Steam & Excursion > CB&Q 4-8-4 in 'busy' 1951 steam scene

CB&Q 4-8-4 #5607 @ Mendota, IL on July 22, 1951  ... that's Q # 2-10-2# 6143 on the adjacent track.By Bruce Black.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 10:43 by valmont.

---

Thanks for sharing. That's a pretty awesome photo--great composition and subject matter.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

5607’ s smoke trail is the perfect shade of gray to indicate a 3,000 deg. F, fire on the grates.....
Superheated spectacular... easily 750 to 800 degrees at the piston...
At this point I’d bet that he’s doing 25 to 30 MPH...

The Baker gear is in full “forward motion”, you can imagine the deafening noise, and the engineer is in classic-white...
Many engineers prided themselves in wearing white, and getting finished with a run, in just as clean condition...
Its not easy to do...But is also reflective of his pride & careful compliance to the rules, skilled and knowledgeable operation of any steam engine in the Q’s roster, and a reflection of his pride in climbing the seniority roster, and his hundreds of journeys ....over many years...

I’d give anything to be seated right behind him.... this will be a spectacular journey ....HOLD ON TIGHT!!!
Thunderous departure ....pounding to get to 70-per...!!!

Wondrous picture!!

​W.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 11:48 by wcamp1472.

Wes, your comments were so well done. Thanks for adding color to this B&W photo.  --Kelly

Some photos are jam-packed with energy and action...

Don Wood was wonderful at capturing Pennsy steam in such action-packed photos.
( Don’s work inspired me to attempt such art... my work fell well short of that quality...so I took up being a wiper and tool-boy for Hart’s tourist line...)

This one is well composed, from the tall switch-stand, to the complete signalbridge,  to the “yard-job” ( waiting to get back to work)...  
It’s all superbly composed and perfectly timed 

A terrific portrait and a moment, frozen in time!.
Put your imagined-self, standing next to the photographer... with your fingers in your ears...
Feel the shuddering ground ..... shaking everything in this picture..
A million pounds of 4-8-4, straining, fighting, winning...!!!
WOW!

​W.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 13:01 by wcamp1472.

Wes did not just bring color to the shot, he brought it to life.

Clearly Wes found his sweet spot of life decades ago when he wandered into whichever roundhouse it was that started his wonderful career.  He says he can't compose a photo, but then demonstrates great knowledge on the subject.  What he can do, besides work on stean is write.  Wes, you have outstanding talent in putting your thoughts on paper in a manner that the casual observer can understand.....and, to me, in a most compelling fashion.  

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Great commentary Wes!  I was looking at what the Engineer and was looking at and also noticed the Wig-Wag in the far left of the photo and the man standing there.  Perhaps he is part of the yard crew doing a roll-by?

GOOD CATCH...

I hadn’t seen the wig-wag, or the Roll-by Guy... Now, I see them...

Great observation...

Thanks for that!

W.

Posted from iPhone

A couple of more interesting things about this photo.   The Q goes through Mendota SW to NE in a big backwards S curve, crossing the Charter Line of the Illinois Central (now abandoned) in the middle of the S at a very low angle. The yard is on the NE side of the S, so this train is eastbound leaving the yard.  The caboose has probably not crossed the IC yet. 5607 is one of the original Baldwin built O-5 engines from1930 and apparenlty was one of the class never fully upgraded to the O-5A standard, although it has received replacement solid pilot wheels (from the original spoked wheels) and boxpok main drivers.  

Simply beautiful....and filthy....just the way I like ‘em.

Very nice photo. Great detail, wonder what kind of camera took it.

Any of them left?

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very nice photo. Great detail, wonder what kind of
> camera took it.
>
> Any of them left?

Do you mean any of the cameras that took the photo, left?

There are no CB&Q O5 4-8-4s saved, however there are quit a few CB&Q O5b locomotives remaining, the most notable is #5629 at the Colorado RR Museum, plus two in Wyoming, and one in Missouri.  

elueck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A couple of more interesting things about this
> photo.   The Q goes through Mendota SW to NE in
> a big backwards S curve, crossing the Charter Line
> of the Illinois Central (now abandoned) in the
> middle of the S at a very low angle. The yard is
> on the NE side of the S, so this train is
> eastbound leaving the yard.  The caboose has
> probably not crossed the IC yet. . 

Presuming your geographic commentary is correct, that would make the signal bridge the eastward home signals for First Ave. on the east side of Mendota. First Ave. contained crossovers and was where the yard lead became the signaled "Advcance Track".

Behnd the photographer would be the Del Monte canning plant (still in operation and still rail-served) and beyond that was "MS" Tower, that controlled the east end of the Advance Track and another set of main line crossovers (today the coal and water facilities are long gone, but the crossovers remain, known for years on the Q and BN (and still today on BNSF) as "The Electrics", originally to differentiate them from the pipe-and-rod interlocking at IC Tower downtown). I believe First Ave. was remoted to MS at some point prior to the 1951 photo date, but not 100% sure about that. Open to corrections..

MS Tower was also the location of the main line coal chute and water plugs, being almost exactly halfway between Chicago Union Station and Galesburg (MP 80.4, distance from CUS to G'burg being 162 mles). Evidently the 5607 East has no need for coal or water, as that hogger seems intent on getting a wheel on his train, not stopping roughly a mile ahead.

One more detail: The switch in the foreground diverging sharply to the left is likely the lead to the turntable and small enginehouse. There is nothing down that way capapble of handling that 2-10-2, so me thinks rather than being the yard switcher that is the head end of a drag freight that cleared the main to let 5607 by while it set out and picked up.

I'm attachng a 1970-era BN map of Merndota to help those who don't speak Northern Illinois figure out what we're talking about.

What a fantastic photo by Bruce and commentary from Wes! The more you look, the more you notice.

NZ

EDIT: to fix typos and add the map. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/19 17:55 by NebraskaZephyr.

---

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CPRR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Very nice photo. Great detail, wonder what kind
> of
> > camera took it.
> >
> > Any of them left?
>
> Do you mean any of the cameras that took the
> photo, left?
>
> There are no CB&Q O5 4-8-4s saved, however there
> are quit a few CB&Q O5b locomotives remaining, the
> most notable is #5629 at the Colorado RR Museum,
> plus two in Wyoming, and one in Missouri.  

Thanks Jack. I was writing in a airport trying to get to the plane. 

I wonder Der though what camera took it. I am fascinated by how clear older photos are, for the time.