Steam & Excursion > Its Hard To Say Just What Left This Locomotive Looking Like This!

Usually when one see's a steam locomotive in some part of disassembly, you can tell what the reason for that is.  Maybe she was in a wreck, maybe she is being scrapped, maybe it is just intensive servicing.  In this case it is hard to put a finger on it.

Here we have Elk Redwood Co. Shay #2 parked overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Elk, California in 1937.  She is a narrow gauge 2-truck Shay built by Lima in 1904 for the E.L. White Lumber Co. at Elk, and originally give the name "Frank C. Drew".  She clearly is long out of service in this photo.

One has to wonder what happened to her steel cab.  She did have one in earlier photos of the engine.  Why is her boiler jacket gone?  Some of her line-shafts are not hooked up, so she was clearly not run to this location.  With her dry pipe and exhaust manifold gone, one has to wonder if she was being used as a parts engine to supply parts to her other 2 Shays on the Elk Redwood roster.

What ever the reason for her condition, she would continue to attract the occasional railfan visiting the area until 1940, when she would be gone all together.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/20 03:35 by LoggerHogger.

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Apparently this was in the back row of the used engine lot.

At least they took the time and covered the stack!
Whats wit' dat?

Is that the petticoat pipe lying on the running board? 

W.

 

Parts supply?

Posted from iPhone

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

I too noticed the covered stack.  Yes, Wes, that is the petticoat pipe on the runing board.  You can see the mounting brakets on it.

Martin

It would be great if someone had saved the number plate on this locomotive.  It would have had only one builder's plate thanks to the data that Martin supplied to me.  Do you think it was on the other side??

Ron

Ron,

Her one builder's plate would have been on this side.  This locomotive had a hard life.  I have photos of her after a bad wreck that likely explains where her builder's plate went.

Here is one of the photos of #2 after her big wreck.  Note the builder's plate (not the number plate) is still attached.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/20 10:36 by LoggerHogger.

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Parts Pirates.
 

Here's a couple of photos taken at Elk in the 1930's by the late William Darrough from my collection:
Shay # 1 with some cars; and a much rebuilt 0-4-0T which I don't have a history for at hand.
Martin, do you know her ancestory ?   She looks like an On30 kitbasher's dream.

Don Marenzi 

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It looks like Shay #1 sitting behind Shay #2 in Martin's photo.

Don,

The 0-4-0T was built by Porter in 1888 and was Salmon Creek Logging #2 before comintg to Elk Redwood.  She was also Pt. Arena Tie & Flume Co.  #2.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/20 10:51 by LoggerHogger.

Hi Martin,

Thanks !  I was sure if anyone knew it would be you.

Don Marenzi