Sumpter Valley Ry. #18

Here is what I assume to be an impromptu shot, likely taken from a passing coach or caboose. I say this because the photographer was elevated and was not able to capture the whole engine. Captured on film then, was Sumpter Valley Ry. #18 getting ready to leave South Baker. #18 was purchased new in 1916 by the SVRy and was mostly a copy of their previous two mikados, numbers 16 and 17. Their are only two known differences in construction between #18 and its predecessors. A note in the Baldwin records for #18's construction asks for a change to be made in the pilot truck to improve tracking, one that had already been made on #16 and #17 by the SVRy shop. The second difference between #18 and the earlier mikes is that the trucks under the tender were "Bettendorf" style vs. arch bar on the other two mikes. We can see a few other changes that have been made to #18 since it left the factory. A flanger has been installed, a second air pump and of course the Rushton stack. Not visible, but recorded in AFE material was also the addition of a Franklin air operated fire door. The scan is from the SVRR Archive.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2021 02:15PM by J.B.Bane.