TLC for Baldwin #5. During a break between runs, Engineer Al spends a few minutes oiling around on the 1906 vintage, East Branch & Lincoln Baldwin #5. In this shot, he's oiling and making some adjustments on the engine's air pump, which provides air for the braking system. As you can imagine, brakes are pretty important on steep grades like the ones on the hill at Clark's.
Locomotive #5 is a real treasure from New England's railroad history. This engine ran for 40 years on the East Branch & Lincoln, which was New England's largest logging railroad, totaling 72 miles of track. Even after the railroad shut down in 1946, she continued to run at the company saw mill until well into the 1960s....quite a career for a little saddle-tanker. After retirement, she was on static display at the nearby Loon Mountain Ski Area for nearly 30 years. In 1999, the Clark Brothers traded a Porter locomotive to the folks at Loon in exchange for this engine, and they restored her to operation. These days, she runs on special occasions, such as the 60th Anniversary of Clark's Trading Post in 2018.
