Train no. SLD-8

NG503019

Train no. SLD-8

Steam Freight Train

The camera is facing west here along the same stretch of Belt.! right-of-way occupied by the Duane turn in the preceding picture. (The track in the lower left foreground is the IC connection.) The L-4 above, no. 3135, is straining against an SLB-8 of 58 cars, a few of which may still be lagging back on the approach grade on the other side of the White River. It is this grade, referred to in the introduction, which is occasionally more than a match for a freight - sometimes because of a bad rail, sometimes because the yardmaster at Duane got rid of a little more tonnage than he should have, and sometimes, especially in the case of a steam engine, because....well, because she just isn't what she used to be. As a matter of fact, this is the ruling grade eastbound between Mattoon and Indianapolis. In the case of a great many heavy trains off the Illinois Division, however, it is not a factor, since there is a setout made at Westside, usually including a sizable number of coal loads, which reduces the tonnage appreciably before the grade is encountered. Such was the case with the train pictured here, and still, with a good rail, speed slacked off to about 10 MPH . This was partly due to a high wind, which greatly reduced the effectiveness of the sanders.

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor

2-1/4x3-1/4 neg

Apr-56

To buy a copy of this photograph; click here NG503019

400

L-4b

#3135

Lima

White River Br., Indianapolis, IN

See NG503019a