Builder Plate Conundrum - photo

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sat Feb 26 23:04:22 EST 2022


 Maybe it is just me, but I don't see any difference in the length of the smokebox. The headlight just gets moved forward. However consider this: N&W seemed to relate shop numbers to boilers rather than running gear. So we could be seeing a reboiler, and the "new" Roanoke Shops plate gives the number for the boiler and the date for the running gear. Makes as much sense as any other idea that has been proposed.
Jim Nichols
    On Saturday, February 26, 2022, 05:58:39 PM CST, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:  
 
 John

I just do not have all the answers.  The photos of the G2 never looked 
right to me.

I opened a class F, G and G2 left side photos up on my computer. All the 
Class G that I looked at did not have a lot of space between the stack 
and the headlight.  The Class F smoke box the stack was back further and 
made in 2 sections.  You can see from the G that the round object 
between the domes of a G was moved up to the space between the stack and 
the headlight on the G2.

My first thought was they should have moved the headlight using a 
bracket to be in front of the smoke box like you would see in the old 
days of  4-4-0's.  So the reason for the replacement smoke box is a 
mystery.  The reason for a construction number 47 on a Roanoke shop 
builders plate with a built date of 1890 and not 12/1887 is a mystery.

There does not appear to be any drawings of the G2 in our collection.  
Just don't think the G2 was a product of our locomotive design engineers 
in motive power.  The shops could have been authorized to convert the 
256 to a goat to meet their needs.

What we know for sure is the smoke box on the 256 is not a class G box.  
The construction number 47 would indicate it was an F smoke box and if 
correct it was retired July 1916. I might add there were other class 
2-8-0's locomotive with the long box.

The original builder plate on the F 169 should be Roanoke Machine works 
and not N&W.  The N&W plate started in 1900. We have a copy of the deed 
of Roanoke Machine Works  to N&W in the archives.

Jim Blackstock


On 2/26/2022 1:05 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:

> Jim, I considered a re-boiler or re-smokebox situation. But if they 
> used the boiler or smokebox off Class F #169 Const. No. 47 why doesn't 
> the plate's built date read Dec. 1887? On the plate it reads "Built 
> Dec. 1890". Obscure stuff I know! First time I've ever seen a NW 
> builder plate who's markings don't match the loco records we all 
> use.   John Garner
>
>
>
>
> John
>
> It looks like they needed more room between the headlight and the 
> smoke stack.  They must have used the smoke box off 169 with the 
> builders plate in tack when the G2 was built.
>
> Nice find
>
> Jim Blackstock
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