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One of our first posts from 10 years ago, enlarged and re-restored.
March 1943. "Santa Fe R.R. locomotive shops at Topeka, Kansas." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size.
Surpassed only by Delano's "Locomotive Dreams."
See all that fluffy white stuff clinging to the outside of the fireboxes and laying on the floor?
That's asbestos, which was used as "lagging" insulation on many steam locomotive boilers.
'Nough said.
Let's be honest, the Jack Delano fans among us would gladly play "World of Traincraft."
If you just showed me this picture without any background information, I would swear it was out of a computer game.
[World of Traincraft! - Dave]
This photograph was taken looking south in the locomotive shop building of the Topeka Shop complex. This building is still in use today, only it is filled with diesel-electric locomotives instead of steam locomotives. If you are acquainted with the Topeka area, this is the building that is just to the west of the Branner St. viaduct.
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