Re: Hoodoo locomotives and railroad superstitions (D&RG 107)

The East broad Top's first #4, Cromwell, a 26 ton consolidation, was considered a bad luck engine. It wrecked a number of times early in its history, and was rebuilt because of wreck damage, including being returned to Baldwin, as the EBT did not yet have their own facilities to fix her. This engine probably finished her career on the Eagles Mere, and by then was very different in appearance compared to her two sister engines, having rearranged domes, different cab,etc. Also,the EBT never owned a #13 engine.
Most railroads, standard or narrow gauge, had a hoodoo engine. Folks were a superstitious bunch back then. A Pennsylvania logging railroad had a Shay that was considered haunted. In reality it was a leaky throttle valve that somehow allowed enough steam to leak into the cylinders to move the engine. At least one man was injured or killed by the engine moving while working on it. Because of this, it was considered haunted and no one wanted to run the engine.

brian b