I agree with others, the short combine is the key to the photograph, that is one very unique piece of equipment.
That being said there weren't a huge number of those 0-4-4 single fairlies built, either. On the other hand, the relatively small group of engines "got around" quite a bit due to second- and third-hand resales and there's no reason to assume the photograph is necessarily one of the engine on its original railroad. A large proportion of the 0-4-4's were built with inside stephenson valve gear. The engines that were built with outside Walschaert's valve gear also incorporated the control linkage into a very distinctive-looking bell stand that's apparent on the engine pictured in Ralph's post. This distinctive arrangement complicates valve gear conversion, but does not rule it out entirely.
--The Reviere Du Loup group had stephenson valve gear and different dome placement, at least based on the builder's photo of #3. It wouldn't match without a major rebuild.
--The New Brunswick engines also had inside valve gear insofar as I know--correct me if I'm wrong. They pre-dated the "first" Walschaert's-equipped Mason, at least, according to builder's records, but again a later conversion is at least possible. Dome placement is equivalent.
--North Pacific Coast #2 also had inside valve gear, and it never left that railroad either. Definitely not that one.
--The centennial engine which ended up on the New York & Manhattan Beach plus a few others owned by that road match the dome placement, Walschaert's valve gear, and lack of lead wheels shared by the pictured engine. A few of the engines owned by the Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn also roughly match.
That's about it for candidates. The final group matches the pictured engine most closely without factoring in potential rebuilds/etc. You could narrow it down more if you can identify whether the New Brunswick engines ever underwent valve gear conversion or had the rear tank toolbox added. The Boston Revere Beach & Lynn and the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington (secondhand) engine show the rear toolbox in service; those are the only photos I have showing it. I have no photos from New Brunswick other than the builder's photo of #7.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2020 01:20PM by James.
