Another “really weird and wonderful” boxcab is the N&W’s #7 electric BOXGON (or whatever they call it?):
Per Clint Chamberlin, “the NW#7 is an electric transfer car at one of N&W’s Coal transfer piers in Norfolk VA. The coal hoppers were dumped into a stock pile and the coal transferred to these cars, which would travel out onto the pier and dump into waiting ships.” From John McCluskey (photo by John Testagrose). "
IIRC Koppers Coke in St.Paul MN had a wacky home-made two-story electric engine, kind of like a square two-story scaffold on wheels. Don’t know if there are any pics online, it’s kinda hard to describe…
You want an unusual locomotive? I got an unusual locomotive for you, and I ain’t making this up!!
How about an electric-coal-steam engine? Don’t believe me? Switzerland, in the 1940’s converted a few of their 0-6-0 switchers to electric power by adding a pantograph, transformers, and a resistance grid heater to the boiler of these engines. They retained the standard coal fired ability, but could now also run off of electricity.
Outside of the myth/legend of the soviet atomic Big Joe, I always thought this, the Soviet AA20, a 4-14-4 was the greatest most spectacular failure steamwise, …
Heroic in scale, heroic in intent, heroic in failure…
The Carnegie Steel plant at Mingo Jct, Ohio , now Wheeling-Pittsburg Steel , had equipment like that pictured in the opening of this topic until the 1950’s [I think]. It was used for transfering ore from standard guage cars to the furnace area . This piece was a wide gauge . They also had 3ft. n.g. Except for this piece ,everything was steam . The change to diesel was rather quick.
