#9 I. E. James (2-4-0)
I. E. James as delivered. Drawing by Michael Ames. (Right click and select open in |
Facts
Built |
1870 |
By |
Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia |
Serial No |
2199 |
Class | 14 1/2C-2 |
Empty weight | 65,000 |
Weight on drivers | 48,000 |
Tractive effort | 9,900 |
Boiler pressure | 130 |
Dimension |
14x22" / 48" / 25 tons |
Cost |
12.000 |
Status |
Scrapped |
History
1870 |
Delivered to Virginia & Truckee. |
May 26, 1873 |
The engine started a fire that burned Samuel Longabaugh's Mexican Mill
Wood Yard. Longabaugh got $5,281 by court for his loss. |
June 1873 | The Krombig Steam Fire Pump was ordered from Central Pacific. |
1900 | Rented to Boca and Loyalton Railroad. |
1905 | Retired. |
July 16, 1907 | Sold (without fire pump) for $2,500 to Willett and Burr Contractors, Oakland. |
1907 | Converted to burn oil. |
1941 | Dismantled for scrap at Decoto, San Francisco. |
Builder's Specification
14 ½ C #3 See 6-22 C Drawing 1 6/15/70 | |
Virginia City & Truckee | |
Gauge of Road, 4' 8½" 3/4 Play | |
Boiler constructed to burn, Wood | |
Waist. | 41" at smoke box Chipped & Chalked inside & out |
Furnace. | Material, Steel |
Size, | |
Chamber, None | |
Hollow Stays, | |
Flues. | Material, Iron Copper rings on fire box end |
Size and Number, 122 1 3/4" dia 8 ft long | |
Grates. | Cast Iron for wood. Dead plate front & sides. |
Ash Pan. | Double Dampers |
Cylinders. | Size, 14" x 22" |
Valve Motion, Link | |
Oil Valves, in house | |
Guides. | steel |
Cross Heads. | Cast Iron, steel Pin |
Rock Shafts. | Wrot |
Drivers. | Diameter, 48" Centres gauge 43 1/4" diam |
Journals, 5 ½" x 8" | |
Tire, Steel all flanged 5½ x 2½ | |
Feed Water. | Pumps, 2 of Brass Hollow plungers outside |
Injectors, None | |
Feed Pipes, Iron | |
Check Pipes, Copper | |
Throttle. | Balance |
Smoke Stack. | Yankee |
House. | Small Round Corner |
Pilot. | Iron Round Bars |
Sand Box. | Small Round |
Exhaust. | Double |
Name. | I E James No 9. Brass Letters |
Truck. | Style, Single wheel, swing Bolsxxx |
Wheels, 24" dia Hollow spoke | |
Journals, 4 x 6 | |
Tender. | Mounted on, 8 wheels |
Tank, 1200 gallon | |
Frame, Square | |
Trucks, " Iron | |
Wheels, 26" dia Taylors | |
Journals, 3 ½ x 6 special same as 27 ½ D #3 - 4 | |
Brakes, to both trucks. | |
Finish. | Boiler, Covered with felt, Jacket #12 Russia Iron Brass bands |
Cylinder and St. Chests, Iron bodies Cast head polished. | |
Dome, Brass body Iron Rings | |
Painting, Wine Color | |
Best finish | |
Brass foot Board hosing ??? Whistle all Brass | |
V & T R. R. on side of Tank |
Comments
The V&T #9 I. E. James arrived to Reno from Philadelphia.
The locomotive was delivered to Carson City.
In Carson City the locomotive was used as a switch engine within the yard.
I. E. James was named after Isaac E. James, Chief Engineer of the Virginia & Truckee.
I. E. James was one of the smaller locomotives at Virginia & Truckee.
The locomotive was build by Baldwin with an mid-1869 technology.
The loco's had 48" drivers.
The V&T put on bigger tires (Tyres in the V&T records).
The Krombig Steam Fire Pump was mounted atop the boiler between the domes.
In a description of No. 9,
IE James (1870) as painted "wine and blue" in 1874 (or so).
The colors may have been a V&T repaint but according with what
Baldwin was doing at the time the engine was built, as wine with blue,
often with red wheels, was a popular combination.
The James is one c/n number away from the Humboldt,
creating a possibility the three moguls were similar,
but its also possible the engine got a special "tasty" treatment,
common to shifter engines, especially those named after officials or members of the railroad company.
The James had probably an ornate panel and scrollwork framed in decorative striping on the tender.
02/09/1874
The I. E. James - We visited the V&TRR machine shop on Saturday last,
for the purpose of seeing the beautiful little locomotive "I. E. James.
Mr. Bowker, the master mechanic, is so immensely proud of his engine that he can scarcely be got away from her,
and well he may, for nothing but a newly painted ship, under full sail,
ever looked to us so beautiful as the little James.
Red and blue paint and gilt stripes make a splendid appearance on anything,
and we never saw it to better advantage than on the engine in question..."
So what was red and what was blue ?
Seems hard to believe blue was the base color.
Could the blue have been the Russia iron boiler rather than paint ?
Red as a trim color for the wheels, headlight box, domes, etc. seems reasonable.
But this still leaves the question of what was the base color ?
Too bad we do not have any photos of the James from this era.
There are a couple of photos of the James at the Carson wood yard taken by
Watkins. One front and one back, 1876? Do we have the date he took the
Glenbrook photos, should be the same time? See pg 65 of Ferrell's V&T book.
There is a close up of the front view of the James at the Carson Wood Yard, same
as in Ferrell's book. Bob Dockery made the close up. It's dated Oct. 1876. There
is striping on the headlight with filigree around the lens. There appears to be
filigree on the sand dome, the steam dome is brass finish and so are the boiler
bands. The jacket is shiny, indicating Russia iron finish, so that could be the
blue. In a photo copy of the rear you can see one large striped band (white?)
on the back of the tender body and it looks like two very small sets of stripes
on the wings. The "9" is in the center and it is two or three colors.
There are two later photos of the James on the V&T and there is no strip on the tender,
but the V&TRR is two tone. As ordered it was Russia iron jacket, wine color, best finish.