Glenn Butcher Wrote:
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> I got that, I found it interesting to consider
> that stuffing and mounting locomotives had to
> start somewhere, and the '30s seem to be
> reasonable in that regard.
For "stuffed and mounted" locomotives you can to go back a few more decades.
An example is the El Paso & Southwestern 4-4-0 #1, which had been built back in 1857for a railroad in Wisconsin, was placed on display in 1909 by the EP&SW in front of El Paso depot. It did not transfer to public ownership until 1960.
There are other examples out there of historic locomotives being set aside early. But most were not on permanent public display.
Up in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada a ng 2-6-0 was put on display in 1912 in the local Exhibition Grounds only to be scrapped as derelict in 1916.
But you're probably correct that public awareness did not start until the 1930's, The 1950s was the decade for many locomotives to be presented presented on-line cities and counties for park display.
Brian Norden
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2019 04:50PM by Brian Norden.