[Original Woody's Workshop]

I see this is practically a give away price with DDC and Sound. Planning on the Reed City, Michigan and surrounding area's, I know a Baldwin was mainly used in the 1930's era.
Could someone tell me, if they know, if this engine fits that ear?
The one's I saw pictures of had both High and Mid domes, and this one I would say is high. The Rail Lines were the Pere Marquette N/S) and the Detroit (E/W). I recently found a post where one of these were used as a pusher and was shown with her crew West of Reed City. I believe the time of that photo was around 1910, give or take a few years.
Finding details is much more time consuming than I had originally thought, so any little bit of help is much appreciated.
Here is the link.

 

[CTValleyRR]

I see this is practically a give away price with DDC and Sound. Planning on the Reed City, Michigan and surrounding area's, I know a Baldwin was mainly used in the 1930's era.
Could someone tell me, if they know, if this engine fits that ear?
The one's I saw pictures of had both High and Mid domes, and this one I would say is high. The Rail Lines were the Pere Marquette N/S) and the Detroit (E/W). I recently found a post where one of these were used as a pusher and was shown with her crew West of Reed City. I believe the time of that photo was around 1910, give or take a few years.
Finding details is much more time consuming than I had originally thought, so any little bit of help is much appreciated.
Here is the link.

This particular type of loco was a little earlier than 1930... my research suggests that it didn't quite have the "oomph" necessary to pull the heavyweight coaches that became prevalent in the 1920's and later.

That said, it's your railroad. You do what you want.

On my layout, which is set in the late 1950's, I still run a few steamers, even though the real New Haven retired it's last one in early 1953.

 

[mesenteria]

The manufacturers stopped producing slide valve steamers around about 1910 or so. The slide valves turned out to dislike super-heated steam, which was a big improvement for boiler thermal efficiency when it was introduced. They couldn't be lubricated properly and would burn or seize. The next step was to use cylinder valves, or spindle valves.

The domes atop the example depicted are old-style domes of the type you'd see on a 4-6-0 in the late 1880's, and I would place this locomotive at about 1900-ish.

CTValley is correct in that it's unlikely this locomotive could have propelled more than five heavyweights at about 60 mph on anything but level tracks. The boiler probably produced only 500 hp. In fact, I would not have expected this engine to survive the cutting torch must past about 1920. By then, between war efforts and the much more powerful 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 types, things had changed substantially and these small engines would have been offered to local buyers, enthusiasts, parks for display, or more likely, scrapped. The NYC's 4-6-4 Hudson, a powerful, fast, and advanced locomotive, was only five years away from first fire by then.

 

[Original Woody's Workshop]

Thanks for info! That would be correct in it being just a helper on the E/W line around 1910ish. Although I have to wonder how long they used them way up here in Michigan. This area never really gained significantly until after WWII. I have run across pictures of Main Street Reed City early 30's full of sleighs pulled by horses during winter. It wasn't until early 50's Jim Miller moved here and put in an air port and several factories that roads improved. And with the 50's and cars, trains began to loose significant passenger fare. Although, a little farther North of Reed City I have seen a picture of 2 steamers on a siding awaiting their fate, with a picture of the only passenger ticket of the year at 39 cents I think it was, sometime in the 30's. Freight did continue, but the 2 steamers were probably 2 of this older model. I wish I could find that again, I'd book mark it so I could reference when needed.

 

[Dennis461]

The manufacturers stopped producing slide valve steamers around about 1910 or so..

Anyone else think the valve gear is incorrect for the Slides?

 

[mesenteria]

It should probably have inner frame valve gear anyway, but who knows..

Here's a photo from 1937 showing a slide valve still in service?

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3601481

One with no Belpair, from 1900, with slide valve, inside frame:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5093972