Author Topic: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video  (Read 6372 times)

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Eric Reinert

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South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« on: January 28, 2016, 11:01:44 pm »
Found this on YouTube tonight.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C9h40SyuUs


Update December 12, 2023. This original link is dead, but at least here's something from Facebook that at least gives a taste of the footage:https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1452773331578829
« Last Edit: December 12, 2023, 03:45:03 pm by Eric Reinert »
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Chuck Stewart

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2016, 07:41:21 am »
Amazing footage...thanks for sharing!

Bob Lalich

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2016, 08:01:49 am »
It appears that the original brick end walls were structurally sound after the fire and used in the rebuilt roundhouse. Is that correct?

Eric Reinert

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2016, 07:28:02 pm »
That's the way it looks to me Bob, though they certainly had to rebuild the back wall. It's too bad most of the footage was taken from so far away. I would've liked to see where the machine shop equipment was placed and what machines they had. I know they could turn flanges on the lathe(s) they had, but not sure what else they could do at South Hammond. They had a number of Machinists, so they must have had some capability. 

Eric
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Ron Marquardt

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2016, 12:05:54 am »
Interesting Eric.  I  didn't even know there was a roundhouse fine in Hammond in 1941.  I also learned in looking though the archives this evening that we don't have any photos of the Hammond roundhouse, either before of after the fire.  Any help in that area would be appreciated.

As far as roundhouse machines are concerned, I'm sure they had whatever was necessary to do routine maintenance and repairs, and that would include making engines that needed heavy repairs roadworthy so they could be deadheaded to the main shop in Lafayette.  / Ron

Tim T Swan

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2016, 01:59:33 am »
Ron, the archive has a number of photos of the South Hammond roundhouse after the fire.  They are among the photos on the "Tim Swan" CD that you yourself scanned.  Some in color.  Two are a panoramic pair of the entire building and its turntable I took from atop the diesel fuel tank.  See attached.

Eric Reinert

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2016, 09:53:40 pm »
Tim,

Who's the kid next to the turntable? A friend of yours?
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Ron Marquardt

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2016, 11:30:39 pm »
Your right Eric, we do have.  The problem is when the dumb photo archivist did a query looking for the photos in the database, he searched "Hammond" instead of "South Hammond".  Duh......  / Ron

Tim T Swan

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2016, 02:06:38 am »
That's my little brother, Eric.  About 8 or 9 at the time.  I was in college then.   

Mike Aufderheide

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2016, 11:07:31 pm »
All,

I was looking through the Societies 1946 Chesire CD tonight and happened across the note on the S. Hammond roundhouse saying it was built in 1941.  If I had been paying attention, it would have struck me odd before learning about this fire.  By the by, the roundhouse is listed having the following equipment:

-Boiler,
-Wheel grinder
-Engine lathe [?]
-Radial drill
-Crank shaper [?]
-Electric Welder
-and an air compressor system re-purposed by the railroad from locomotive compressors

It doesn't say so for S. Hammond, but in the entries for Monon and Michigan City it lists the locomotive that the stationary boiler came from.  For example the boiler at the Monon engine house was rebuilt from the boiler of engine #241, an E-2 class twelve-wheeler. Inside the engine house there was a 13ft x 15ft coal bin to feed this boiler.  They must have spotted cars inside the engine house to get the coal there since there was no track outside.  Cool stuff. 

Regards,

Mike Aufderheide

George Lortz

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2016, 10:16:42 am »
Were any steam locomotives permanently destroyed in this fire?  If so, which ones were they?

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Eric Reinert

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2016, 09:12:51 pm »
Thanks for the information Mike! I noticed what I assume are your question marks next to Engine Lathe and Crank Shaper? An Engine Lathe is simply a term for a metal cutting Lathe that has its own motor to drive the Chuck and carriage in both axes. A Crank Shaper is explained in this pdf file: http://www.eurospares.com/graphics/Tools/shapers/AShaperTutorial.pdf
They are not common any more in most machine shops (having been replaced by CNC Machining Centers), but are really cool to see in operation. Especially larger ones that throw chips bigger/thicker than "Fritos Scoops". Railroad roundhouse/shops needs for heavy stock removal made a shaper a necessary machine tool.

Eric Reinert
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Mike Aufderheide

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2016, 02:08:37 pm »
Eric,

Cool stuff, thanks.   This must have been useful maintaining the running gear of a steam loco.  I have read the tutorial, and now feel like I have enough knowledge to go to Shops Monday morning and apply to be a machinist's helper.  According to Col. Cheshire's book I will be paid $1.005/hour.  I might have to live with Mom and Dad for a while.  :>)

Mike Aufderheide

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2016, 02:18:45 pm »
George,

There were a few engines retired in the few months after the fire, maybe these were in the fire?  They were:

B8 0-6-0 #32 & # 34 July 1941

K6 4-6-2 #450 July 1941

H6 2-8-0 #s 280, 282 and 284 August 1941

Regards,

Mike Aufderheide

Eric Reinert

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Re: South Hammond Roundhouse Fire May 24, 1941 video
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2016, 07:46:55 pm »
Mike,

You know, Machinists make their living working overtime! How does $1.51/hr. sound?

Looking at the video again, I have several observations at these time locations:
At 0:59, there is a view North that shows the film maker must've been up on the Coaling Tower. 
1:08 "Armstrong" turntable!
1:44 That is almost certainly a damaged 2-8-2. Based on the running board step up after the cylinders, it has the same general layout of hardware like #510 in the photo I have attached.
1:49 Looks like Mikado #551 to me.
1:52 Looks like 4-8-0 #222. 

Whatcha think?

Eric
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