Feb. 1916 101 years ago on the SVRy

I was asked back channel to post another SVRy wreck story or similar so here it is. Some of these photos from our archives have been posted here before, many I think have not. I have 14 in all that relate to the story. Feb. 1916 was a bad year for snow on the Sumpter Valley Ry. "Rails Sagebrush and Pine" by Mal Ferrell has a fine account of snow fighting that Feb. on pages 38 and 39 along with photos. As RS&P has been out of print for many years I will take the liberty of quoting or paraphrasing some of Mal's account. The daily passenger train #1 made it through the storm to Austin. Meanwhile engine 17 west bound with a string of empties stalled in the deep snow near Johnson's Jump Off trestle which is just above MP31. The daily pass. train as #2 made it back through the snow, but had to stop on the main for the stalled freight. The passenger train was unable to back up due to the blowing and drifting snow falling in behind. Word was got out of the predicament and a plow train assembled at Austin MP 59. The first photo attached is the best side shot of the SVRy Plow #1 that I have seen and was recently donated to our archives. While the railroad had 2 big engines Mikes 16 and 17, they were on the wrong end of the rr. in fact 17 was of course on one of the stalled trains. In desperation the consist they came up with to shove the wedge plow was very unusual. SVRy Eng. #4, a big mogul, was behind the plow, followed by WHEccles #3 40 ton Heisler (operational at SVRR today), Oregon Lumber Co. #104 42 ton Heisler, followed by Baker White Pine #3 45 ton Climax. You can bet that with 3 geared engines in the consist they didn't move very fast! In order to reach the stranded trains the plow had to climb over Tipton Summit then down to the Whitney Valley, climb Larch Summit and then work down to the trains. Notice in the 4 additional shots that the conductor Ben S. Matlock is riding the top of the plow where he can see the way ahead and easily be seen by the trailing engines. Mr. Matlock's family donated several of these photos.








Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2017 08:57AM by J.B.Bane.