MONON BOARD
MONON Trains => Diesel Locomotives => Topic started by: Joe Land on March 11, 2012, 10:15:57 pm
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FM #18 working at Shops.
Larry Boyd Collection
photographer/date unknown
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Joe,
I find that car on the right more interesting than the #18. It looks like a refer with a MOW number on it ? I am I correct ? It looks like
Pacific fruit Express or something has been painted over.
Pete
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80053 is listed as a Camp Car in MOW roster.
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That is one way to get an insulated car for a winter work train.
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The photo had to have been taken between 1961 when the locomotive was repowered and 1963 when it was sold.
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Can you tell by the photo is has been repowered ?
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Yes, It has four exhaust stacks in a row above the engine compartment. If it were FM powered, it would have two crosswise exhaust stacks mounted directely behind the roof mounted radiator grill at the front edge of the engine compartment.
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Good observation ! Always nice to get an approximate date to go with a photo.
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80053 is listed as a Camp Car in MOW roster.
Joe: you have a MofW roster? Could you scan it and share it with us?
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Posted roster in MoW Equipment
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Here's another photo of #18 probably taken on the same day at Lafayette Yards. This photo has a caption of Paul McGrane collection.
What is the building in the photo?
George L.
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18 is pulling the same Southern hopper car in both photos.
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Based on the fact that it's the same hopper, it could be that these photos were taken sequentially a few moments apart. The train is obviously moving from right to left and the photographer seems to be in the same position for both shots.
George L.
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I agree with George.
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Monon H-10-44 #18 was sold to the W. R. Grace Company in 1963. In the 30+ years of collecting former-Monon locomotive photos, I have only found two of #18 in W. R. Grace colors. The locomotive was repainted and renumbered 102 by W. R. Grace and operated primarily in FL. It was scrapped in 1968.
The caption for the first photo is "Mulberry, FL; 3/06/66".
I will send the second photo in the next post.
George L.
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Here is the second photo of W. R. Grace #102. I don't have a caption for this photo. If anyone has other photos of this unit, it would be nice to see them.
George L.
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George:
Thanks for sharing...I never cease to be amazed at the photos that we see here. I have been looking for a shot of the former #18 painted for W.R. Grace for YEARS!
I presume, based on what I know of their primary business, that 18/102 was used to shuffle carloads of bulk fertilizer at either a production facility or a distribution point. Here's a good clue: A Google search for "Mulberry, Florida" turns up a reference to the Mulberry Phosphate Museum - http://www.mulberryphosphatemuseum.org/
For those who don't know the fertilizer business...rock phosphate occurs in large deposits in several places around the world, one of them being Florida. Unlike potash (potassium chloride), phosphate requires processing (treatment with acid, primarily) in order to render the mineral content available to plants. Raw phosphate rock is virtually insoluble and is of limited use in agriculture. The most common form today is "triple superphosphate" which is 46% available phosphate by weight - a fertilizer designation of 0-46-0.
No doubt our former Monon locomotive ended its life shifting many thousands of tons of the stuff. The phosphate business is strongly connected to rail transport - indeed, said Museum houses many of its exhibits in converted boxcars! I haven't contacted them - but there is a fair possibility that the museum's collection might turn up more pictures of the ex-Monon FM. The museum is located about 30 miles east of Tampa.
Mark J
Columbia MO
Proud Purdue Ag
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Mark,
One thing that's interesting about W. R. Grace #102 (former-Monon #18) is that there were three successors with the same number! I have seen photos of the third W. R. Grace #102, but not second. They must have loved that number!
If you find any more photos of the first W. R. Grace #102, keep us posted.
Thanks for the interesting information about the company.
George L.