#537 and #70

Posted by Mike Trent on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Love-me-tender-With-apologies-to-Elvis-tp499p519.html

John, there are still a few dark places in #537's history that Rick may be able to help with, but Hol's history from the "Burlington Bulleten" is probably the best source of information on it.

I'm going to be interested in how your project comes out, because I have always known how useful Ridgway's dimensions and sketches would be for someone who wanted to build an accurate model of that tender.

I have never seen one of the OMI Sn3 models other than #74, which was the first.

I had an On3 PSC #70 years ago, and I can tell you that the dimensions of the PSC tender had to have come from a lot "by guess and by gollying", it really wasn't what I remember anywhere close to what I had from Hol Wagner.

There are a few published pictures of #537 taken between 1927 and 1931. In 1927 #537 was sent to Denver from the Black Hills after being wrecked for rebuilding at the C&S Joint Shops. These few shots show the locomotive pretty much as it was in later years, with some differences. but with a very different tender. It also had Bettendorf trucks, but the tank and bunker are much different than #70's tender.

When #70 was converted to oil in 1931, it's tender was widened shortly after being placed in service behind #537. The tender I built for #537 is close to what it would have been behind #70 before it was widened. I may yet undertake to rebuild that tender now that I have narrowed all of the B-4-F tenders to proper size. But for now it is as it was from #70. I'll post photos of #537 this weekend.

The locomotive was leased, not sold, to the C&S by the Q as a means to bring the motive power roster some much needed beef, as it was similar in tonnage rating to the big hog B-4-F class, "on the cheap", without having to invest in heavy expense in the process. One of the schemes that was seriously considered was the purshase of the two Uintah 2-6-6-T locomotives, removing the tanks and purchasing brand new tenders from Baldwin identical to those used on the D&RGW K-36's. The cost of reinforcing and/or replacing bridges along the mainline to handle their weight killed that idea. As a leased engine, it remained in CB&Q livery during the rest of it's life, although in several late pictures, the lettering is faintly visible. With light contrast, it disappears completely.

I'll provide more information on #537 later this weekend, along with some photos of mine.

Back to #70, I believe that as soon as it was converted to oil, possibly using parts removed from #537 in '27, it was fitted with #537's old tender, although the large oil bunker was probably built by the C&S, as it bears much similarity to those on the oil burning 800's and 900's in later years.

One last comment regarding #70 here. During my time with old Doug Schnarbush, he told me that the West End guys all missed that engine, and only heard tell of it's fate by the East End enginemen up to Como from Denver. Doug said it spent a lot of time on the West End and that they all liked it better than it's sister engine #69.