Historic Hood River
Oregon Lumber Company Locomotive
11-18-2021
Notes
This image is a bit blurry, but it’s well-documented to make up for it. It’s apparently from Dale Wonsyld, who we know was the foreman at the Dee Mill. The locomotive is labeled with both Mount Hood Railroad and the Oregon Lumber Company. We’re told the names of the men, left to right, are Fred Stone (Engineer), Bill Walkins (Fireman), Whitey Purdue (Brakeman) and Carl Morris (seated)(Head Brakeman).
Category: default
Tags: locomotive, Morris, Mt Hood Railroad, Oregon Lumber Company, Purdue, railroad, stone, train, Walkins, Wonsyld
Tags: locomotive, Morris, Mt Hood Railroad, Oregon Lumber Company, Purdue, railroad, stone, train, Walkins, Wonsyld
L.E.
Engineer Fred Stone was in the Spanish American war. He was born 1876. He married Helen Swain when he was 50 years old in Hood River 1927. He is listed as an engineer in the 1930 and 1940 census.
Carl Morris was working for the Mount Hood Railroad around the year 1943. He is in the HR 1940 census working as a Conductor.
That is about all the information I could find with a quick search of the men's names.
Rawhyde
Love the old manual bell on top, but it also looks like a whistle just behind it. Why would they have both? Can't even imagine running that beast on a hot August day!
nels
Appears to be running through an orchard? Vegetation is awfully close.
kmb
When I first looked at the picture, I thought this was going to be a train wreck story. At first glance, it almost looks like they ran off the rails into someone's orchard.
nels
+1 kmb. Wondering if that isn't that case.
spinsur
Where's our rr guys? There's some funny things about that engine.
L.E.
It looks like there is heat coming out of the smoke stack.
I wondered if the engine had pulled on to a side track in an orchard and was pulling a load of apple boxes.
kmb
If you look closely below the wheels that are visible, you can see track – so I don't think they ran off the rails. Everything is well hidden by the vegetation.
JEC
Rawhyde: operating rules vary from railroad to railroad, but generally the locomotive bell is used to alert people on the ground near the tracks that a train is approaching, it is rung continuously when passing another train waiting on a siding or when passing a lineside structure likely to have people around it (passenger depot, cars being loaded/unloaded at an industrial spur, etc.). The whistle was used by the engineer to “telegraph” instructions to the conductor and brakemen in the caboose (for example telling the brakemen to set/release handbrakes, or to send a flagman to protect the rear of the train if it was stopped on the main line) or to inform them of his imminent actions ( “the train is stopped _”, “the train will move foreward _ _”, “the train will move in reverse _ _ _”). The whistle is also blown in the pattern “_ _ . _” (long, long, short, long) approaching all grade crossings. I am sure Arlen will correct any errors I have made here.
Stever
Hum…. ? The forward most wheel appears to have dropped. It appears some are standing on an added wooden member. Perhaps the plan might be to lift the wheel etc. What would be within the wooden crate ?
ArthurB
Thanks Steve, I think you are correct. It looks like the locomotive is being jacked up or supported by some lumber as they work to repair it.
JEC
The men are actually standing/sitting on the center beam of a skeleton car parked on a track between the camera and the locomotive. Skeleton cars were specialized to carry single saw logs to the mill. The log rested on the transverse beams (called “bunks”) on the ends of the cars. One bunk is visible on the right, along with the wedges to keep the log from rolling off the car.
JEC
Some images of skeleton cars (mostly HO scale, since the full size versions are extremely rare these days): https://www.p-b-l.com/Rolling-Stock/R-1.html
https://www.google.com/search?sa=X&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=Skeleton+car+logging&client=firefox-b-1-e&fir=khPu2hF7qZjFKM%252C85mlNwpiNVJonM%252C_%253BIFjmUItUIDNsbM%252CM_sheWExA9xxbM%252C_%253BsGLsJLaqa5KAfM%252Cky8Ha6n7SAd0uM%252C_%253Bnm6N5NZCm49fRM%252CkagvnphBP20YGM%252C_%253BNbje_23vi_oMUM%252Cky6hDYBP5tpVtM%252C_%253BAIawHaslBfEfTM%252CC17-XxIN3N060M%252C_%253Bkq_I1vOxP12XlM%252CusCYMR-t4m_eMM%252C_%253BAOoJk9yRhgBS6M%252Cde75O-IUGlN1kM%252C_%253Bt6rMSxa2ivLmpM%252ClRhRUCB8yBgtLM%252C_%253B3hgKLYI4zyuYJM%252CmOmph39TCQZGOM%252C_%253BQvYUJGg7nnGhmM%252CNSixYu7208m4dM%252C_%253BiDLm5yQRQBYL0M%252Cky8Ha6n7SAd0uM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQTjSVIjLFdsTFJYQo1cC9e_AbnGg&ved=2ahUKEwjsxfb8_LL0AhWzFjQIHWR6C6YQjJkEegQICBAC&biw=1518&bih=954&dpr=1#imgrc=e1R0Rl7__FSsuM