Steam & Excursion > One Look At The Inspection Report Told The Story Of Steam Power!

There was a reason why the crews of steam locomotives had to fill out daily inspection reports at the end of each day's run.  The one constant for all steam locomotives was the need for regular maintenance and repairs.  Logging locomotives were no different as we see here.

In February 1945, the daily report for Long-Bell Lumber's big ALCO 2-8-2 #101 showed that the L-B shop crews at Tennant, California had plenty of items to address before the big Mike would make the next day's run for logs.  We see from this daily inspection report that no less than 4 different shop men worked on #101 to put her in shape to hit the road the next day.

The repairs made to #101 were simply typical for hard-working steam power, especially that pressed into logging duty.  These regular repairs kept #101 in service for years to come.  We see her still ready to put in another hard day's work in late 1940's at Tennant in this fine Stan Borden photo.  (Note she is sporting a green boiler jacket).

Martin



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/18 07:57 by LoggerHogger.

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Just another day at the office.   Typically a steam locomotive from the first turn of the drivers will try to destroy itself.  Bad track, pounding and a variety of other situations meant they needed a lot of attention.  One of the facts that caused the damned diesels to replace them.   Given all of their faults, they were unforgettable and awesome.

Nice looking locomotive.  Does anybody know her history?  Seems more like
a road engine than one built for a logging operation.

As I recall, she was built new for Long-Bell.  They had some large locomotives on the Tennant opertion as the volume of logs hauled was large tne grades faily gentle.
I will verify her history when I get home.

Martin

CZ10 Wrote:
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> Nice looking locomotive.  Does anybody know her
> history?  Seems more like
> a road engine than one built for a logging
> operation.

Those small drivers mark her as a logging or switching locomotive.

A clean engine sure looks good.

Since Martin hasn't chimed back in yet, here's what the Timberbeast said about this locomotive in the Long-Bell roster they printed in the Spring 1989 issue.

101- Alco c/n 65253. built 1923.  Purchased new from stock either 1923 or 1925.  Scrapped 1956.

One factor to keep in mind is that any logging operation of any size will rapidly cut through readily available trees, which forces cutting operations ever farther back into the woods, resulting in an ever longer mainline haul on the logging railroad.  This operation at its peak had a mainline extending something like 80 miles from the SP connection at Leaf.  Small mikados like this one were common on logging railroads with long mainlines. 

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Jeff,

Got back home before me.

#101 was built by ALCO's Brooks Locomotive Works for Weed Lumber Co. in 1923.  She was an 80-ton 2-8-2.  By the time she was delivered in early 1924  Long-Bell was taking over control of Weed Lumber.

Here is a nice shot of her in her usual dirty, dusty coat of grime.  With all the dust in the high pine forests near Tennant, it was hard to keep a steam logging lokie clean for long.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/18 18:14 by LoggerHogger.

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