#60 Details

[Mike Trent]

Good morning. Last Monday I visited #60 in Idaho Springs, and was very pleased with it's appearance and condition. In some ways it feels like yesterday that we helped paint and move this engine and coach from across the street. 30 years ago? Yikes!!

I have recently decided, probably partly due to posts on this site, to bring a #60 into my On3 herd. My original #60 has a wonderful home on Rob Smith's layout, so this will be a replacement engine. So while I was up there, I took some photos, some of which I'll post here as some of you will probably find them interesting.

First, here is a nice front view. Some of you are probably aware that there were essentially two different types of snowplows used in later years on the C&S. The difference has to do with the height. Passenger locomotives carried a taller plow, freight engines carried a somewhat lower profile plow. #60 spent most of it's later years on the C&S as the switch engine in Leadville with no plow at all, just a footboard pilot. After undergoing a scheduled overhaul in Denver in 1936, it went into more regular service, sometimes with a conventional pilot of strap steel design, and other times with this plow. Derrell recently commented his fondness for the smokebox fronts of the Rhode Island locomotives. One of the characteristics of #60's smokebox front is the small door, which is key to why this engine has a tall plow for a 2-8-0. If you study plows on other 2-8-0's, you will note that the chunkier boilers are mounted lower on the frame, and most have larger doors. As we have previously discussed, part of the daily routine working these engines was to bore flues at water stops as needed and every time at Dickey. The taller plows would have made boring the lower flues on a larger 2-8-0 virtually impossible, so the lower profile plows were used. In this photo, you can see there would be no difficulty poking an auger into the lower flues or opening that small door. This plow measures about 42" from the top to the bottom next to the extended coupler pocket. When we were working on the design of the plows for the Overland On3 models, we settled on a height of 39" for the B-4-E class, and a height of 45" for the B-3-C Class. The height of the B-3-C engines may or may not have been taller than this one, but we were quite satisfied that they were at the time. So this plow falls squarely in the middle, but is for sure taller than plows carried by other 2-8-0's.




The following photo shows the cover over the hose spool remaining from it's time as the Leadville switcher, which included duties in fire service. The cover measures 21" wide, and 12" high. The rear of the cover measures 9" to the rear of the roof, and the whole spool is offset 6" from center to the fireman's side.

More to follow.


 

[Mike Trent]

....And what do we have here but the cab curtain rod set inboard to the engineer's cab door. I must have seen this a hundred times years ago and never grasped it's significance. Search the discussion on cab curtains if this doesn't make sense to you. The fireman's side rod is also present, but the rear rod is missing. Note the fusee holder in the corner of the roof.




More to follow

[Tim Schreiner]

Your input will definitely help me with improving my On3 PSC #60. Keep the info, and pics coming!

[Mike Trent]

Here are a couple details from the tender.

This photo shows the upper gate retainer which held the pallet-like device above the lower board retainers that were held in place by cast brackets.



This photo shows a cabinet which is attached above the firebox door, situated between the rear doors. The B-4-F locomotives had a large hatch that swung up in this location to display the gauges.

[Doug Heitkamp]

[Doug Heitkamp]

[Doug Heitkamp]

[Mike Trent]

Thanks Doug

Do you have a photo of the hose feeder on the left side branch pipe (Injector pipe fitting)?

Somehow I missed getting one last week.

Thanks again.

Mike

[Chris Walker]

At the Original location before the Sports Store.  

And before the Burlington paintcrew visited.




http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/6202/rv/singleitem/rec/92

[Tim Schreiner]

The chain anchoring the plow is currently missing on her. I wonder why, and where it is now?

[Mike Trent]

Tim, without a doubt, that long heavy chain was surely stolen more than 50 years ago. I never saw it, probably the first time I saw that engine was about 1965. I'm sure that's also why it has never been replaced. It would be foolish to spend the money on something that would be stolen within a week.

[Mike Trent]

For some reason, this photo of the curtain rod didn't post.

This photo shows the rod on the engineer's side, set inboard of the engineer's rear door as was so common on the C&S narrow gauge locomotives. The right side rod is located to the outboard side of the fireman's rear door, and the rear rod is missing. For those who have not seen the discussion of these cab curtains, please search and enjoy the photos that Chris Walker located and the conversation which ensued.

[Tim Schreiner]

What's the board with the six holes for?

[Chris Walker]

I'd say a Flagholder, two Red, two Green, two White for signals.

[Tim Schreiner]

That's what I was wondering, but wasn't sure.

[Mike Trent]

I think you're right on the flags, Chris.

I was going to mention that the object in the upper right corner of the photo is part of the hook rack over the coal gate. In the photo it appears to be part of the rear of the cab roof.

[snapped_bolt]

   Good morning

      This here looks just like a fusee holder.

        Cheers

           Stan

[Mike Trent]

Stan, you could be right about that. As a switch engine, #60 would have had more need of fusees or torpedos than flags. Could also have been used for flags when #60 went in to road service in the last couple of years.