Re: New Rockland Slate Narrow Gauge

Porter locomotives from that era could be called an example of "Form follows function." They're sometimes odd-looking, but it's for a purpose. The canted cylinders give more ground clearance. The saddle tanks are pushed forward fully ahead of the firebox so staybolt maintenance can be performed without having to pull off the tank. Even the sander arrangement is simplified using a single center tube instead of separate front and rear sand tubes. Contrary to the popular notion that steam locomotive parts always had to be custom-made in on-site machine shops, Porter made everything to templates and did fairly significant business in replacement parts. Parts that had a tendency to break frequently could be ordered in duplicate so the owner could have spares on-hand in advance. Porter knew its customer base and served it well.