Re: Feb. 1916 101 years ago on the SVRy

In the 4th. photo a car load of slabs for fuel has been added to the consist, ahead of Heisler #3. I had often wondered where they got fuel as the geared engines could not carry nearly enough to make the trip. There were piles of slab fuel at various points along the main line, but even these would be a long ways to go pushing a plow and did not appear to contain enough for 4 locomotives. There was a large wood yard at Whitney, but this was still a long way from Austin. So where did the flat car come from? There would have been cars and slabs at White Pine, but that was a mile off the main line and would need to be plowed also. Heisler #3, with a 4 car train needs refueled every 12 - 14 miles, although we probably do not stack on as much as they did, and this would not get to Whitney or even to White Pine for that matter.

We need that "way back machine".