Northern now at IRM

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6487

Photo of Grand Trunk Western #6323 supposedly at a roundhouse in Ontario:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/gtw/gtw-s6323dna.jpg

I question the location. More likely at a roundhouse somewhere on the GTW, very likely on a fantrip considering the people around the turntable. Can anyone identify the location?

The Grand Trunk sold the 4-8-4 to Fred Crew in November of 1961, shortly after the GTW dieselized. One of two surviving GTW Northern's (Ohio Central's #6325 is the other), the 6323 eventually ended up at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. I rode behind the U3b on a fantrip out of Chicago in about 1960. Nice engine.

Les

Steve B · **Posted:** Wed May 21, 2008 7:11 pm

Les,

You are right to question its location, because that is Durand.

Steve

GTW steam · **Posted:** Sat May 24, 2008 9:41 am

24 May 2008

Let me guess that this photo of 6323 was taken in Durand on 10-8-60. That was the date of a round-trip excursion Detroit – Durand and she would have needed to get turned in Durand. Note the additional coal boards on the tender – they were added in 8-60 according to my records. 3753 is in the roundhouse. My records show that she was outside in the boneyard by 4-61. The loco on the left in the house is apparently 3748. Both of these Mikes were sold for scrap in the summer of 1961.

10-8-60: That´s also the date 6323´s exhaust steam injector got clogged and she had to be towed back into Detroit by a diesel.

The one guy looking on is in shorts. Do people wear shorts in Durand in October?

Anybody have another suggestion?

Bill Yoder in Moscow

pm-man · **Posted:** Sat May 24, 2008 5:04 pm

Quote:

The one guy looking on is in shorts. Do people wear shorts in Durand in October?

I don't know about Durand in 1960, but I can attest a gentleman in Chesaning (just north on M-52) in December for the last five years is known to be a regular shorts wearer. Jimbo, who works for McDonaughs Amusements and who often helps at the Saginaw County Fairgrounds during our NPE trips, wore his shorts during every weekend of our operations. That is good to AT LEAST 15 or 20 degrees. If he actually ever DOES put on pants, the four horseman of the Apocalypse can't be far behind...

TJ "listening to the melody of the Hancock 5-chime" Gaffney

ctjacks · **Posted:** Tue May 27, 2008 11:21 am

Judging by the surroundings, I think this has to be Durand - it can't be Pontiac or Detroit, and isn't likely Battle Creek or Port Huron - the area around these roundhouses were filled with buildings or city streets.

As for Michigan weather in October: as PM-Man can attest to, during our excurisons last October the temperature hit nearly 90 degrees all the way up in Grayling.

Chris.