Re: CP Coal to Oil

I came across a couple of photos of Truckee shedding light on the coal to oil conversion. Both photos feature locomotives with train number boards on the boilers. I've forgotten the exact date of the addition of number boards to locos, but I thought it was rather later than the conversion to oil.

In Ev Mills book "Dot, Dot, Dot, Done" (one of a group of paperback photo compilations done by Mills in 1981 with Pacific Coast Chapter - R&LHS support for the opening of the California State Railroad Museum), pg 75. A photo of SP 4-6-0 32176 in firetrain service at Truckee, and coal clearly in the tender. I'd think that a fire train locos would be one of the last to receive number boards.

In Signor, "Donner Pass", pg 129 center. Note the many coal buckets stacked up for loading into loco tenders. Not sure of the loco number, but it looks like a Harriman consolidation - with number boards.

Kyle

Note my NEW address of kwyatt@parks.ca.gov

Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum