Magma Arizona 7, the straight story
| September 09, 2012 03:43PM |
There was some recent discussion and subsequent confusion regarding the dates of the last use of Magma Arizona 2-8-2 7 by the Magma.
I visited Medford Corporation in late June of 1968 to shoot their Baldwin diesel and was told that she was "going to a railroad in Arizona". I did not suspect that it was the Magma until later that summer when I learned that Magma would soon cease the use of steam.
A quick trip to Phoenix from Edwards AFB where I was stationed got me & my roommate to his grandmothers house on the afternoon of September 3rd. I got up really early on the morning of the 4th, unloaded my Yamaha from the trunk of his Thunderbird and set off in the dark for Superior.
The night image was taken at the Magma engine house around 0530. The 7 sits simmering on the far right, being tended to by a hostler.
The vista was also taken by me with my Pentax and shows both Magma 7 working in town and also freshly painted Baldwin diesel in the house alongside 2-8-0 5. I saw no other photographers there on this day and was also told by management that this would be the last day of steam on the Magma. It lasted this late account of trim work on the number 8's paint job.
The action shot of the 7 on the bridge was taken by the late John Hungerford on November 8, 1963.
Trust that this satisfies the naysayers.
Thanks to John West for the scanning time spent today.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2012 05:48PM by Tom Moungovan.
I visited Medford Corporation in late June of 1968 to shoot their Baldwin diesel and was told that she was "going to a railroad in Arizona". I did not suspect that it was the Magma until later that summer when I learned that Magma would soon cease the use of steam.
A quick trip to Phoenix from Edwards AFB where I was stationed got me & my roommate to his grandmothers house on the afternoon of September 3rd. I got up really early on the morning of the 4th, unloaded my Yamaha from the trunk of his Thunderbird and set off in the dark for Superior.
The night image was taken at the Magma engine house around 0530. The 7 sits simmering on the far right, being tended to by a hostler.
The vista was also taken by me with my Pentax and shows both Magma 7 working in town and also freshly painted Baldwin diesel in the house alongside 2-8-0 5. I saw no other photographers there on this day and was also told by management that this would be the last day of steam on the Magma. It lasted this late account of trim work on the number 8's paint job.
The action shot of the 7 on the bridge was taken by the late John Hungerford on November 8, 1963.
Trust that this satisfies the naysayers.
Thanks to John West for the scanning time spent today.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2012 05:48PM by Tom Moungovan.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.