Early Steam Shovel on SP/CP
I have been coming across information on what seems to be a steam shovel acquired by the CP about 1872. It shows up in two SP documents of that time.
On May 29, 1872 Gray wrote to Hopkins of a “steam excavator” in use in cutting through a sand hill at a place later named Sand Cut on the SP line between Gilroy and Pajaro (Watsonville Junction). In Gray’s words: “The steam excavator is doing its work satisfactorily; it meets our expectations…. If you intend to use the excavator on the CPRR you will need a supply of dumps [dump cars] and why not have some made to meet our coming demand.”
This piece of equipment remained in used into the next year. On February 17, 1873 Assistant Superintendent AC Bassett recorded in his journal: “steam excavator through cut at Sand Cut and hauled off.” This is the last mention of it in the journal. I assume the unit was returned to the Central Pacific.
I can find no mention of this unit in the 1875 CP rolling stock rosters. Nor does it appear on any of the SP lists for this period. ...
—Larry
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 9:26 PM
5 Comments:
Another possibility worth looking into is whether it was the "Steam Paddy" used since the 1850s in San Francisco by David Hewes and others. I think David Hewes may have still owned it in the early 1870s, so might have leased it out. See attached.
Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com
From: "Kevin Bunker" mikadobear45@yahoo.com
The dump cars mentioned may have gone, in part, to the Petaluma & Santa Rosa, since ex-Central Pacific 4-wheel dump cars are mentioned in it's 1911-12 CA RR Commission equipment survey. These were acquired by P&SR for grading its rights of way and were declared surplus by 1911-12.
—KVB
From: "Larry Mullaly" lmullaly@jeffnet.org
Kyle’s photo was most illuminating. I cannot tell from the photo whether the steam shovel was on rails or skids. Because excavations were taking place on an almost ongoing basis in San Francisco, I suspect there may have been more than one of these machines in use by 1873.
US RR Commissioners’ reports for show that SP owned only 12 “dump cars” at this time. This gets interesting in light of the full text of Gray’s letter:
"May 29, 1872
Mark Hopkins esq. Dear Sir
I am not satisfied with the progress and cost of the work on the Pajaro Branch.
The steam excavator is doing its work satisfactorily; it meets our expectations. The difficulty is in our equipment to get the sand away from the excavation. Our dump cars are not suited to this kind of work (loading) and if they were, they are so old and worn out we cannot keep them in working order. Conferring with the governor, I went to Mr. McCoppin, general manager of the city grading company, to hire their dump cars which at this time are supposed to be idle. After talking with him it was concluded to have Mr. McCoppin go down and look over the work and see what he could afford to take the work by contract for. He reports it is a kind of work he does not wish to take hold of at any price the Company would be willing to give and thus he thinks it can be done cheaper with carts, etc.
I am keeping an account of the quantity of sand taken out and when we are doing a fair average, we will compare the cost; up to the present time we have not been able to make a fair average. Our average now taken from the number of cars loaded by the excavator makes the cost about 14 cents per cubic yard. This of course does not include cost of equipment etc. only daily outlay.
In a short time the dump cars we have will all be used up and then our only source will be flat cars necessitating shovelers to unload. If you intend to use the excavator on the CPRR you will need a supply of dumps and why not have some made to meet our coming demand. I see no other alternative.
I am faithfully yours, Geo. E. Gray, Chief Engineer"
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
I really cannot add anything to this story. Loved Kyle's photo – primarily for the survey crew. My feeling is there were probably several steam shovels and many dump cars working in California by the 1870s. James Cunningham brought one of Jabez Coney's steam excavators to San Francisco in 1851 along with the locomotive "Elephant" (subsequently SVRR No.3) and a train of dump cars. (These dump cars accomplished California's first "railroad" fatality in July of that year.) In 1853 a "railroad" with dump cars working in filling in Sacramento street level (from description it appears that the levee in Sacramento was raised by scrapper and wagon). The SVRR itself had a number of ten-ton stone cars in 1856. I don't know what these were, but the cobble stones hauled down from Folsom were dumped onto scows through a chute on the Sacramento levee, so I'd imagine the cars had some kind of dumping capability.
—Wendell.
Cunningham's steam excavator was later acquired by David Hewes, and I believe it to be the one in the photo. Presumably also Cunningham's former dump cars.
Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com
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