Steam & Excursion > Steam Power Of All Kind Can Rest In The Yards After An Accident!

Steam motive power on railroads in the steam era could often be found parked in the railroads yards near the shops if it was in need of repair.  That was especially true if the steam power had suffered damage in a major accident.  That is precisely what we have here.

The year is 1949 and the Rio Grande Southern is in it's it's last years of operation.  To say that the railroad had been deteriorating for many years would be a drastic understatement.

Sitting in the RGS yard at Ridgway in the summer of 1949 we see Rotary #02 that had served the railroad for years.  She shows the damage that had occurred on February 4, 1949 when her fireman had allowed the water in her boiler to drop several inches below the crown sheet resulting in a boiler explosion.  She suffered damage to her frame and other components that left her out of service and not worth the cost of repair.

She was once a proud and necessary part of the roster of the RGS as they needed her power to remove the huge snow drifts that accumulated in the winter along the line.  Unfortunately, now she is just another piece of worn out rolling stock that gathers dust in the RGS yard waiting for the scrapper to take her away with all the rest of the railroad in just a few short years.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/18 04:40 by LoggerHogger.

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Rare photo.....of long ago.   Please keep them coming!  Ohio

Here is a photo of something that remains from the rotary.  Portland built her under construction number #37 in 1891. This came from a Colorado collector many years ago!  One of my favorite narrow gauge plates.

Ron

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Very cool plate Ron.

Martin