While browsing through a May 1988 copy of Live Steam magazine, I came across an ad by D&C Locomotive Works, that caught my attention.The following is a quote from that ad:
“D&C Locomotive Works, Inc., is now offering three objects d’art from the golden age of railroading - around 1880. Just as the engineer owned the headlight of his locomotive, he also owned his tallow pot, oilcan and coffee cup, all of which he took with him from engine to engine.”
The question is, did the engineer own the headlight of his locomotive? If anyone knows anything about this strange claim, please let us know. D&C was selling reproductions of the tallow pot, oilcan and coffee cup only, but I thought the headlight thing was unusual.
…Perhaps a certain engineer was the prime operator of such engine and it was his choice of what headlight to install on it and of course it was left in place as “his” headlight…{by choice}.
I don’t think he carried it home along with his lunch bucket…ha.
I think Quentin’s on the right track–and I seem to remember some engineers taking “ownership” of their own whistles as well. Heck, weren’t locomotives assigned to specific engineers on some raiilroads?
…That’s what I recall reading Carl. Engines were almost “personal”, machines. Yes, whistles and headlights, and perhaps other “stuff” used on his job each time he was in charge running the engine.
After looking at some ca. 1880 loco photos at lunch, there’s no way that an engineer could take “his” headlight home with him. I had been picturing the headlights to be the size of a large suitcase.
In the ca. 1880 shots I looked at, the headlight “box” (not sure what the technical term is) was enormous…I would venture to say larger than the engineer himself.
I’m thinking it was a case of an engineer getting to customize his own loco. When he got a new loco, he simply took his toys with him.
I guess they had “Pimp My Ride” back then, too! [(-D]
Virtually everything I’ve seen about the steam era, especially in the middle portion, was that an engineer had one specific locomotive. There was an article in Trains not terribly long ago to that effect, and it was set in the late steam period. It’s not inconceivable that an engineer might actually own his own headlight, adorned to his tastes. It wouldn’t be practical today, of course. Anybody seen a locomotive with antlers on the nose lately?
Conductors often had their own caboose as well, IIRC.
I think the writer of that advertisement was simply a bit confused…in the early days of railroads, an engineer and fireman would have their own, personal engine that they used every day…the engine was assigned to them, they were its only crew, and they ran ONLY that engine every day…therefore the engineer and fireman took great pride in “their” personal engine, always keeping it shiny and clean, adding personal touches, and perhaps even adding personal custom artwork to the headlight! (perhaps that where the headlight misconception came from?)
This practice disappeared as railroads became larger and individual locomotives started to roam the entire system…the practice of “personal locomotives” was probably only in the 1840 - 1870 or so era…
I couldn’t get the pictures in my books to scan right at home, but I did find this among my stuff online:
This is still about half the size of some of the headlights I saw in some of my books at home. Still, I don’t think I’d care to drag it around too far with me.
Sorry for the cheesy “antique” look to the shot. I thought it was fun at the time, but now I pretty much think it’s contrived.
John Luther “Casey” Jones had at least 5 of his own whistles,which he had shop guys change from time to time.His favorite was one with a “whippoorwill” sound,whatever that is.(I know its a bird,but don’t know the sound).
Don’t forget that what you are looking at is the headlight casing. the actual headlight was a kerosene fired lantern that went inside and it is very conceivable that was personal property. Martin Lee on the PRR took pride in the amount of light he could get compared to everyone else until someone saw him dump camphor balls in the kerosene and the sceret was out.
I believe ndbprr is right. I think the Fireman was responsible to fill all the “refillables” (oil cans, talow pots, etc.) and the Engineer used them to oil around and refill the engine’s containers. The headlight inside the big box was a kerosene lamp (sometimes of enormous proportions) and the Engineer maintained it (and may have experimented with the contents to get more light and longer operating time). Thus it was “his” and he may have taken it with him to different engines if he moved to a different job.
There are lots of early Builder’s photos that do not show a headlight at all. They were usually added after the railroad took possession.
