I know modern engine houses for diesel locos are usually boxy rectangular structures. However, during the transition era was it common for diesels to be serviced in the existing roundhouses built for the steam fleets or were they given their own accomodations from the beginning. How prototypical would it be to have steam and diesel locos sharing the same roundhouse?
Very early in the transition era, when there might be a few yard diesels among an otherwise all-steam roster, they were maintained in the roundhouse along with the steamers. That usually ended with the first covered wagons - ABA or ABBA sets wouldn’t fit on the turntable and it was quickly realized that the wedge-shaped work area of the steam roundhouse was ill-suited to a locomotive that had to be about equally accessible for its entire length and needed totally different access arrangements.
Once a dedicated rectangular diesel house was built, maintenance of the steam repair facility would frequently be deferred or neglected - thus the clean, new diesel shop and the grungy, about to collapse roundhouse seen in late transition era photos.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - steam, diesel, electric, no engine shops)
Not all "roundhouses were round. Steam enginehouses could be rectangular too.
Serviced no, maintained yes. Servicing implies the adding of fuel, water, sand, lube oil, cleaning and minor maintenance. That was done in a servicing area. Maintenance and inspection was done in a roundhouse. Picky I know.
To answer your question, yes roundlhouses were used for diesels as long as the roundhouse was used by the railroad, some may still be in use.
100%.
Dave H.
Some are indeed still in use. One example would be the roundhouse and turntable in Norfolk Southern’s Conway Yard.
Tom
The needs of the two were distinctly different. A steam engine has most of the business at the front and service was enhanced by running them into a roundhouse which left the most room between engines at the front. Very quickly railroads discovered that with a diesel service could be needed anywhere in the length of it and roundhouses weren’t practical. Diesel facilities were built fairly quickly. The PRR spent millions in the late 40’s on diesel service facilities and they were one of the last to make the switch.
I worked in The Milwaukee Road’s Roundhouse in Tacoma and also the BNSF’s interbay Roundhouse in Seatlle Wa. THe Milwaukee Roads shop was built in 1916, while the BNSF’s Interbay shop was originally built in 1929 as a Great Northern shop.
The Milwaukee’s tacoma Wa. Shop built a approx 52’ X 232’ diesel house in the late 40’s to take care of thier increasing multi-unit diesel fleet. We did use it for the multi unit Electrics also. We did heavy repairs in both roundhouses, while the Milwaukee shop also had a large backshop. The GN. shop had extended stalls at the west end of the shop for wheel work and other major heavy crane work.
In Seattle the diesel run through wasn’t built until the late 70’s I believe. I am unsure of the date as I stared there in 1988. Both roundhouses transitioned from steam to diesel without too much problems.
Gary P.
The run-through maintenance shop at Interbay was built by the Great Northern in around 1967 or '68. I have a copy of the GN’s company newsletter “Talking It Over” that details the opening of that facility. Quite interesting.
Indeed, as roundhouses deteriorated they tended to be replaced with rectangular structures, and some steam operations used rectangular structures with and without turntables, but that doesn’t mean that roundhouses and turntables are dead and gone. Many are gone, but there are still a TON of them out there if you know where to look.
Seeing as a picture is worth a thousand words, check these out.
With this program it helps to close the white box on the left, and sometimes to click the “birds eye” view.
BTW, I’m using this program to find these;
To post a link, go to the view you want and click on “Share”, then click on “Copy To Clipboard”. Then you can just paste your link!
I couldn’t remember if that one was in Seattle or Portland. I found it! It’s in Seattle.
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=ry7zrh4t1c2g&style=o&lvl=1&scene=3693288
And here’s the one in Cheyenne, WY.
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=41.130103~-104.816679&style=h&lvl=17
Here’s the one in Unity, Me. (It’s real small. Right in the center of the pic.)
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=44.61517~-69.324413&style=h&lvl=17
Here’s one in Portland, ME.
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=43.625483~-70.295194&style=h&lvl=17
Chicago has at least one!