Uintah RY Roster Questions II, (very long for serious minded)
The preceding list was a review of the Uintah roster around 1911 to 1917 where the total locomotives reported to the ICC and Poor’s Manual showed a count higher that known engines. The answer was not solved in searching out a mystery SG engine but we had fun going through the research steps. Compliments have encouraged more study of a later period of the Uintah after the No. 50 arrived. The following do not have new claims but only new questions (call them key holes) and thereby need to find the Key data possibly owned by a reader who did not know of the need for that data.
This time the adventure will look into the Lima Service Department card record in minute detail. I know a statement was made that the Lima cars was in error but let see, after looking at every cards. The card deck covered the railroad and its engines over 17 cards that I will review. (Set of 8 rolls of microfilm came from Smithsonian Institute) First Card was by Locomotive Construction number, and back of card, count to 10 cards. Next, there are file cars by company name (SD-100 P.P.Co.) and by town name sort (SD-100A) and additionally a Visit Record card (SD-103). The cards are usually not dated but only data entries often have dates and initials or changes and notes. These 7 cards include one Dead File (Uintah main office at Salt Lake City with Shay 939 and 1578 typed but inked out/crossed over) and a back of one card. I will try to identify typed data and dates, and inked entries. Rather than go over each card for unusual data, I will itemize the subject in question and note the card, which had relevant data.
Start of Review from the men who were there.
The loco card for #1 Lima 888 shows Dragon, UT as main line point. George Craick on 6/30/1928 visit record said “Shay not in service at present” and entry on #888 card said “Scrapped GC 6/30/1928” typed above the Resold Line of form. Then it was typed in the Resold to: “The Uintah Ry Mack 2/10/1933. On SD-100A type dated 3/15/1933 a typed entry in note box says “888 put back in service order 2/10/1933”. On same card all engines were logged below and 888 was lined over and ink words “scrapped” as was #1513-#3 crossed over. The two SD-100 of earlier record show 888 ink noted “scrapped”. One note on Visit card date 7/29/1926 says, “888 will probably be scrapped” [note the engine is in tally in Volume I]
Summary of above – unproven: Shay #888 was scrapped 6/30/1928 to 2/10/1933, or about 10 months before new #7 was built and may have been replaced by #7. It did not change the engine count of 10 as Uintah #2 or #3 was dropped when #1 came back in use. Final scrap date unknown after 1934.
Loco #2 card- Lima #939 had no information in question. Not in use in 1928 by Visit Card and back in service later but out of service again about 1934 and used for parts until 1938.
Loco #3 card – Lima #1513 had main line point typed Dragon and Mack. Ink addition under Sold to: “Scrapped-letter 10/17/1933. Visit card did not go past 1929. Another source said part of frame or frame used to build new #7 December 1933.
Loco #4 Card – Lima #1575 Waldorf Mining & Milling Co.#2. Only one SD-100 location card show this engine 1575 road number 5 and inked in “Scrapped”. Other sources confirmed #4 scrapped April 1928 but GC visit 6/30/1928 said see Mack co [card] 1928 in ink in locomotive 1578 card. Was this a typo as SD-100 shows #1674 as #4? Above ITEM IN QUESTION: Could 1578 and 1674 have number plates switched account shop work during short period, before #1674 was rebuilt with new boiler in 1930?
Loco #5 Card – Lima #1674 No data other than ACRR #3. Infrequently used in 1937-1938 period.
NOW THE BIG CHALLENGE WITH ENGINE #6 LIMA 3054.
Lima built 3054 in February 1920 and it was wrecked 11/24/1920, and possibly also 1/5/1923. Note of 7/20/1924 “injectors broke quite frequency on 3054” by C. C. Ring on Visit Card. If someone has access to Lima reports, the engine is in report #139, 925, 2097, 3154, 3986, 4780, 4907, & 5716. On the SD-101 Loco Card below the Sold To: has the following data: Road Name or Owner: “Feather River Lumber Co. Portola, Calif. GC 5/18/1927”. Note entry below: “The Uintah Railway Co., Mack, CO, order 10030 2/18/1930”. Also inked below: “Feather River Lumber Co. Delleker, Calif letter Jan 1934”. Long hand ink below: “Unitah Ry also rebuilt a Shay & called it 3054 SMB [SWB?] 5/09/1934”. Typed below: “Human-Michael Co. San Francisco (For Sale) HCH (3/30/1945).”
