LIVING IN THE DAYS OF STEAM POWER

section of our state traversed by many different railroads, all of
which, up till a few years past, used steam powered locomotives to
haul their passenger and freight trains. The diesel-electric
powered locomotives existed only in the dreams and imaginations of
men in those days. Likewise, all the various plants including
factories, lumber mills, cotton gins, cotton compresses, cotton oil
mills, oil field drilling rigs, tractors, and even the first
automobile, known as ‘Stanley’s Steamer’ were
steam-powered. There were no ‘whining’ electric motors to
speak of no ‘popping Johnnies,’ when I came on the scene in
‘THE GAY NINETIES!’

On the day when the diesel-electric locomotives took the place
of the old steam locomotives ‘the rail was taken out of
railroading.’ The railroads became ‘truck roads,’ at
least in my eyes. When the fog horns of the diesels called for the
crossings and railroad stations in the land instead of the clear,
crisp, sharp tones of the steam whistles atop the boilers of the
steam locomotives, something was lost to the listening ears of the
people. The fascination of the steam locomotives with their steam
and smoke shooting high into the air, the struggling exhaust sounds
piercing the air, their whirling drivers and flashing side rods,
all this was lost to the eyes of the people. The diesel-electrics,
while more economical and efficient in operation than the old
steamers, have not ‘stolen the show’ by attracting the
attention of the people, and especially attracting attention on the
part of the ‘men of steam power.’

I grew up on a farm deep in east Texas. The old I.&G.N.
(International and Great Northern) railroad ran through that farm,
and it was here that I got my first introduction to steam power. I
had a certain spot on a high hill overlooking the curved tracks
from which I could see the trains as they would come into sight.
With smoke and steam shooting high into the air and the chime
whistle calling for the crossing just down the way, the show was on
for me. As my ‘astronaut,’ the man at the throttle, noticed
my hand waving, he would wave back with a gloved hand and big
smile. Upon seeing that I was all ‘wrapped up’ at what I
was seeing and hearing, he would give the whistle cord a quick jerk
and I would almost lose my pants! With me, those fellows were men
of steam and smoke and steel. They seemed to hold the whole world
of railroading in their hands.

In our area, there were many different plants, as already
mentioned, powered by steam engines, each of which had different
type and tone whistles. Each one could be identified by its own
peculiar whistle sound. At times, particularly at the noon hour,
when all of the whistles would turn loose at the same time, we had
both ‘cords’ and ‘discords,’ but it was all music
to my young ears. With me the world was alive and steam power
reigned supreme!

This picture shows a complete duplication of the first steam
locomotive operated by the Texas & Pacific Railroad in 1870. It
is 42′ in length, cab 13′ high complete with brass bell and
whistle, blown by compressed air. It was powered by a completely
conceiled tractor mounted beneath the boiler. It took first award
over more than 200 floats in our centennial parade in May 1970. We
had a lot of fun in building and operating it. Of course, I was the
‘hoghead’ on it.

Texas & Pacific Railroad shop whistle used at Marshall,
Texas, shop at Marshall, Texas, over half century. Made of red
brass, weight 180 lbs.3′ valve inlet. This whistle was relied
upon as a time piece. By it they went to work, quit work, set their
clocks and watches by it and perhaps many of them would have
‘sworn’ by its accuracy. The T.&P. owned two of this
type whistles at their shops at Ft. Worth and Marshall, Texas. Only
‘fog horns’, electrically operated, are heard in those
shops today.

When I was a boy of fourteen years of age, my brother, just
older than I got a job firing a steam boiler at a sawmill with
green slabs cut fresh from the logs as they went to the saw. It was
such a tough job until he asked me to help him. I gladly accepted
his offer and both of us together after ‘learning the
trick’ managed to keep steam pressure sufficient to power the
mill’s engine. Here I learned that firing a steam boiler with
green slabs, unless he has plenty of drift in the firebox and some
‘rich pine pieces’ to cast into the inferno occasionally,
is more than a boy’s job. On this boiler an old weight ‘pop
valve’ was used; and once, in order to have a big head of steam
to start the day off with, I pushed the 50 lb. weight up to 180
PSI. It was formerly set at 135 PSI. When she popped, the noise
attracted the attention of the mill owner, and he came to
investigate the cause of the noise. When he discovered the
registered pressure on the ‘old can’ he exclaimed,
‘Sonny, it’s a wonder she hasn’t taken off through
space.’ So you see that as a young fireman, I had plenty of
steam but little knowledge of the danger of too much of it on a
weak boiler.

Upon seeing the decline of the use of steam power, particularly
with the coming of the diesel-electric locomotives, many years ago,
I decided that I would make an effort to preserve some if its
effects. In this effort I have been rather successful: Over 20
steam locomotive brass bells have been preserved; more than 275
steam whistles, of most every type and size, were rescued.’
Scores of railroad lights, including lanterns, switch lights,
marker lights, headlights, inspector’s lights, engineer’s
torch lights; engineer’s long spout oilers; tallow pots, all
kinds of railroad locks and keys, telegraph instruments and books
and pictures of most all kinds. Some of my collections are now in
the Red Caboose Museum, at Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The remaining
part is now housed at my residence, pending acceptation by the
Moody Foundation Museum at Galveston,

Texas. It has been a ‘work of love’ to preserve these
things for future generations to see and enjoy, as well as by the
‘old men of steam.’

Finally, I should add this note, lest some may get the wrong
idea about this scribe. I have never been a railroad man, but
always a railroad fan. Have ‘felt the throttle’ of only one
steam locomotive in my life the thrill was great she responded to
my touch and the regular ‘hog head,’ before being told that
I am not a railroad man, did a little bragging on me. Do you ask
what has been my life’s calling? I have been a preacher of the
gospel of Christ a member of the Church of Christ for the past 65
years. I have helped the Lord to run the gospel train. This only
proves that young boys are like the weather subject to change.