Another awesome scene. What are those cars with the white tank structures in them?
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| Posted by XE-50W on July 3, 2025 | |
View was t’ards NE from SE-of turntable and roundhouse, turntable “run-around” track in immediate foreground w/fueling stands installed c.1943 for FT A/B/B/A set(s) and NW½ of sheet-metal arched-roof pumping shed for-same @ extreme Rt. GP-40 #2000 on E turntable lead by fueling stands added c.1952 for SD-7’s on North Montana Line, and was originally #191 – the last of the original dozen blt.-in Mar., 1966 (EMD #31677) w/an “in-service” date of Apr.2nd (re#’d 08-Apr-1968). The other GP-40 #2065 then facing E/b over on the N turntable lead was 9th in the 5th order of that model (EMD #34142, “in-service” since 23-Dec-1968). It was then assigned-to the freight “pool” out of Bensenville, whereas the #2000 was based-in St. Paul and working to either here in Harlo’ or Kansas City. The large black tank rising-above and on the other side of the latter’s dynamic brake housing and heater hatch cover was for fuel-oil when steam locos were converted to burn-same on the main line W/b c.1911-12. Those two GP-40’s outlasted both their original and subsequent owners, #2000 to EMD as #194 in Mar., 1989 and then LLPX #2501 before being reblt. as a “GP38-3” by Alsthom in Montreal to become CORP #3864. The #2065 to NRE in May of 1988 and became UP #866 before also being reblt.(by Helm) as another “GP38-3” and returning-to UP as #2539.
To that latter’s Rt. on the sand track, “those cars with the white tank structures” were a pair-of the #’s X-360 to X-394 sand carriers made-from tenders off retired L-2b and L-3 class “Mikado” 2-8-2’s. These were (re-)blt. In the W Milwaukee shops (#’s X-360 – X-363 in 1956, #’s X-368 – X-371 & X-376 – X-379 a year later, #’s X-380 – X-389 in 1958, and #’s X-390 – X-394 in 1959), Bensenville (#’s X-372 & X-373 also in 1957), and Miles City (#’s X-364 – X-367 & #’s X-376 – X-379 again in 1957). Their conical tank covers were reflecting a high sun account they were also painted the same “boxcar red” as the rest of the car, and each of the eight cylindrical tanks had a max. capacity of 3½ cu.yd.s (for 28 cu.yd.s/car). Each of those latter had a truncated conical bottom section that fed-into a discharge spout hanging below the outside of the car’s frame, and those latter had rectangular covers which were rather notorious for “working loose” in-transit and emptying some of the contents (including after “spotting” ‘til a carmen or shop personnel noticed and pounded ‘em shut w/a large mallet). These thirty-five cars replaced sand houses and bins (such had been along near side of sand track before retirement in 1957) which required coal-fired stoves to dry the “green” contents before loading-into towers (such-as that one to the upper-Rt.) using compressed air and chain-scoops. The sand was purchased by the Stores Dept. from “on-line” suppliers, and loaded-into each tank w/a hopper+auger provided-by the latter (a 20 in. long x 26 in. wide hatch-cover hinged-t’ards the ”A-end” was atop each conical cover).
Presently, all that remains of this scene are the fuel oil tank and sand-tower as part-of the Harlowton Historic RR Site currently under-development.
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