The first SD-100 shows 3054 circled and long hand ink entry: “Feather River Lumber Co. Calif. Next SD-100 Card data 7/10/1928 has in note block: “CXD 9/21/1929 – see customer’s letter 4/21/1930 regarding lot of repair parts which they have for 3054 and desire to purchase boiler and cetera for rebuilding.”
Following by hand note: “Boiler & parts shipped Sept. 1933 as they entirely rebuilt a Shay and called it 3054 SWB 5/9/1934”. Engines shown on this card were: 939- #2, 1513- #3, 1674 #5, 888 added 10x12 cyl and note “scrapped”, and 3054R- #7.
Form SD-100A dated 3/15/1933 show 14 locomotives in list but 888 and 1513 were lined out as “scrapped” and 3054 #3 1920 lined out and ink note “sold Feather River Lbr Co. 2/1/1934 – see other card on #3054” The Note column said: “3054 bought from Feather River Lbr Co. Portola Calif order 10030 2/18/1930”. And above note of 888 back in service [noted above]. Form SD-100A dated 2/23/1934 has typed 939 #2, 1674 #5 and 3054 #3 1920 60-2. Same hand ink note: “Sold Feather River Lbr. Portola Calif per letter, Uintah Ry Co. 10/17/1933 in McRS[?] file. But they entirely rebuilt a Shay and called it 3054 SWB 6/9/1934”. This card has typed entry “EIGHT BALDWINS” [only seven Baldwin know at this time – 12, 20, 21, 30, 40, 50, 51 – unless the old #11 was still around 1927 to 1934.]
FINAL SUMMARY OF WHAT THESE NOTES MIGHT HAVE MEANT CAN BE SEEN IN TWO DIFFERENT HAPPENING. FIRST choice:
Lima #3054 built in Feb. 1920 as Uintah #6 was sold to Feather River Lumber Co. 5/18/1927 and became FRLbr #3. FRLbr #3 was sold back to Uintah on 2/18/1930 and kept #3 plate. This possibly replaced the original #3 1513 but that engine had a letter saying: “scrapped 10/17/1933” and frame went into new #7. Lima #3054 again on Uintah as Second #3 in service 2/18/1930 until again sold to Feather River Lumber Co, 2/1/1934 three months after new #7 begins service. The engine receiving the rebuilding was original #3 and that became new #7 with many surplus parts obtained from spare supply for 3054. Original 3054 left for Delleker Calif a second time and the new engine was called #3054 incorrectly.
SECOND OF MANY POSSIBLE GUESSES:
The locomotive that was completely rebuilt was not #7 but refers to Lima 1674 when it got an entirely new boiler on #5 and it was incorrectly called 3054. In this case the real 3054 did not come back from Feather River Lumber Co. but then may explain the use of number 3054 in letter/notes of 2/28/1930 and 2/1/1934 after they corrected the wrong usage of number. Original #5 went to end of railroad 6/23/1939.
In all cases the Lima people spoke only of entire rebuilding of a Shay with a new boiler and no comment of construction of an entire new engine.
The same roster count of 10 active engines did not change during this period.
With out new data and photos aid, I see Second #3–3054 replacing original #3-1513 between 2/18/1930 and 2/1/1934, with original #3 1513 scrapped by record 10/17/1933 and frame use in its rebuild into #7 by December 1933. The Feather River Lumber Co. #3 original 3054 was the engine in 3/30/1945 at San Francisco for sale.
I’m totally nuts and need someone to find more facts and railfan notes of that era. No quick replies honored. I think it takes more study and facts.
