Steam & Excursion > 2 Photos Of 2 Locomotives Taken On The Same Day Solves A Mystery!

For those of us who have followed avidly the Sumpter Valley Railroad, there has always been a question that we have wanted to know the answer to.  This question involves the manner in which the 2 articulates acquired by the SVRy from the Uintah Railway were placed into service on the Stump Dodger in Eastern Oregon.

Since we only had photos of SVRy #250 being tested with her side tanks still in place  and no similar shots of #251 in that configuration, we knew that only #250 was used to test whether the side tanks could be safely removed without losing too much traction for the grades between S. Baker, Oregon and Bates, Oregon.  What always puzzled us was whether #250 was the the only one of the pair of articulateds placed into service during this test period or not.  Now, thanks to these 2 photos, we know the answer to this question.

In going through a new photo collection I came across recently, I found 2 photos of both SVRy #250 and #251 on trains at Whitney, Oregon taken by noted Boise, Idaho railfan, Hank Griffiths.  My attention was first directed to the photo of #250 that is the first one I have seen with #250 still wearing her factory side tanks actually pulling a freight train.  The second photo showed a similar freight of cut lumber from the Oregon Lumber Co. mill at Bates being pulled by #251, with her side tanks already removed.

What was significant, was the fact that Griffiths listed on the back of these photos that they were both taken on the same day, September 27, 1940!  This finally solves our mystery as to how these 2 famous narrow gauge articulates were placed into service in 1940 after they arrived from Uintah.  #250 was used as the test engine to have her tanks drained and a tender attached (from SVRY 2-8-2 #19).  She was run in freight service like this long enough for the SVRy management to feel safe enough that they could remove the tanks from SVRy #251 and add the tender from SVRy ALCO 2-8-2 #20.  #251 was then placed into freight service in her completed configuration while #250 continued in her tank & tender configuration waiting to see if #251 worked out satisfactorily.  Once #251 proved herself, it was #250's turn to go into the S. Baker shops and have her side tanks removed for all time. 

Before this, we always had assumed from the photos of #250 with her side tanks on doing light engine tests that she was the "test mule" to see if the tanks could be safely removed.  Now we know that BOTH engines were tested, #250 with empty tanks left in place (just in case) and #251 with tanks removed entirely.  Only by finding these 2 photos of these 2 locomotives taken on the very same day by Griffiths and labeled by him, do we now know exactly how these 2 famous articulateds were placed into service.

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/19 04:09 by LoggerHogger.

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Fascinating!
Bob

Always seems to have things in his collection to answer most NW steam engine questions thanks Martin.