Re: Postcard From Maine 32, Rare Encounter

Stewart,
back in the late 1990s I had Eureka at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City. Also in attendance was a horse drawn fire pumper from Watsonville, California. I was steaming along the narrow gauge track where there was an ancient wood boxcar on the siding. I did not realize that the metal roof had been removed off the boxcar. Anyway, I repeatedly went chugging by it. At some point a person yelled out "the boxcar is on fire." Sure enough the wood roof was in flames. The guys from Watsonville saw the fire. Fortunately, their pumper was under steam and there was a supply of water nearby. The firemen put the intake hose into the water and turned on the pumper. In no time at all the fire was extinguished, The boxcar was only slightly damaged. I was absolutely amazed how far that pumper could shoot water

I guess I am probably the last guy in the then 20 th century to start a fire with a 19th century locomotive that was put out by a 19th century horse drawn fire engine. A dubious honor.

Dan Markoff