Railroad Glory Days – Glen Brewer G+

Railroad Glory Days – Glen Brewer

The lovely little Sonoma at the California State Railroad Museum is one of three locomotives built in 1876 by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the narrow gauge North Pacific Coast Railroad.

The NPC operated in the northern California counties of Marin and Sonoma that carried redwood lumber, local dairy and agricultural products, express and passengers. The NPC operated almost 93 mi (150 km) of track that extended from a pier at Sausalito (which connected the line via ferry to San Francisco) and operated northwest to Duncans Mills and Cazadero (also known as Ingrams).

The NPC became the North Shore Railroad (California) (NSR) on March 7, 1902. In 1907 the North Shore Railroad became part of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP). Southern portions of the line were standard gauged and electrified by the North Shore for suburban passenger service, though tracks north of Point Reyes Station remained 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge until abandonment in the late 1930s.(Wikipedia)

Via G+

Steam Locomotives of a More Leisurely Era 1897 2-6-2T & 2-4-2T Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

Steam Locomotives of a More Leisurely Era

1897 2-6-2T & 2-4-2T

Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 

762 Lyn – shortly before the closure of the line.

For the opening of this scenic 2’ 0” gauge railway in North Devon three 2-6-2Ts were built, named ‘Yeo’, ‘Exe’ and ‘Taw’.  A fourth engine ‘Lyn’ was a 2-4-2T built by Baldwins of the USA.  The line was absorbed into the Southern Region at the grouping and the engines became Nos.E759 to E762.  When a fifth engine was required in 1925 recourse was had to the original design, and an identical locomotive obtained from Manning Wardle & Co., who had supplied the originals.  This was given the lowest vacant number in the list at the time, E188, and named ‘Lew’.

The railway was unfortunately closed completely in 1935, and all the engines broken up except ‘Lew’, which was sold and sent to Brazil.

188 Lew – shortly before the closure of the line.

2-6-2T – Driving wheels – 2’ 9¾”,  Leading and trailing wheels – 2’ 0”,  Cylinders – 10½”x 16”,  Pressure – 160 lbs.,  Weight – 27¼ tons.

2-4-2T – Driving wheels – 2’ 9”,  Leading and trailing wheels – 1’ 10”,  Cylinders – 10”x 16”,  Pressure – 180 lbs.,  Weight – 20¼ tons.