Steam & Excursion > The Informality Of Steam Railroading In The 1940's Is Shown Here!

In this day and age of safety vests, safety goggles and other modern accoutrements of modern-day railroading, we often forget what this some industry looked like some 80 years ago.  We are reminded of what railroading used to be like when we come across photos like this one taken by Richard Biermann in July 1949.

Captured on film in this fine view we see Longview Fibre ALCO 0-6-0 #1201 shuffling through the summer grass in the company's yards in Longview, Washington.  Maybe it is the bibed-wearing crew casually adorning the front pilot or maybe the aged wooden freight cars behind the engine that shows us how casual the life of a railroader was back then. 

Maybe more than that, it is simply the tall summer grass growing in the yard that #1201 and her crew are drifting through, that makes us want to find a quiet place to sit and simply spend the day watching this steam switcher shuffle back and forth in this railyard.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/19 03:02 by LoggerHogger.

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Do I see an antenna back from the smokebox to where ever?  Could it be an early radio equipped yard switcher?  Maybe the owner was a short wave fan?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/19 04:28 by PlyWoody.

It reminds me of the old railroad saying to get you through the workday.  "Don't run if you can walk.  Don't walk if you can ride."  While unsafe standing on a footboard is a lot more relaxing than hanging from the side of a car.

Seeing a doghouse on a 0-6-0 is unusual.  But the Katy had some on 0-8-0's.

tomstp Wrote:
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> Seeing a doghouse on a 0-6-0 is unusual.  But the
> Katy had some on 0-8-0's.

So did Missouri Pacific.

Gordon
 

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PlyWoody Wrote:
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> Do I see an antenna back from the smokebox to
> where ever?  Could it be an early radio equipped
> yard switcher?  Maybe the owner was a short wave
> fan?

Yah, I was also wondering what that thing is on the smokebox running back to the???. Maybe it's a clothesline for when their bibs get dirty! (enter chuckle here.)

I enlarged the photo, and that "line" sure looks like it ends on another pole on the doghouse.  But if it is for a radio, I can't see anything leading down from that pole.  But best guess is that it is a radio "long wire." Back then they didn't yet have VHF or UHF radios, so the long wire would make sense.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/19 19:15 by norm1153.

Long wires on early passenger cars to receive AM radio will give you an idea of the length neccessary.
To get an idea of vertical antennas look at pix of WW II military vehicles.
I think the "antenna" in this pic is something in the background.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

The wire is certainly attsched to the locomotive and even appears to be sooted by the stack, so it's been there some time. The length of the antenna is a clue as it's way too long for UHF or VHF. An AM. Antenna is even shorter than the one pictured. So... I'm going with some other function like a clothesline 😁. Perhaps they covered the locomotive at night and this formed a sort of tent? It does rain a lot up that way...