Photo by Dr. Stephen Ervin

I have always been attracted to this little Baldwin as I am predisposed to the unusual. The locomotive known to visitors of Travel Town in Los Angeles' Griffith Park is and always has been an odd little duck of an engine. The locomotive was originally built for the Market Street, Park and Cliff Railroad in San Francisco, by Baldwin in 1880. The locomotive appears to have been built as a class 6-18-1/3C, 0-4-2 tank engine with a wooden street car body making it what was refered to as a "steam dummy".

Photo from cityofla.org

The MSP&C was never built so the locomotive (numbered 2) was placed into storage with locomotives 1,3 and 4, sisters built at the same time under the same order. Number 2 went to work on the Geary Street, Park and Ocean Railroad in 1883.

Photo from outsidelands.org

In 1900, #2 was sold to the Southern Pacific and worked out of Colton on the SP owned Southern California Motor Road, a three mile railroad running between San Bernardino and Colton. #20 was renumbered #5 and served as a switcher and was eventually transfered to the Southern Pacfic's Bayshore shops near San Francisco. In 1939, the locomotive was located in storage, overhauld and appeared at the grand opening gala of Union Station. The locomotive became the property of the Southern California chapter of the Railroad Historical Society and was placed on permanent loan to Travel Town in 1954.

Thank you, Boilermaker, for that wonderful insight. I was always curious about that little switcher, and had always assumed that it had been purpose-built as a shop switcher (unlikley, but until today I didn't know).

Pretty neat. After a lifetime of anticipation I made my first trek to Travel Town last year and thought this teakettle was one of the coolest things there. Another, of course, was the ex-Stockton Terminal & Eastern No. 1, which in its original incarnation helped construct the line from San Jose into Niles Canyon. "After three replacement handles and two replacement heads, it's still grandpa's old axe."

So I was at Travel Town yesterday and learned that plans are afoot to begin a restoration effort for this interesting little beauty. I took a look at the boiler and a few other key components and everything is there and the boiler is probably the original boiler. The first step is to conduct a thorough evaluation without taking too much of the engine apart. There are several partially finished projects kicking around Travel Town so there is an understandable amount of apprehension to starting a new project. But this is a steam project and could be just the marketing tool to generate interest in the other projects which is part of the reason the Travel Town Museum Foundation is allowing the effort.

I will post progress and photos as things evolve. The first big work day will be in January, '07, details to come after New Years. Want to get involved? Visit the Museum Foundation web site to become a volunteer. Volunteers under the age of 18 are welcome and will be able to work on equipment. Hope to see you there!

This is an interesting photo because the street car body has been removed. Porter locomotive works claimed their exhaust was muffled to be less frightening to animals in city streets, hence the term “dumb” or “dummy” locomotive. This is how “the little dummy engines” on Louisiana sugar plantations got their name, some of the first plantation locos were supposedly real dummy engines from large cities (with the car body removed). I notice Porter sold many dummy locos to New Orleans street railways. I am curious when these railways electrified.

Rumor has it that the #20 ran for a brief period after it arrived at Traveltown. I am all for putting the streetcar body back on it as well as the trailing truck, and running it down Market Street in San Francisco. That would probably cause another great earthquake.

SS (quaking)

Today marked the first full day of work on the SP #20. I, along with Roger (another Travel Town volunteer) removed the smoke box door and ring and the damper pan. The boiler does not appear to be in bad shape considering its age, but I am hoping we will build a new boiler for the locomotive as the goal is to make the engine operable and a new boiler takes out much of the guess work.

The next big step in the project is removing the cab and the saddle tank. Since the boiler may be replaced, we will not push to have the asbestos lagging removed and use that money for other things. And speaking of money, there is none. As with many projects like this, the City of Los Angeles is not footing the bill. Fortunately, this is a small locomotive and with donations of time and materials instead of money and bureaucracy I am confident #20 will be operational before the end of the decade.

So come on out and lend a hand. I will be there at least one Saturday a month and will post photos and updates and which Saturdays I'll be around.

Big BM, getting psyched about doing some LA railroading.

Saturday March 3, 2007 marked the second major day of work on SP #20. The distribution pipes (the two cast iron pipes in the smoke box that distribute steam from the dry pipe to the right and left valve boxes) were removed in order to facilitate the removal of the boiler and the air compressor was opened up for inspection and to lubricate the various parts. The air compressor is in fine shape! It will require a little clean up as the thing has not moved itself under steam in decades, but I believe with little effort, the pump will be ready to go to work in short order. The independant brake valve (the New York equivalent to a Wabco S-3) was removed and will be rebuilt and returned by the next work day.

The distribution pipes were removed with a fire wrench (oxy-acetylene torch) by scarfing off the nuts on the studs at the saddle and cutting the bolts on the distribution manifold. The old cast iron pipes are in bad shape, but can be easily replaced with welded steel ones.

We're really starting to get rolling on this, so if you have ever wanted to be part of a steam locomotive restoration then come on out! I'll post the work days I will be at, but there is something going on every Saturday. For those of you under the age of eighteen and claim you never get any love from the "old guys", now is your chance. The Travel Town Museum Foundation takes volunteers under the age of eighteen! Click on the link, follow the directions and you too can be a part of all the restoration efforts.

Burnsland's own Secret Squirrel came out in his Sunday-go-to-meet'n clothes, but like a moth to a flame couldn't help but turn a wrench. Thank you for the support SS!

Glad I could help if even just in the moral support sector. Next time I will don my boiler togs. Having grown up around the TT collection, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the grounds and equipment are finally starting to look presentable. And the Foundation folks are plenty friendly. To all you LA-based Burnziasns out there who ever wanted to see TT prosper, remember even a few hours a month volunteering in any capacity can and will make a big difference, and with BM on the job, there may even be steam in the near future.

SS (out)

I heard from the Travel Town Museum Foundation brass yesterday, that the managers of Travel Town are excited about the restoration of #20 and are giving their full support. This does not mean there is any money for this project comming from the City, but they do like the idea. Once again I put it out there, if you are in the Los Angeles area and have always wanted to work on a steam locomotive or diesel locomotive or railroad crane or, or, or...now is your chance! It is a great group of guys AND gals, no cliques, and we are all happy to teach and learn.

Young'ns, you are welcome too! Just show up on any Saturday and you'll get put to work.

I'll post the days I will be around.

Big BM, full steam ahead.