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| Picture
Title: |
Death Valley Rail Roads Tried Miniature Trains To Save Water |
| Location: |
SCLS Torrance, Death Valley |
| Photographer: |
Phillip Cohen |
| Submission
Date: |
8/22/2009 11:31:52 PM |
| Comments: |
SCLS Visitor John Bohner, from the South Bay Camera Club took this photo at the SBCC picnic on August 15, 2009. He took a few liberties in changing backgrounds and scaling etc... But that is John. Below is the story he posted with the photo on the SBCC web site.
As the mule skinners died out, a new group of men, railroad engineers, experimented with steam technology to move precious ore out of Death Valley. Due to the dry desert conditions, water was a scarce commodity so a series of small engines that used less water were experimented with.
Seen here in an image from the Lieberry of Congress, an unidentified railroad engineer tends to the "LETC 613" the first and last miniature steam engine used to haul botox ore up the furnace creek grade and out of the valley. "613" refers to number of mule power the engine could generate. The Furnace Creek grade was an experiment in using bitumen extract to cement the desert sands together to prevent erosion from the occasional 'gully busters'. It was washed out in the great storm of '05. |
| Gallery Category: |
Fun Stuff |
| Technical
Information: |
| Shooting Location: |
SCLS Torrance, Death Valley |
| Owner: |
SCLS |
| Locomotive Name or Road: |
Yosemite Valley |
| Locomotive or Car Type: |
Steam Locomotives |
| Whyte Classification |
Numeric: 4-4-0 Name: American Layout: ooOO Class: 4 Wheel Leading Truck |
| Track Gauge: |
7.5 |
| Scale: |
1.5" |
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| Photo
Comments: |
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Critiqued
8/23/2009 7:51:57 AM by
Charlie Giordano, Torrance
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| WOW some interesting info ther. |
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Critiqued
8/24/2009 11:29:34 PM by
Randolf Worthington III, Wales (Dinas Station, Llanwnda, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 5UP, UK)
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I've seen this image floating about the net for neigh on 4 years now. Its not in Death Valley, it runs for 2 km here in Llanwnada, Caernarfon on the occasions celebrating Her Majesty's Birthday. The small locomotive is actually named 'The Slipper' due to 'er tendency to slide down some grades in the fog. I have no idea of who the bloke is standing next to her although he does seem to be a seedy and unsavory sort. The 613 is in memory of the Battle of Chester which resulted in Wales being separated from Cumbria. A might occasion indeed!
There, now ye know the truth of it. Sincerly - Randolf |
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