Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
August 28, 1900 Wadsworth Dispatch – old Goliath (sic), now #1012, is at work in putting out the coal fire at Wells. Came around the Horn in 1859 with Samson of the same type.
—John Sweetse
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 1:36 PM
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7 Comments:
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
The primary guide to the renumbering of the original CP locomotives is the so-called "1891 roster". Its official name is "Classification and assignment of rolling stock: with individual change of numbers from old to new" (San Francisco, 1 May 1891). It shows CP 26 becoming 1012 and 27 becoming 1013. The roster of 1871 identifies the 26 as Samson and 27 as Goliah.
Now, having said that, it is worth bearing in mind that these rosters document intended changes. There are a couple instances where it seems likely that intended changes were not followed. Who's to say that the two locomotives were not switched?
However, I'd tend to distrust the newspaper on this one.
—Wendell.
From: Hsweetser@aol.com
After I posted this, I looked up Dunscomb's "A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives" (original edition). On page 336, he wrote that Goliah eventually became #1013, not #1012. This contradiction raises these possibilites:
1) Dunscomb was wrong and maybe even the SP's paper records were incorrect.
2) or The Wadsworth Dispatch was wrong.
3) or I copied down the newspaper citation incorrectly.
—John Sweetser
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
The primary guide to the renumbering of the original CP locomotives is the so-called "1891 roster". Its official name is "Classification and assignment of rolling stock: with individual change of numbers from old to new" (San Francisco, 1 May 1891). It shows CP 26 becoming 1012 and 27 becoming 1013. The roster of 1871 identifies the 26 as Samson and 27 as Goliah.
Now, having said that, it is worth bearing in mind that these rosters document intended changes. There are a couple instances where it seems likely that intended changes were not followed. Who's to say that the two locomotives were not switched?
However, I'd tend to distrust the newspaper on this one.
—Wendell.
Begin forwarded message:
From: VANDTRR@cs.com
There has been some discussion of the Goliah.
Here is a newspaper article from the Truckee, CA Republican via the Gold
Hill, Nevada Daily News which mentions that loco as well as describing Wadsworth in its CP heyday.
—Charlie Siebenthal
75/01/22 - A RAILROAD TOWN.
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[Correspondence Truckee Republican.]
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Wadsworth is strictly a railroad town. The streets are a network of iron track, the houses contain the wives and children of railroad employees, the shops and buildings are the property of the company, and every man you meet has the wide-awake, good-natured looks which marks the genuine railroad man, and is ready to do you a favor. Superintendent Frank Free, shows us every kindness in his power; but, faithful to duty, hurries away to the scene of the snow battle now raging in the Sierras. Dispatcher J. Lockwood entertains us most handsomely, and gives us full range of his elegant private office and provided an abundant supply of writing materials. Truckee does not seem far off, for here are the genial faces of Conductor Parks, Minehen, Bennett, Gardner, Shields and a host of others that are familiar to our mountain town. When we are ready to do the town, Engineer Noonan drives up the "Goliah" before the hotel door, and offers us the best seat in the cab. The "Goliah" is the counterpart of the Samson, minus the latter's new dress. It has the same peculiar construction, the same unwieldy appearance, and same marvelous power, and, to make the picture complete, it rings its own bell. This remarkable conveyance whirls us away a quarter of a mile to the railroad shops. A fine, compact round-house full of burnished engines; a large, well furnished shop, a boiler house, black-smith shop, paint shop, engine rooms, an immense water tank, and the splendid machine shops compose a group of buildings that would be an honor to any city.
It is said that Mark Hopkins selected Wadsworth as the most prominent site for a city between Sacramento and Ogden. These costly and elaborate workshops attest the sincerity of his belief. So complete are the works than an engine can be repaired from the ground up. There is no necessity for sending the disabled monsters to Sacramento. They can be as perfectly repaired here, and that too, with far less expense. The old "38," that strove so hard to push the bowlder off from the track, a few nights since, is being rapidly righted. This ponderous ten-wheeled giant was coming down the Truckee canyon ahead of train No. 7, and but for her enormous weight and momentum would have been hurled into the river. An engine that was badly crippled near Brown's yesterday is bolstered up for repairs, and a half dozen other locomotives are being remodeled and improved. It is a busy, lively place, and every man's hands seem to have work. Master Mechanic James Velsir very courteously shows us the wonders of the place. Several ingenious and useful contrivances connected with the locomotives are inventions of Mr. Velsir.
Also see additional CPRR locomotive rosters.
here is a photo of #27 as Goliath posted by the Library of Congress on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4483937887/
"Wadsworth was an early depot of the Central Pacific until a fire burned down the town. The railroad moved lock, stock and barrel - everything left of the town including houses - to a new location where the water supply was better: Sparks., Nevada. Maybe a good name for a town that was started by the sparks in Wadsworth?"
—Harry Nicholls, (from the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Internet Message List)
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