Nostalgia & History > The SP at Bosque & Shawmut

In the spirit of Noel Coward’s long famous lyric, a friend and I ventured out into the wilds of Arizona back in June of ’83 to have a look at the Southern Pacific and some other assorted wonders (like the Santa Fe) in Arizona. Perched atop a small pile of large rocks where the mainline passes through the Maricopa Mountains, I watched as the SP paid off with an eastbound piggyback. I would have liked a westbound in the hole at Shawmut for the going away shot but a rail inspection truck was in the way.
The astute eye will note the abandoned 1879 right-of-way in the foreground of the first photo and despite a search through Myrick’s first two tombs on railroading in the state, I have yet to find a date for the relay and the addition of Shawmut siding. “But Mad Dogs & Englishman go out in the midday sun.”
Be of Good Cheer,
—Mac

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Wow, that's a lotta nothin'. Nice shots, Mac.

Mark

And the CombatRailfans

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That bunch would scare the skin off rattlers

MacBeau Wrote:
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despite a search through Myrick’s first two
> tombs on railroading in the state,
> Be of Good Cheer,
> —Mac


Myrick had two tombs? Why wouldn't just one tomb suffice? Most of the ancient Egyptians just had one tomb apiece. Ding-ding-ding........ I got it now! You were referring to Myrick's first two books on Arizona's railroads, also called "tomes", right? :>)

Con, having a bit of good cheer.

Those pants would make Ray Charles flinch!

JDE

That guy on the left always looks the same, he must have those Dick Clark genes.


TCS - caboose crew

Is this the place where a 5000 class 4-10-2 blew up around 1945 or so? Can't remember the number. Maybe the 5037?

JDE

xtra1188w Wrote:
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> Myrick had two tombs? Why wouldn't just one tomb
> suffice? Most of the ancient Egyptians just had
> one tomb apiece. Ding-ding-ding........ I got it
> now! You were referring to Myrick's first two
> books on Arizona's railroads, also called "tomes",
> right? :>)

Con:
Missed that one in the proof read...but know why, I was reading the story on the web about the dig in Peru. Funny!
—Mac

Steamjocky Wrote:
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> Is this the place where a 5000 class 4-10-2 blew
> up around 1945 or so? Can't remember the number.
> Maybe the 5037?
>
> JDE

Yes, about a mile and a quarter west of this train at mile 866.36. It happened at 4:32PM on November 11, 1946. It was 5037 with 1333 (an S-2) helper on the point of 4-854. The fireman and engineer of 5037 were killed instantly. The fireman and engineer of 1333 were severely injured and died the next morning. The head brakeman of 5037, who was riding the 1333, was also severely injured but survived the ordeal.

The place is still littered with fire brick. A couple of Saturday's ago I measured a piece 406 feet from the explosion site. The boiler was hurled over 390 feet to the east and the cab 220 feet to the west. It was perhaps one of the more violent boiler explosions in the country, certainly on the SP.

BCHellman Wrote:
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> Steamjocky Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is this the place where a 5000 class 4-10-2
> blew
> > up around 1945 or so? Can't remember the
> number.
> > Maybe the 5037?
> >
> > JDE
>
> Yes, about a mile and a quarter west of this train
> at mile 866.36. It happened at 4:32PM on November
> 11, 1946. It was 5037 with 1333 (an S-2) helper on
> the point of 4-854. The fireman and engineer of
> 5037 were killed instantly. The fireman and
> engineer of 1333 were severely injured and died
> the next morning. The head brakeman of 5037, who
> was riding the 1333, was also severely injured but
> survived the ordeal.
>
> The place is still littered with fire brick. A
> couple of Saturday's ago I measured a piece 406
> feet from the explosion site. The boiler was
> hurled over 390 feet to the east and the cab 220
> feet to the west. It was perhaps one of the more
> violent boiler explosions in the country,
> certainly on the SP.

Not even listed in DOT Library of railroad accidents.

...and not one snivel about trespassing on the ROW...

rdsexton Wrote:
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> ...and not one snivel about trespassing on the
> ROW...

Anybody who knows the Combats also knows that they spend 99.99% of the time on the public assess side of the RoW fence.

Bob

The boiler explosion of #5037 is covered in Boynton's "Three Barrels of Steam" (some photos included).

xtra1188w Wrote:
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> MacBeau Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> despite a search through Myrick’s first two
> > tombs on railroading in the state,
> > Be of Good Cheer,
> > —Mac
>
>
> Myrick had two tombs? Why wouldn't just one tomb
> suffice? Most of the ancient Egyptians just had
> one tomb apiece. Ding-ding-ding........ I got it
> now! You were referring to Myrick's first two
> books on Arizona's railroads, also called "tomes",
> right? :>)
>
> Con, having a bit of good cheer.

Ahh Railroad of Arizona..."the bible"...one of my favorite series of all time...though I only have 2 of 5 volumes. (vol 1 and vol 4)