Bunker C on the Sumpter Valley Ry.

Here is a structure at the South Baker Sumpter Valley Ry. yard that is quite unique. Take a look at the central structure underneath the rectangular building and see if you recognize it. This was the location for many years of a water tower. In 1940 when Sumpter Valley Ry. acquired the two big articulated engines from the Uintah, which became SVRy 250 and 251, they converted them to burn oil. They also converted Baldwin mike #17 to oil burning along with Oregon Lumber Co. Shay #7. This required facilities to store the bunker C fuel which required heating to remain fluid at low temperatures. In South Baker, the water tower had become redundant as there was a water spout, so the wooden tank was removed off the base, a bit of additional bracing added and a standard gauge tank car tank hoisted into its place. The rectangular wood building shown in the photo surrounds the tank car tank. Steam was piped in underground to heat the oil. While this structure is long gone, the tank car tank from within survives at SVRR's McEwen yard, where it has been used to store excess locomotive fuel oil. The scan is from the SVRR Archive.