How fast can you spot what's off about this picture?

[tigisfat]

Maybe not what's off, just tell me what's unusual or interesting. This was taken by me today in Sacramento.
http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt32/walkeramerican/Animals/locomotive.jpg

[d0mokun]

Maybe I'm far off the mark, but is it the train itself? A steam train of sorts?

[tigisfat]

Maybe I'm far off the mark, but is it the train itself? A steam train of sorts?


You are dead on. I knew that'd happen fast. The question is, why are there two steam locomotives (heavily rusted) sitting on the tracks on a siding in sacramento? I'd like to know. I haven't found my answer yet.

[harleyman]

I had a feeling it was the trains...BUT

for the life of me I don't see any steam engines...

[N2056]

Perhaps they are destined for the State Railroad Museum?

[tigisfat]

Perhaps they are destined for the State Railroad Museum?

well, they weren't moving. These are clearly abandoned. The last time the aerial surveys were done (the ones google maps sources) they were in the same spot.

They are way to rusty to be moving. Surely they have something to do with the museum, but I am wondering where they came from. If they are that badly rusted, surely they are recent discoveries. Most surviving LARGE late-model steam locomotives are highly sought after and protected like mad.


The wikipedia page for the museum lists all their locomotives and conditions, but doesn't list two identical unrestored steam locomotives.

[tigisfat]

new update:

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/atsf.shtml


Look under '2900 series', and the stored 1 mile south of CSRM bit. That's interesting, and I wonder why it's juts hanging out down there.

[djscoo]

They are just down the line from the California State Railroad Museum, and are parked right next to the Auto museum. Maybe they are waiting to be restored...

[Moparmike]

Hmm...that's a neat find! Wonder how long they've been sitting there. I too would guess that they're part of the CSRM fleet.
It's been many years since I've been out there (I've got an aunt & uncle in Sacramento and we got a pretty good guided tour of Old Sacramento from them when I was a little kid). The rail museum is on my list of places to visit if I ever get back out that direction.

more digging...
Look at this page, http://www.steamlocomotive.com/lists/CA.shtml , about 2/3 of the way down the list...
The 2900 you linked is a Baldwin 2900-class 4-8-4
The other one is a 2-10-4...if I remember (and wikipedia is right) a 5011 is also a Baldwin.
According to the list that siding is part of or near the CSRM Boiler Shop so I'm guessing they're on the project list to clean em up at least for display.
Both of em are WWII-era oil burners.

I would love to see that big monster 2-10-4 at work though!
I'm not too big of a train nut, but I love anything steam powered. Around here I'm pretty limited to just steam traction engines though...and as big as they are, they are dwarfed by a steam locomotive!

[srgalahad]

For those too young to remember the Days of Steam, and the sheer size of the locomotives, here is the CNR 6400 - about the same size as the CSRM 2900...
7096
The CNR 6400—the only remaining example of this class of engine in Canada—was also exceptional, because its distinctive design was the result of a joint research project between the CNR and the National Research Council. Designed with the use of wind-tunnel models (680547), the streamlining was not entirely cosmetic. It was intended to improve fuel efficiency, while also reducing wind resistance and increasing safety, by eliminating the problem of exhaust smoke obscuring the crew’s vision. While the streamlining did not achieve all of the goals established for the project, the resulting design was one of the most distinctive ever used for a Canadian steam locomotive.

[jhefner]

According to the list that siding is part of or near the CSRM Boiler Shop so I'm guessing they're on the project list to clean em up at least for display.

Actually, both engines came from a former Santa Fe roundhouse in I think New Mexico; they were part of a planned heritage fleet, and were in great condition.

I think the problem is that the CSRM didn't have proper storage room for them; and they have suffered badly since being moved to Sacramento and stored in the open. It is a black eye for what is otherwise a great museum.

[Snuffy]

Yep rolling boilers are huge things!

Gotta love em ... :salute:

[brad kaste]

To get old time steam locos up and running again is a daunting task. The cost and re fabrication is staggering. Plus most of the work is done by volunteers at these railroad museums. Then the proper monster sized tools...if they're ever around anymore,...are needed to service them. Finally,...they have to annually meet all the proper specs and testing since they are 'boilers.' And the daily maintenance needed to run them,....it goes on and on. No wonder railroads switched over to diesel ASAP after WWII. Final main line railroad to still use them was the Norfolk and Western. They were gone by 1961.
Saying that,....nothing,.................nothing can ever replace the sound, smell,... and ground vibration of a steam loco. Long live steam locomotives!

[GT182]

Tig, I don't think it actually rust, but some type of protective primer on the boiler. The visable underside you can see above the two front drive wheels is rusted.

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/atsf2925-1.jpg

All in all it's not in that bad of shape. I've seen far worse at the railroad steam museum in Lancaster, PA.

[Moparmike]

Yup, there is a lot of maintenance required just to keep a steam rig running...much less restoring one from non-op to functioning. Not to mention a LOT of spare cash!

Here in ND you don't need a boilermans license to operate them but the boiler does need to be inspected and certified before you can fire them up.
Largest one I've had a chance to help operate is an 65HP and the most unique one was a 20HP "underslung" Avery similar to the one in these vids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOjZspHhc7w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hedLDNB4chk
Note...I'm just a driver. I'll leave running the boilers up to guys that've been doing it for a few years.

[Moparmike]

Sidetracking even further from tig's post...
More steam power.
This is my yearly hangout in New Rockford ND. Vid from the '07 show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBuHKwH0Vr0
You can't see me but I was helping hook up at the dyno when the Case 110HP belted up (0:50 in the vid). I was hiding on the other side of the dyno, just out of frame.

[djscoo]

http://www.texasstaterr.com/

Visited this a couple of years ago and took a ride on a steam engine train. After the ride was over, we were walking along the tracks when they were getting ready to put the engines up for the night, and my friends older brother was a little ways ahead of us. The engine came up behind us so we ran off to the ditch that runs parallel to the tracks. I don't know if they saw him or not, but the engine passed us and just as it got even with my friends brother, they slowed and vented steam or something and he was instantaneously engulfed in a huge cloud. His face as he came running out of the cloud was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life.

We got to tour the yards where they restore the engines, and see all the equipment. It's a neat place if you like trains.

[Bjoern]

Sometimes, coincidence makes for a peculiar meeting...had to change trains a Frankfurt main a long time ago and saw this right across the platform.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/t3h_3vil/Fotos/th_DSC00483.jpg (http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/t3h_3vil/Fotos/DSC00483.jpg)

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/t3h_3vil/Fotos/th_DSC00484.jpg (http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/t3h_3vil/Fotos/DSC00484.jpg)

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/t3h_3vil/Fotos/th_DSC00487.jpg (http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/t3h_3vil/Fotos/DSC00487.jpg)