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Florida circa 1896. "Jupiter & Lake Worth R.R." And one hound dog who didn't have to wait for the invention of the pickup truck. Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
The cord between the passenger car and the tender is probably the Conductor's communicating signal bell rope for getting the engineer's attention. It seems to pass through a grommet in the end of the car roof. One very sharp clang of the gong in the cab means "train has come uncoupled"!
Baldwin did produce rectangular plates during the 1880's, alternating them with the round plates.
And thanks to David Emery for passing my link to the J&LW site, for more interesting old railroad photos and history please visit www.taplines.net
Thanks
Don Hensley
I don't know if that is a wire running to the coach or not, but the box on the tender is a tool box. Headlamp is standard oil burner type so probably no electricity on the train.
Poor fellow standing on front of engine with no shoes on. He'd be disciplined for sure on today's railroads. Heck, to go near a running locomotive today, I must have safety glasses, ear protection, safety vest, gloves and proper boots. Great picture.
What a wonderful litle piece of Americana! A short-line narrow gauge railroad that lasted but a handful of years, but was filled with local color and quirky personalities. Stuff like this is one of many reasons we look at Shorpy every day.
Thanks Dave.
According to the interesting link provided by David Emery, the J&LW operated from 1889 to 1896, and took 35 minutes to make its 7.5 mile run. It, and its connecting steamboat lines, were put out of business by Flagler's mainline railroad, some of whose hotels were featured here several months back.
Is that a DC battery and wire leading from the tender to the car? If so, I can see the advantage of electric lighting as opposed to oil lamps.
Does anyone out there know how many locomotives were running on wood vs. coal in 1898?
Sometimes called that because it made stops at Venus and Mars before it ended at Jupiter. With no turnarounds on the 7½ mile line, the train was always pointed toward Lake Worth, running backward one way and forward the other.
More info: http://www.taplines.net/jalw/jalwry.htm
Is that guy fixin' to oil the hound?
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