Rutland's Mikado Steam Locomotive #33

Factoids

Most of the Rutland's six USRA mikado steam locomotives, led long, relatively uneventful lives as they went on their way hauling freight and passengers. Engine # 33 was not so lucky. First, on April 2, 1920 at 11 p.m. while crossing the Rouses Point trestle over Lake Champlain a westbound consist, lead by Engine #33, took an unplanned dive into the icy waters of Lake Champlain. Windblown ice on the lake had pushed the trestle out of alignment. The engine rested at the bottom of Lake Champlain for over a year before the heavy wreckers from the Delaware & Hudson and the Boston & Main railroads were assembled and able to lift her from her watery slumber. *(1)

 

Engine #33 was not sooner rebuilt after its swim in Lake Champlain , when it was caught in the the Alburg engine house fire during the bitter union strike that had engulfed the Rutland Railroad in 1922.*(2)

This was the only Mikado that had an earlier version of the Elesco exhaust steam injector on its right side.  This particular feed water could be a bit tricky at times and was often referred to as "that monkey injector".*(2)

 

Engine 33 was sold to American Wire & Steel Co., in Worcester, Mass. in 1951 for scrap.*(2)

 

 

Sources:

(1) The Rutland Railroad by Jim Shaughnessy

(2) "Interesting Steam Locomotives on the Rutland, Post-1900" by Robert W. Adams; Rutland Newsliner Vol 16, No 3, pg 10

 

Have any pictues of steam engine #33 to share?