Not sure this is the right place to pose the question. But can anyone identify what these engines are? Your help is appreciated. Jeff [ 26. February 2004, 23:25: Message edited by: msg4jeff ]
To me they look like Civil War 0-6-0's maybe with military flats and other cars. Just a guess. Take that from a New Yorker who knows Piqua, Ohio like the back of my hand.
i don't think they are that old, there appears to be a N&W gondola in the bottom pic. I was guess maybe 1925-1935-ish? you cannnot judge by the engines alone. Seeing the name "Bedford Belt Railway" give sme a hint that it is a shortline that may have used steamers purchased 2nd hand from other railroads. There aren't and closeups of the flats cars so they could be up to as soon as the 1950's.......but what is the deal with what apprears to be the link-and-pin type couplers? Many more questions can be derived from the coupler types.
OK. The Bedford Belt lasted from 1893 to 1898. It became part of the Southern Indiana in 1898. (Leased to it and lost it's identity). The Southern Indiana (1897-1911) became part of the Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern ( 1911-1921) in 1911. (The Chicago Southern along with the Southern Indiana went along for the ride). The Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern was leased to and became part of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul in 1921. That became the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific in 1927.
