Steam & Excursion > No Matter How Desolate The Area, You Still Need Servicing!

Steam locomotives had a constant need for fuel and water during their daily operations. This was true no matter how populated the areas they worked, or as we see here, how desolated the area.

By 1943, time was running out for the Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad of Southern Nevada. The line still had a fleet of large Baldwin 2-8-0s and 2-8-2 in service but that would soon end.

The T&G actually got a reprieve thanks to the gasoline rationing and increased military traffic that took place during WW-2. In this scene, taken in 1943 we see T&G #56 taking on oil at Blair Junction. From the sheen on her tender we see that she has also just had water added to her tender.

Soon servicing will be complete and #56 and her train will resume their run through the desert and, all to soon, into history.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/17 02:55 by LoggerHogger.

---

Desolate seems almost inadequate to describe that area. I followed that road's roadbed in 2007. Never want to go there again.

The buildings. Look pretty ancient too I wonder if the dirt mound on the right is a root cellar.

Can almost feel the heat . . .  wonder if the crew had an ice chest in the cab to try and keep them cool!  

Craig
mcmrailvideos.com

A lot of gasoline tank car trains out to the airbase at Tonopah all through the war...

Martin, excellent picture and answer to a bunch of questions about the remaining foundations at Blair Jct.
As to petro to the base, the line never made it to the base, the gasoline was unloaded and trucked out to
the base.

Out