On the balance of probabilities, it is a staged photo. However the absence
of smoke doesn't necessarily mean the train has been stopped for some time.
Since I can't see the photo, I'm guessing, but it sounds to me like the
train is westbound, in which case it would be dropping down the hill and not
working the engine. I don't imagine that there would be all that much smoke
from engines exiting the tunnels downgrade. In any event, I don't imagine
that the train would sit much more than two to four minutes. If the train
is eastbound on the upper line and the photographer is standing on the lower
line, I still doubt that there would be all that much smoke if it is just a
single engine - especially if there are only a handful of cars behind the
engine. You are more likely to get smoke pouring out of tunnel portals when
engines had been working hard inside.
Joe Smuin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Storzek" <dstorzek@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 11:33 AM
Subject: [SPAM] Re:[cpsig] photo dating: The Mountaineer & T1b's
At 09:39 AM 6/3/2006 -0400, Dale Wilson wrote:
There's some interesting general information here and perhaps some of
you will have some thoughts on the questions Rob is asking.
>The photographer was standing near the mouth of the lower portal of the
>lower (not certain) spiral tunnel, with a T1b Selkirk at the head (and no
>helper). The locomotive number is not apparent, but it is a T1b because >I
>can clearly make out the second stream-lined stack cowling mid-length >along
>the boiler. It pulls one mail or baggage car, which is seen emerging >from
>out of the darkness in the tunnel. No smoke from the locomotive, which
>makes me wonder how long it had stopped here?
>
>According the Lavallee, T1b's were introduced in November & December >1938, I
>believe.
>
> a.. a Soo Line car noteworthy for the solarium lounge windows at the
>rearward end. The name of the Soo car is not very legible, but I see >enough
>to know its the St. Croix River. It is documented on The Mountaineer as
>early as 1936, so that doesn't help shrink the potential date range. >And I
>don't know if it ever went in other than Soo maroon paint. It has the >words
>SOO LINE stencilled on the letter board, and has an illegible three digit
>number stencilled along the sides at each end. The roof shows the air
>conditioning blister from the solarium end to about 3/4 of the way >forward,
>which may help date the car. I assume it was air conditioned after it >was
>built - guessing in the late 30's???
> a.. a Pullman car - its name is illegible, but two words. Not all
the car
>is shown - its partially outside the frame of the photo. The windows are
>the older style for steel cars - narrow, rather than "picture windows".
>They are all individual windows, not pairs, and they are separated with
>steel panels about twice their width between each. Looking at the
>Branchline Trains selection of possible models, their best match (windows
>and roof) would be the distinctive 6-3 Pullmans.
>The St. Croix River and the Pullman car appear closer to the same tone of
>grey than does the darker CPR car. While one always has trouble >discerning
>colour from a black and white shot, I wonder if there is a difference
>between the colour of the Pullman and Soo line cars - but its very subtle
>and so doubtful. If the St. Croix River was always red, or changed >colour
>at certain dates, it might help but the ambiguity in the photo would >steel
>leave some doubt. If it is green, would it be lettered Soo Line at all?
