. Interesting machine, Martin.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/17 20:25 by nycman.

The "hump" just ahead of the cab is the fuel oil tank.