Steam & Excursion > When A Locomotive Was Built On Spec This Is What It Looked Like!

Not all steam locomotives built in the steam era were built on the order of a certain railroad.  There were times that the locomotive builders had time to build an engine purely on the speculation that they could sell it to a certain market.  This appears to be such a locomotive, but it really isn't.

By November 1914 the Baldwin Locomotive Works had started to perfect the 70-ton 2-8-2 for the logging industry of the Pacific Northwest.  They had made the first sales of 2-8-2's to the loggers of that region beginning in 1907.  Sales picked up each year thereafter.   Thus was born Baldwin 2-8-2 c/n 41710 seen here.

This engine appears to be built on spec because Baldwin lettered her for the factory itself.   This engine had actually been ordered by a specific lumber company and Baldwin was simply using her in this lettering to use in future Baldwin advertising.   This provided Baldwin with a good photo for use in future marketing ads for this popular design.

While this engine appears to be built on spec it really isn't.  It was ordered by the Columbia & Nehalem River RR and shipped to that logging outfit in Northwest Oregon to be their #117.  You can see the #117 in the headlight side boards and on the spot plate.  Before she would finally leave the factory she will be re-painted and lettered for her true owner.

Baldwin knew how to sell locomotives.

Martin



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/18 07:01 by LoggerHogger.

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White tires, white spokes (!), flat lighting, flat backdrop -- a good technical photo. Could have color-coded the plumbing...?

I undestand all the interfering background was painted out on the 8 x 10 negative,

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

I see a number of builder photos that were retouched by whiting out the background....so as to make you focus on the object of the photo, fine...but aesthetically, they don't do beans for me!

They likely set up a white backdrop where the engine details make removing the background difficult to do accurately including through the running gear and then painted out the rest.